By Rick Morwick
Once upon a not-too-distant time, Carmel’s urban center was something other than a bustling hub of art, business, entertainment and modern architecture.
Rather, it was a rural expanse of farmland dotted with old homes, barns, tractors and assorted livestock.
Retired farmer Bob Huber remembers it will.
“At one time I farmed north of 116th Street all the way from Spring Mill to The Palladium. We were raising 2,000 to 3,000 head of hogs a year,” Huber recalls in an upcoming documentary, one of two that will premiere Oct. 29 at Carmel Clay Public Library.
Presented by the Clay Township Trustee and the The OMNI Centre for Public Media, the 20-minute videos, “Walnut Farm” and “Schwitzer Farm,” document the histories of bygone farm operations that were once prominent features of Carmel’s landscape.
Part of the ongoing “Historical Farms of Clay Township” series, the event is from 2 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
“After each documentary, there will be an opportunity for a 10- to 15-minute Q&A with persons featured in the documentary,” Jim Mullett of OMNI Centre said. “There will be a reception for attendees to talk with participants.”
Two of the participants are Bob Huber of Walnut Farm and Lou Schwitzer III of Schwitzer Farm. They offer firsthand recollections of the histories of their respective family farms.
Walnut Farm, which derived its name from two stately walnut trees on the side of the driveway, was a prominent farming and livestock operation. Bob and his “city girl” wife, Judy Huber (who also is featured in the video), ran the business.
Schwitzer Farm, which was located along 116th Street, was a 500-acre enterprise that included a 3,400-foot air strip that ran from 116th Street to 106th Street. Schwitzer III’s grandfather, Lou Schwitzer, won the opening event (an airplane race) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909. He established the Schwitzer Corp. in Indianapolis, which was the first company in Indianapolis with corporate aircraft.
“When I learned to fly in 1963, I flew quite often in and out of the farm, as did my father with both the corporate aircraft and his own personal planes,” Schwitzer III said. “He even built a hanger in the 33-acre parcel.”
See the trailers
To view a trailer for “Schwitzer Farm,” visit vimeo.com/236153574. For a “Walnut Farm” trailer, visit vimeo.com/231082962.
