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- A goal of the state parks is to give Hoosiers the ability to experience what the Indiana landscape was like prior to settlement…mature forests, wetlands and prairies.
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Indiana State Parks traces its history back to 1916. Colonel Richard Lieber, an Indianapolis businessman and German immigrant, recommended that a state park system be created as part of Indiana’s celebration of its centennial.
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The Indiana State Parks system was established largely through the efforts of Richard Lieber, an Indianapolis businessman and German immigrant. He believed that a state parks system should be created as part of the centennial celebration.
Aug 27, 2024 · Indiana State Parks: A Legacy of Natural Beauty and Historical Significance. Indiana State Parks are more than just places for recreation. They are living testaments to the state’s rich history, from the ancient cultures of Native Americans to the rise of conservation efforts in the 20th century.
The Indiana State Parks system was established in 1916 as a centennial gift to Hoosiers, and our state parks’ story is Indiana’s story. Our properties are filled with unique geologic features, historic homes and cemeteries. They are places where people gather for traditional arts.
- A Colonel's Idea
- Indiana's First Two Parks
- 1917 to 1932
- Civilian Conservation Corps
- World War II to Present
- Muscatatuck: The Lost State Park
Colonel Richard Lieber was the mastermind behind the Indiana State Park system. 1916 would be Indiana's centennial year, and at that time, about one-third of the states had state parks. Lieber thought dedicating Indiana's first state park would be the perfect way to celebrate 1916.
Lieber convinced the governor to establish a centennial committee and appoint him as chairman. Their first meeting was on March 18 of 1916, and it initiated a very busy year. The Turkey Run area was to be auctioned off just a couple of months later. Lieber was able to raise $20,000 from private donors to purchase the property and bid on it but lost...
Lieber was named head of Indiana's Department of Conservation when it was created in 1919. Indiana continued to add parks under Lieber's direction. In most of these, local groups pitched the idea and raised some of the funds for purchasing land: 1. Clifty Falls (1920) 2. Indiana Dunes (1925) 3. Pokagon (1925) 4. Spring Mill (1927) 5. Shakamak (1929...
During the Great Depression, as unemployment skyrocketed, the Civilian Conservation Corps was established. They built shelters, bridges, and other structures in many of Indiana's state parks. They also built roads, trails and planted many trees to control erosion. Later, the Works Progress Administration performed similar tasks. The Recreational De...
After World War II, new parks were added slowly. Shadesentered the system when the property became available in 1947. Whitewater Memorial opened in 1949 as a tribute to the World War II veterans of Fayette, Union, Franklin, and Wayne counties. All four of those counties contributed land for the park. No parks were added during the 1950s. In the 196...
Indiana's fourth state park was created in 1921 and named Vinegar Mills State Park. Despite its name, no vinegar was made at the site It was a stone-cutting operation that was first operated by William Read in 1840. The original mill was operated for seven years, after which a second mill began cutting stone. It was situated at the edge of a cliff,...
PAULEY: Celebrating its centennial in 1916, Indiana created the Indiana State Park system led by Indianapolis businessman Colonel Richard Lieber. PAULEY: McCormick’s Creek and Turkey Run were first and Indiana would eventually have 32 state parks and lakes.
Aug 2, 2016 · Today, we want to share a few fascinating facts about the key people, organizations and moments in our state’s conservation history. Here are our top 10 fast facts: The Indiana State Parks system was created as a legacy project of the Hoosier Centennial in 1916.
