Saturday, January 6, 2024
Trophy, Gift Shop Owners Pass Baton to Next Generation
ABOVE: Bobby and Elizabeth Bowen and Joanne and Gary Bowen stand outside Sharp Trophies by Mack, 49 E. Washington St. | photo by KRISTIAAN RAWLINGS
Over 25 years after Gary and Joanne Bowen took a hand-written business plan to David Phares at Bank One, Sharp Trophies by Mack is transitioning to the next generation. The industry, the shop and even the building have changed, but customers can expect stability as Bobby and Elizabeth Bowen take over from his parents.
The local business was started by John McCammack, who lived behind the shop at 46 East Washington Street. He wasn’t known for maintaining a smoke-free environment.
“You went in there, and it was just a haze,” Joanne Bowen said.
Trophies by Mack and its old tile engraver was eventually bought by Bruce Ledford and moved across the street to 49 E. Washington. A few years later, Gary Bowen, tired of commuting to Indianapolis to work in the steel industry, became a full-time employee when they bought the business. To bring Joanne on full-time from a culinary position in Indianapolis, they needed to buy out the competition, Sharp Trophies. Gary asked a mutual acquaintance with the owner to put out feelers.
“He went out my door, walked over there, opened their door and said, ‘Bowen wants to buy you out! Give him a price.’”
While it wasn’t the preferred strategy, they sorted it out, and within another year, when the adjacent locksmith business closed, the Bowens bought the building. They removed a corridor that took up part of what is now the showroom and opened the wall. Investments were made in technology and machinery.
Since the property didn’t include the side walls, shared with adjoining buildings, the Bowens took ownership of the west wall when the city demolished the building next door. The exterior of the reinforced wall now displays two murals, the latest an homage to the gift shop portion of the business, painted by Ashley Jones, co-owner of Boba Cafe.
The Bowens hope to also list the names of building owners on the wall, which include the Shelby Publishing Company, Raymond Hamblen, Clarence Domhoff, Walter Huesman, Marlene Meyers, the Bowens and now Bobby and Elizabeth Bowen. Some of the businesses housed on the property, including in a previous structure, have included Degelow Hides & Furs, Club Cafe, Rosen Shoe Repair, The Shelbyville Republican, R. Kirby Pool, Hamblen & Washburn Pool & Cigars and, until the mid-1990s, Walt’s Bar.
Since 1998, the one-story building has been the Bowen’s backdrop to the world. They watched the 9/11 aftermath on a small TV in the shop. “We just couldn’t believe something like that could happen,” Joanne recalled.
There have been light-hearted moments, too. The late Larry Pope used to bring in items such as toilet seats and irons to be mounted as trophies. He once brought a brass crab for a friend who was, of course, “crabby,” Gary said. Pope was also an accomplished artist, and two of his intricate pencil drawings of Santa Claus are displayed in the shop showroom each Christmas.
In addition to building a highly-rated outlet on Etsy, Sharp Trophies by Mack has become a mainstay downtown destination, participating in events such as Mistletoe Market and Wine Walk. They have also been a regular donor to local causes and sponsor of youth teams.
Sometimes, locals purchase from them on Etsy not realizing they’re ordering from a Shelbyville business.
“They’ll call and say, ‘Can I just pick it up instead of you shipping it to me?’” Joanne said.
Over the years, numerous part-time students and adults in between jobs have worked in the shop. Gary and Joanne are now also on the part-time roll. Joanne will work two days a week, and Gary deems his status “at will,” he said.
He has stepped down from the Parks Department board, but remains active with the national Babe Ruth organization. Joanne, a long-time city councilwoman and plan commission member, will no longer be involved with local government, but remains with the Shelbyville Business and Professional Women, and the couple are both on the Rupert’s Kids auxiliary board. The Bowens, parents of Bobby and Jamie (Nieves), anticipate staying busy with their grandchildren.
“I would call it semi-retired,” Joanne Bowen said. “I’m used to being busy, so we’re going to have to find some hobbies.”
Although the Bowens won’t be snowbirds, they will travel more often. The first is an upcoming Seine River cruise with Shelby Senior Services. The couple will then get a ticket to ride to Liverpool for some Beatlemania on Abbey Road.
It’s their second visit to Europe, the first was in the late 1980s as part of Joanne’s culinary school training.
“This time, I actually get to enjoy the sites,” she said.
NOTEBOOK:
Shelbyville High School’s Katelyn Wilson, Jessica Price and Ella Holmes qualified yesterday for Indiana High School Girls Wrestling semi-state tournament.
Snow is expected to be in the Indianapolis area around 2 a.m. The best chance for accumulation of up to one inch is along the I-74 corridor, the National Weather Service reported. While isolated slick spots are expected, widespread travel hazards are unlikely.
