Last weekend, we attended an auction at the home of Mrs. Helen Link, wife of the late Dr. Link, and owners of the property that house the Goethe Link Observatory. Mrs. Link has been a well-known hybridizer of daffodils, and annually opens her 17 acre garden property to everyone for tours of the daffodils and beautiful grounds. Mrs. Link died about a year ago, and her remaining possessions were dispersed in a public auction this past weekend. This auction was very heart-rending for us and the many neighbors who attended. We were able to purchase a few keepsakes, including daffodil tea cups and a set of daffodil china. Seeing the once-beautiful daffodil gardens used as parking space, and her home and property trampled by strangers was very sad.

I’ve since learned a little about the disposition of the property. Dr. Link had previously willed the property to Indiana University, including the 17 acres, the observatory with its 36 inch Newtonian Reflector (the mirror was the original model for the Mt Palomar 200 inch telescope) two houses, greenhouse, and outbuildings. IU intends to keep the property, and the Indiana Astronomical Society will continue to use the Observatory, although light pollution is gradually limiting its use. There are hopes that the University may turn the estate into a park. We are hoping this occurs because the decades-old specimen trees and rolling land are well suited for use as a park, and the Observatory has considerable historical significance. I don’t know what the final result will be, but we are very saddened both by the loss of our wonderful, sharing neighbor, and the loss of this historical property.