Have you ever been on a trip and met someone that made an impact on you? Maybe they were incredibly welcoming or made the new place you were visiting seem less scary. Sometimes a friendly face is all it takes to turn a bad trip into a good one. This is our goal with our new Interview With a Local Series; to introduce you to new people–familiar faces–who we hope will not only make your visit to our small towns in Knox County better but also make you want to come back and see more.
First up is Howard Lanam. A Vietnam Air Force veteran and a skilled woodworker, Howard has been volunteering at the Indiana Military Museum for twelve years. (He also happens to be one of the nicest people we know!) After being transferred for work from Ellettsville to Vincennes 48 years ago, Howard began teaching telephone splicing and telephone pole construction at Lincoln Trail College; prior to that, he worked at Indiana Bell (a part of the Bell Operating Company, and later AT&T) for 30 years.
As a volunteer at the Indiana Military Museum, one of Howard’s favorite parts is getting to meet all of the interesting and kind people that come to visit. When we asked Howard if he had a favorite artifact or exhibit at the IMM he said, “That’s a toughie. All of the vehicles; that’s why I started volunteering, to work on the old vehicles.” A little-known fact about the IMM that Howard told us was that “There is no payroll at the IMM, it is run solely by volunteers.”
His favorite festival or event in Knox County is the Salute to the Veterans of WWII that takes place at the Indiana Military Museum. “So many interesting people to meet and talk to. Makes it fun to chat with the different people.” Dot’s and Texas Roadhouse are among his favorite places to eat locally. His favorite season in Knox County is spring. When we asked Howard what his preferred lodging is for his own vacations he said hotels.
At the end of our interview with Howard, we asked him, “If someone only had 24 hours to spend in Knox County, what would you tell them they needed to do or see while they were here?” He told us the two places he would most recommend people visits are the Indiana Military Museum and the Red Skelton Museum of American Comedy.
So the next time you’re in town, are visiting the Indiana Military Museum or one of their many events, be sure to tell Howard “Hello.” We hope his familiar face, along with the many other wonderful volunteers and locals we’ll be interviewing will make your trip to Vincennes and Knox County even more special than it already is bound to be.
Photo Credit: Tom Bartholomew
Howard is featured in the photo with his great-grandson.
