Photo Essay by Marlena Sloss
When I moved into an apartment on the Courthouse Square in October 2019, I was immediately struck by the mixture of daily life, government and business unfolding in one block. In contrast to the nearly 35% of rural counties in America that are experiencing significant depopulation, Dubois County’s population is slowly growing and the Courthouse Square reflects that liveliness. From my window and each day as I passed through the street, I observed the pulse of the city — holiday celebrations, demonstrations, construction projects and courthouse proceedings — all connected through shared space.
Moments of joy, public opinion and Jasper pride were everywhere. I saw custodians keep the courthouse maintained, lowering the flag on Memorial Day and mowing the lawn. In May, the Square was host to peaceful protesters demonstrating against police brutality and racism. In August, Heart of Jasper volunteers power-washed the sidewalks while siblings twirled around in a leaky garden hose, children slurped shaved ice at the Downtown Chowdown and visited with Santa Claus in December.
The quiet moments balanced out the daytime bustle. Construction workers napped on the bench outside on their lunch break. At night, the calm snowfall collected on my neighbor’s moped and people took their dogs for evening walks around the Square.
As we approach the end of this unprecedented year, we have an opportunity to reflect on the challenges we’ve faced, milestones we’ve celebrated and creative ways we’ve stayed connected with our community. Through the hardships of COVID-19, the resiliency of Dubois County shone brightly on the Square. It was a privilege to witness.
The photographs in this visual diary were made on my camera phone and processed with the app, Hipstamatic.
The Herald | Dubois County, Indiana | Saturday, December 26, 2020