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This Day in Shelby County History
2014: Arby’s hosted Rupert Boneham for a meet and greet. He signed autographs and posed for pictures from 5 to 8 p.m. Rupert was working with Mayor Tom DeBaun to bring his Rupert’s Kids foundation to Shelbyville. Best known for being on “Survivor” and running for governor as a Libertarian, Rupert had over 20 years’ experience working with adults caught up in the legal system.
2004: Renovations began to transform the Porter Pool bathhouse into a tourist center and offices for the Shelby County Development Corp. and Chamber of Commerce. Parts of the interior, such as the area for the conference room and front entrance, would be preserved, down to the block walls, during restoration. The original ceiling would also be saved. The pool and bathhouse, built in 1930, was open for 69 seasons before closing in 1998. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.
1994: Major Hospital was full. The third floor, which housed specialists’ offices and about 10 beds, had been opened to handle overflow. Some people had to wait in the emergency room until beds became available. The culprits were numerous. “Dr. Chris Loman said people with microplasma, a bacterial infection, the Beijing flu and pneumonia aren’t just swamping Major Hospital, they’re swamping doctors’ offices as well,” The Shelbyville News reported.
1984: With unemployment rates high, more people were taking the GED test at Blue River Vocational Technical Center than ever, director Nick Banos reported. On average, those taking the test were 27 years old and had completed 10 years of schooling. There were also several in their 60s who had taken the test “for their own personal satisfaction,” he said.
Up to $240,000 of merchandise had been stolen from Kmart over a period of time, and evidence was scarce, local police said. “All of the suspects are former employees of the local Kmart store, and one worked in management,” Det. Harley Uhlmansiek said.
1974: Construction was in full swing on the 10,000-square-foot Apostolic Tabernacle building, 1500 Miller Ave. Rev. Robert C. Cavaness was pastor of the church. (Pictures below, taken by Asenath Theobald, show the exterior and interior of the church under construction, including a photo of church members taking a break from working, including Melvin Griffith on the back left and Rev. Cavaness in overalls.)
1964: The SHS Courier reported that Mary Lou Ryhal, sister of SHS senior Donna Ryhal and sophomore Gary Ryhal, was a featured singer and dancer on the “Sing Along with Mitch” TV show. Starting as a member of the chorus, she had advanced to feature roles and was the only girl who had been with the show since its beginning.
Six schools in Shelby and Rush counties picked up their new 1964 driver education cars from Padgett Chevrolet Sales in Morristown, which had furnished the vehicles at no cost for 12 years.
1954: Victor Lux, Shelby Township, was named Hoosier Corn King at a Purdue University conference. His 15-year-old son, Jerry Joe, had been named world corn prince in Chicago a few weeks prior.
Fire Chief Russell Klare’s wife called the station to inform her husband their house, 511 Van Ave., was on fire. The fire was contained to the children’s bedroom. Furniture was destroyed but there were no injuries.
1944: A Service Men’s Center opened on Public Square. Members of the mother’s organization maintained a cookie jar at the center and invited all service men visiting in the city or en route to other places to stop by. Volunteers willing to staff the center or make cookies were asked to contact Mrs. Wilbur Ray.
Pvt. James (Jack) McComas was named to the starting lineup on the Camp Cooke, Calif. basketball team. McComas was considered “by many local net fans as the greatest basketball player ever to take the floor for Shelbyville High School’s Golden Bears,” The Republican said.
1934: Soft ground beneath railroad ties near the J.O. Parrish lumber yard, the south transfer track of the Big Four, resulted in the derailment of a freight train. Workers spent six hours placing the engine back on the rails and repairing the track.
A roller rink was opened inside the armory building. Skating would be open Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings.
1924: A severe cold spell delayed interurban and passenger trains. “From the number of orders which were being received at the offices of the coal dealers, it appeared that many persons in the city were operating their furnaces on scant rations,” The Republican reported. Herbert DePrez of DePrez Coal Company said emergency orders would be delivered on Sunday so that “no suffering in the city” would occur. The temperature reached 11 degrees below zero at night, the coldest since 1918. “In homes that are generally comfortable, all water pipes were frozen solid,” the paper said. “In the homes of the poor, there was suffering.”
1914: Electric lights were made available for the first time in the hamlet of Prescott. The majority of homes and stores were connected through the I & C interurban traction line.
“Cold and wet feet are a dangerous combination,” The Republican warned, “especially to women, who are more prone to kidney diseases than men.” The paper recommended kidney pills.
INCIDENTS
Theft was reported in the 600 block of 8th St., Shelbyville.
OBITUARIES
None today
Really enjoyed reading this article. More importantly, I found that this location was also one of Raymond Hamblen's and ...Washburn's Pool and Cigars. Raymond was my mother's brother and Washburn might have been my father's step-father. In the very front was a "coffee shop" where, as a very young child, I had powdered cake donuts. I made a mess. Memories!! Good luck as you continue your Trophy, Gift Shop.