I recently sat on the outside patio of the Auburn, Indiana Starbucks, pondering historical legacy in the context of community. Many years ago, as a teenager, this very spot might have been where I experienced the first garlicy joys of Fazoli’s breadsticks. Before that, the legendary Rax restaurant stood prominently. I cannot recall what was before, and I can only imagine what might supplant the Starbucks; but rest assured, something someday will.
Across the street, a Dairy Queen serves Hot Eats and Cool Treats, just as it has for generations. My mom used to tell me of the days when it was the only thing on this stretch of SR 8. Since then, it has been overshadowed by a wave of new commerce and even its continuity for the future has been questioned by some (though let me be clear: I have no inside info, nor do I have any reason to suggest it… just pointing out speculation).
The Road to Change
That speculation, may be justifiable in light of a business boom currently shaping inside the Classic City. To the north of that DQ, the long-established Westedge Mall ominously sits mostly vacated for the moment. The complex has been sold to developers who promise that a major national tenant to announce plans soon. Until then, we, of course, can merely speculate.
This is not the lone development though. Westerly from there is the construction of a modernized Pizza Hut that will likely spell the demise of the long-tenured sit-down traditional Hut where I once worked. No longer will the Hut host large groups of people for connecting over a pie and drink. Instead, it will be chiefly a kitchen to provide carry-out and delivery service. To the west of it, the former Ponderosa is set to get an extra extreme makeover, turning into a multi-venue complex to house a Texas Roadhouse, a Chipotle, hotels, a cellular carrier, and who knows what else.
On the other side of SR 8, we see the makeover of a Speedway station, a hotel being converted to a McAlister’s Deli, an urgent care clinic, and respite housing for those displaced from their homes. Add to all this a new construction hospital campus on the northwest side of I69 and it is no wonder why we are looking ahead to a median down the middle of SR 8 in 2026, along with service roads to be built in the meantime.
Regress and Progress
To some, this may not seem much. To most of Auburn, though, this is a significant change. Change on a scale few of us have ever experienced in our community. And here it should be mentioned that to the south of all this, a multi-sports complex is progressing in development, promising of additional hotels, restaurants, service stations, and more. It it likely to be a catalyst for a lot of opportunities within the community on many fronts.
The downtown area is thriving, with nearly full occupancy and lots of activity to entertain and connect residents, many of whom are blood or good-as-blood family.
Other happenings in the Home of the Classics include; park expansions, travel amenities (railroad overpass), and more parking in a congested downtown (a frustrating but happy consequence of having a thriving downtown).
Dairy Queen in 1976 Auburn, Indiana. Image courtesy of the William H. Willennar Genealogy Center.
History creates generations, and generations create history.
— William Strauss and Neil Howe; The Fourth Turning: What the Cycles of History Tell Us About America’s Next Rendezvous with Destiny
How Might We Respond to Change?
The pace of change here is monumental, so how are we to greet and respond? Shall we respond with blind enthusiasm for the spurring of development that means more options, population growth, job growth, and expanded services? Perhaps we can take the cynical view and claim that it will mean more traffic, more waiting in lines, more crime, excessive political BS, and a dismantling of the charm we so cherish.
I don’t know that either one is the correct view. I don’t know that even a blend of the two are apt. Having studied a lot of history, I understand that with every change comes a mutual sentiment of melancholy for what was along with a cocktail of optimism and spitefulness for what is yet to be.
As the former is washed away, gone also are the remnants of those who participated in building it. And gone also is tangible proof of identity for those souls. A belittling. A bold proclaiming of “they didn’t matter.” That is the saddest byproduct of time passing. It is the unfortunate truth: future generations will someday stand so tall upon our shoulders that we will no longer exist in the eyes of the future present.
Why History Matters
This is what drives me to study and relay history. To uncover the shoulders of those men, those women, and those events; whether significant or menial. So the triumphs and impact can be acknowledged. So lessons of trials can be learned and (hopefully) be less likely to be repeated.
Classics matter. And progress matters. These two elements of any cycle of change will always exist. It’s up to us, the stewards of the now, to make sure we grant both their proper weighting as we go forward, adjusting to the demands of a culture that thrives on aiming to prevail over nature and leave a mark so prominent, not even the sands of time can cover–or change–it.