Churubusco

Small Town Breakdown

Small Town Breakdown: Churubusco, Indiana

Tucked into the northeast corner of the northeastern Indiana county of Whitley County is Churubusco, a town packed with history and quirky attractions.

Fast Facts

📍LOCATION: Northeastern Indiana

• Located at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 and Indiana State Road 205

• Northeast Whitley County

• 25 minutes northwest of Fort Wayne

• 135 miles northeast of Indianapolis

• 1 hour and 30 minutes southeast of South Bend

👥 POPULATION & RANKING

• 1,866 residents (as of 2023)

• Ranks as Indiana’s 238th largest city

• Second-largest of four towns in Whitley County behind Columbia City

📏 LAND AREA

• 0.9 square miles (576 acres)

📅 FOUNDED

• Whitley County authorized on Feb. 7, 1835; named after Colonel William Whitley who was killed in the Battle of the Thames in the War of 1812

• Churubusco established in November 1847

• The towns of Franklin and Union were founded in 1845 but were divided by railroad tracks; Postmaster General ordered the two towns to apply for a joint post office

• Churubusco named after the 1847 Battle of Churubusco in the Mexican-American War

🏥 MAIN INDUSTRIES: Manufacturing and Agriculture

• Create your dream kitchen and/or bathroom with custom carpentry by Vision Woodwerx

• Innovative engineering, precision manufacturing and 3D imaging provided by Nexdyne

• BRC Rubber & Plastics is an industry leader in the design, development and manufacturing of molded thermoset and thermoplastic materials

THE HISTORY OF WHITLEY COUNTY AND CHURUBUSCO

Churubusco was established in November 1847, just over 12 years after Whitley County became an authorized county in Indiana. Churubusco was once divided into two towns as Franklin and Union, but the Postmaster General took charge and demanded the two apply for a joint post office. The residents ultimately chose Churubusco, named after the Battle of Churubusco in the Mexican-American War.

LEGEND OF OSCAR, AKA THE “BEAST OF BUSCO”

Churubusco is referred to as Turtle Town, USA. But why exactly? In the late 1800s, a local farmer named Oscar Fulk swore he saw a giant turtle living in his lake. He told his neighbors (who never did spot the turtle themselves), and the story eventually died down… until July 1948, when the story was resurrected by two Churubusco citizens who reported seeing the same snapping turtle while fishing on the lake. They estimated its weight to be 500 pounds! This time, the story of Oscar — or better yet, the “Beast of Busco” — took off and gained national recognition. LIFE magazine picked it up, and state police were called in for traffic control because thousands of sightseers wanted to catch a glimpse of the shell shocker. While Oscar never resurfaced, he did spark the beginning of the longest-running festival in Indiana.

TURTLE DAYS FESTIVAL

Like many small town summer celebrations, Churubusco’s Turtle Days Festival includes staples like carnival rides, a parade, 5K, live entertainment and great food from local vendors. What does it have that other towns don’t, however? The Miss Turtle Days pageant and even better — TURTLE RACING. Yes, Churubuscoans love their turtles. You can BYOT (bring your own turtle) and enter it in the smallest turtle, largest turtle or fastest turtle competitions. This year’s Turtle Days is set for June 11-14. Have a big turtle (if it’s anything remotely close to Oscar, you win), small turtle or turtle with quickness and burst? You know what to do.

THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Outdoor enthusiasts will love Blue Lake. Located west of town a short drive away, enjoy fishing, boating and swimming during warmer months.

Eel River Golf Course is an 18-hole course south of town worth visiting. You can play 18 with a cart for under $40, and you’ve got a chance to go low — the yardage is sub-6,000 from the tips. It has an impressive 4.5 Google rating with over 200 reviews.

GRAB SOME GRUB

You can’t miss with breakfast, lunch, dinner or ice cream at Magic Wand. This classic family-owned diner has been serving comfort food in Churubusco since 1964. It has a delicious, ginormous tenderloin sandwich on the menu, and the highly-regarded Magic Burger is top of the line in northeast Indiana.

Edwin Coe Spirits is a grain-to-glass artisan distillery located off Highway 33 west of town. Founded in 2016, Edwin Coe Spirits’ drink menu includes rye, rum, gin, vodka, honey blends, and features the family’s over 100-year-old recipe. If you’re hungry, dive into the Charleston Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes or the South Carolina Bird Dog, a hand-breaded and fried chicken breast tenderloin topped with house-made honey mustard, smoked paprika aioli, seasonal greens and scallions on a brioche bun. Live music and country landscape views are on the house.

Papa’s Place is the go-to pizza joint in town. Its headliner pizza is named Oscar and is loaded with everything but the kitchen sink. No, seriously. It starts with Mama’s pizza sauce, ends with mozzarella cheese and has pepperoni, American sausage, Italian sausage, ground beef, ham, salami, bacon, chicken, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, green olives, banana peppers and jalapeños.

OSCAR NOMINEES

• You can’t start a round of Oscar nominees without mentioning Oscar. Head downtown and take a photo with the turtle legend in statue form.

• Little Turtle Famous Pancake House has waffles, and of course, pancakes that are king. Enjoy large portions at an affordable price.

• Brevin’s Downtown Eatery has been around since 1991 and offers an excellent breakfast and welcoming ambiance.

• Magic Wand has an impressive collection of clown figurines.

• Churubusco Junior-Senior High School is home of the… Eagles. Fly Eagles Fly instead of Walk Turtles Walk.

Whether you’re passing through or planning a weekend getaway, Churubusco proves that sometimes the smallest dots on the map hold the biggest surprises. Next stop — Turtle Town, USA.

Check out Nate’s breakdown of Churubusco ⬇️