The Beefcake of My Home Town

My parents grew up in Garrett, Indiana, a small town in the northeastern corner of the state, near the borders of Michigan and Ohio.  I was born there, and if my father hadn't been transferred, I might have grown up there. 

Seeing my grandparents and uncles and aunts in real time, not just on holidays.

Going to school with my cousin Buster.

Going to the drive-in theater next to the Blue Moon frozen custard stand. 

Buying comic books at Manuel's Newsstand instead of Schneider's Drug Store. 

Graduating from Garrett High School, home of the Railroaders.

It sounds idyllic for a little kid, but I don't think it would have been optimal by the time I hit high school.  The Quad Cities were conservative and homophobic enough, but at least they had a bookstore, a museum, two gay bars, and a bit of racial diversity.  Garrett is 99% white, and there is literally nothing there except bars, banks, and clothing stores.  And churches.

The best restaurants in town are Shorty's Steakhouse and Timmy's Pizza and Barbecue.  Oh, and the Blue Moon is still standing after over 70 years (My parents went there when they were in high school).




Garrett has a Museum of Art, which opened in 2008 in the old State Bank building.  A little late for my childhood.

For amenities like gay bars, you have to drive 30 miles to Fort Wayne, which would have been unfeasible for me in high school.





I was looking for Garrett beefcake, but there isn't a lot. The top photo is a wrestler from East Noble County High in Kendallville, about 20 miles away.

Here's the cross-country team.





More East Noble Knights. My brother was born in Kendallville.  Maybe we could have lived there instead.



East Noble High swim team.












A bodybuilder, but I think Garrett is his name,
















I think this wrestler is from South Garrett County, Maryland.