The 140-foot-tall water tower in Indiana's Remington - the boiled chip of the

Now, you might cast an eye on the Remington Water Tower in Indiana and think it's a giant chip, slow-cooked for nearly two decades in a caramel-hued tarmac. But it's more than just a pile of asphalt and wood, six stories high with a stillness that lingers on the surrounding plains. In an 1890s farming community east of Rensselaer, this was the beacon, the lifeblood, the civic symbol of a town on the rise. It was in 1897 when the Challenge Wind & Feed Mill Company of Batavia, Illinois, extended an invitation for architects to construct an unconventional town hall - an offer they couldn't refuse once they saw that hill.

The roof gave the secret away, its Federal style and insignia adorning the arch. Alas, no civic space lies beneath, but the town hall was the tower itself, and you can still see the satellite dish resting on the north-east side. Yet, its absence doesn't undermine the building's aura. The town was expanding at a rapid pace, and wanted a symbol that represented their unity. This was their emblem, their reminder, their testament that they had to band together, to get *pumped* - and that's the secret, right there. It took an entire company to haul the entire town up with it.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons