HISTORIC U.S. HIGHWAY 40 — Donna Tauber has a vision for the Historic National Road Yard Sale.
“One whole bumper-to-bumper 800 miles of sales,” she exclaimed.
If participation in the sale continues to grow, Tauber, past president and now a 22-year board member of the Indiana National Road Association, may just get her wish.
Now in its 15th year, a sale which began along a stretch of U.S. Highway 40 between Knightstown and Richmond, now stretches from Baltimore to St. Louis. The Historic National Road boasts hundreds if not thousands of rummage sales along the 838 miles of highway.
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Some compare the sale along America’s first major highway to reports from the westward expansion trails of the 1850s. The roadsides were littered with household goods abandoned along the route by pioneers attempting to lighten their wagons before heading into the Rocky Mountains. Chairs, tables, grandfather clocks and fine china were all left for the taking, treasures for someone else to claim if they so desired.
So, too, will U.S. Highway 40 be “littered” with treasures from May 30 through June 3 during the annual Historic National Road Yard Sale.
Tauber asserted that central Indiana, where the sale originated, lays claim to some of the best sales along the route.
“We have the ideal place,” she said. “We have four lanes, a place to pull over, and it’s safe.”
In a news release, Tauber stated that the goal of the sale is to have communities participate to make the sale one long festival along the route as a way as a showcase for what makes them unique.
Situated along U.S. 40, Hancock County plays crossroads to bargain hunters, traveling east to west and west to east.
Not only do homeowners along the highway set up for the four-days of sales, churches, businesses, non-profits and civic groups take advantage of the traffic to clear out unneeded items and raise money for projects. Some even offer sit-down meals for hungry shoppers.
Jill Ebbert, director of the Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen, 202 E. Main St., has led her organization to participate in the sale for the last four years and plans to set up tables again this year June 1 and 2 in the parking lot just to the west of the building. The soup kitchen takes in donated items from the community throughout the year and uses the proceeds for operating expenses.
According to the adage, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and it never rings so true as during the four-day event. Shoppers can expect to find antiques, furniture, household items, collectables, books, media, clothing, tools, toys and electronics.
Ebbert admitted to doing a little shopping at the sale.
“There’s not a thing in this world that I need until I see it and say, ‘Well, isn’t that cool?’” Ebbert laughed. Ebbert is a collector of glass pitchers and has found several she couldn’t live without while shopping.
Businesses take advantage of the increased traffic along the highway. Chris Lee, owner of Mozzi’s All-Star Pizza, 2221 W. Main, notices increased traffic over the four-day span of the sale.
“You can tell people are out and about, and people love pizza,” Lee said.
Like Ebbert, Lee has spent some time shopping. She once bought an old label maker for her son, Garrett, who used it to label everything from the front door to the toilet.
“He said, ‘I didn’t even know I wanted one of these!’” Lee said.
While many sales can be found in rural areas, the towns get in on the act, too.
Greenfield Main Street, under the direction of Shelley Swift, is offering booth space for June 2 on the lawn of the Hancock County Courthouse. Each 10×10 foot space is available for $25, Swift said.
Individuals, local businesses and non-profits are all welcome to purchase a space, with proceeds going toward Greenfield Main Street programs, Swift said. Vendors are responsible for their own tables or tents.
Tauber is proud of how the sale has grown over the past 15 years. She traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, last year where she spoke with tourism officials to help build up the sale on the East Coast.
“I’ve taken phone calls from people all over the country who want to know where the hot spots are,” Tauber said.
Tauber is not immune to the lure of bargain hunting. One year, Tauber — who collects birds — paid $2 for a wooden canary that someone had hand-carved.
“I always find that one little item I didn’t know I needed,” she said, echoing other shoppers.
With 30,000 likes on the Historic National Road Yard Sale Facebook page, Tauber said she expects the event to continue to grow. There’s a lot of enthusiasm for it this year, she said.
For more information about the four-day sale, visit the Facebook page or call 765-969-7593.
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The Historic National Road Yard Sale runs along U.S. Highway 40 through central Indiana, as far east at Baltimore, Maryland, and as far west at St. Louis, Missouri.
The dates for the sale are May 30 through June 3 with Friday and Saturday as the most popular sale dates.
Visit Historic National Road Yard Sale – US 40 Sales on Facebook for more information and drive carefully.
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