Montezuma (1,800) Built 1954
March 16, 2026
March 16, 2026
As I write this, the World Cup has just started and is being played in America for the first time since 1994. One of the unexpected joys of experiencing this in the age of social media is getting to see people coming to America from all over the world and watching them take part in our culture for the first time. People from all walks of life are uncovering the joys of biscuits and gravy, gargantuan truck stops, and free refills right in front of our eyes (along with some of the not so fun parts like tipping culture). There are so many simple things we don't even think about or take for granted in our country that are being instantly celebrated by people from Europe, Asia, South America, and Africa. As I was talking about this with my wife and thinking about all the other nations and cities that these visitors hail from, it got me thinking about some of their local counterparts that I've visited or are on my list to go see right here in Indiana. Many of them even have old gyms to visit. If you're wondering what I'm talking, about, just take out an old map of Indiana and look around for a little bit and I think you'll see what I mean. Just in the last year I've visited old gyms in Versailles, Mexico, and Milan. One of my earliest and favorite old gym trips took me to Peru. I've photographed fading gyms in Chile and Mecca. The old gym in Monterrey is now a wedding venue. The Morocco and Ireland gyms are now attached to elementary schools. Do you remember the Alamo? People in Montgomery County do, even if its gym is now falling in on itself. The old gym in Brazil is at the very top of the list of old hoops halls I want to go see. As foreign as these places may sound, they're as Hoosier as they come. Over my spring break I made it to another place that's not necessarily named after a foreign land, but a leader from one. Montezuma was the famous Aztec leader who tangled with Hernan Cortes 500 years ago. Montezuma is also a lovely little town in Parke County with a gym more impressive than the most breathtaking Aztec ruins (you'll just have to take my word for it).
Right before I started planning my trip down to Parke County to check out Montezuma and Rosedale, I learned that Montezuma Elementary was to close at the end of this last school year. This means that all elementary students who eventually will attend Riverton Parke will now go to Rosedale. That's a 25 minute winding car ride, I can't even imagine how long it will be on a bus for students in the northern part of the district. The consolidation of these rural elementary schools is becoming more and more common as the state continues their quest to see just how little funding they can provide to districts and get away with it. It's devastating, but I don't have the energy to rehash that again here. It's not going to change anything anyways. Montezuma already has an interesting consolidation history. The high school here and at Rosedale survived all the way through the mid-80s, much longer than the vast majority of small town schools in Indiana. The consolidation of Montezuma and Rosedale into Riverton Parke is one of only three other examples I found of school consolidation in the 80s. Typically if you made it past the 70s, you were good (ironically the very last example of consolidation we have was also in Parke County just a decade ago when Turkey Run and Rockville merged into Parke Heritage). I do wonder if consolidating long after everyone else made it even harder for the communities. For a tiny school, Montezuma managed to bring home a sectional title 4 different times. One of them was in their first year in this gym in 1954. That season they captured a regional title as well before they were knocked out by the ultimate team of destiny, the Milan Indians. The Aztecs vs. the Indians, a true clash of Native Americans.
I saw an old picture of this gym a couple years ago and could never find the picture online again. All I remembered about it going in was that the bleachers had been removed on one side to serve as a cafeteria. I was pretty much going in sight unseen. What I found was a place that has stood the test of time incredibly well. Even with the one section of bleachers gone, it is very easy to imagine what this place would have been like packed to the gills on a Friday night in the 80s. It has that classic 50s wooden ceiling that goes on a long slope to the crease in the center. The huge wooden beams run the length of the roof and then curve gently down the walls and to the floor through the top few rows of bleachers. It looks majestic. Light streams through upper windows along the sideline where the bleachers have been taken out. The long end-to-end baseline shots in gyms like this are some of my favorite pictures that I take. While it's a bummer one full side of bleachers is gone, the other side is still intact and original to the gym, so it's easy to know what the missing section would have looked like. All the bleachers are the permanent wooden variety which are great. These have been painted grey and had rubber tops put on the bench seats which people do sometimes when they get old and start to splinter. While it would be cool to see what's underneath, it sure beats plastic replacement bleachers. On the ends of the bleachers that are still intact are stairs that lead down to locker rooms or other storage areas beneath.
While the grand wooden beams and original bleachers are nice, let's get to what will make this gym stick with me for a long time. The artisty here is just unmatched. Montezuma is the home of the Aztecs, and that is very evident! When you walk in the gym, straight across from you high on the baseline wall, centered perfectly between the basket supports, is a big circular Aztec insignia. It's purple and gold and as menacing as can be. The same symbol can be found in two corners of the playing floor, actually overtaking the three-point lines. The placement is inexplicable and yet I can't help but love it. It's awesome. Inside the small inner circle at halfcourt is a wavy letter "M" sitting against a purple background. Again, I've never seen anything like. Again, it's awesome. "Aztecs" is written across both baselines in the same clear groovy font against the same purple background. It looks incredible. This may be the best floor design I've ever seen in an old gym. The rest of the floor is stained a slightly darker gold color that looks great as well. The only other thing really worth pointing out is that one of the hoops has the old school practice baskets hanging off the sides facing the sidelines which is always neat to see. There isn't a ton else going on, but that's okay! Because what is here, is truly incredible.
As I was doing a little more research and getting ready to write this blog, I saw that a charter school has just been approved to open in the former Montezuma Elementary School and will serve grades K-6. I'm a public school teacher and supporter. Most people who follow along here regulary know the concerns I have about charter schools. That doesn't mean they're all bad though or that they can't fill a need, and I think that's exactly what is happening here. Kids in rural communities deserve to have local schools to attend. They shouldn't have to spend hours of their days on a bus. I hope the new school here can gain traction and serve the students of Montezuma well for years to come, just as this beautiful gym has. I'm glad it will continue to be used and have a purpose. That's all these old gyms need, a purpose. As long as they have that, they tend to be well-cared and preserved. That allows the memories and traditions to keep hanging on just a little bit longer, and that's what Hoosier Gym Journey is all about.
