Familiar Faces: The People and Places of Indiana’s 93rd County

The Hoosier Anomaly: is it fact or phantasy?

Seldom mentioned in conversation and never shown on any mainstream map or atlas, the Hoosier Anomaly is phantasy, as convention and common sense dictate. But there is so much substance to this will-o-the-wisp. There are the stories, and the pictures—dozens of them—traditionally produced photographs showing no trace of Photoshop, all urging us to say this is fact. This is real.

Familiar Faces is unique. It stands as the lone historical record of Ersatz County, Indiana’s, ignored and largely forgotten ninety-third county. Ersatz County and Grindle, its equally obscure seat of government, are home to not just square pegs, but more than a few triangular ones that gave up trying to fit in round holes years ago. Where else could a Roman Catholic priest who celebrates mass in Hebrew, a retired schoolteacher who has walked to the moon, and a former madam, now a successful Realtor, revel in the comfort of their diversity?

Familiar Faces can be considered nothing less than authentic ersatz history.

In the stage production of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, the audience is urged to save the poisoned fairy Tinkerbell by clapping their hands to prove belief in fairies. An evening spent with Familiar Faces and the people of Ersatz County is sure to leave you clapping.