Mossy Feet Books: February 2019

Thursday, February 28, 2019

Sample Chapter - A Visit to Pokagon State Park - Lake James

Lake James

This natural lake of 1,200 acres is Indiana's fourth largest natural glacial lake. James Watson Riley surveyed the area in 1831 a year after the native Potawotomi Indians left the area. Many think he named it after the males in his family named James, of which there were three. His father, he and a son all bore the first name, James. The lake includes three sections, the First, Second and Third Basins. Pokagon State Park borders all three sections, plus Snow Lake to the north, which connects to Lake James.
Several boat ramps provide public access to the lake, which is a popular boating and fishing lake. Boaters may take speedboats on Lake James, one of the few lakes in Indiana where they are permissible. In addition to the free public ramps, there are also several private ramps available for a fee.
The State Park has two beaches. Cottages and homes dot most of the 17.5 miles of shoreline and there is one private campground.

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Sample Chapter - A History Travel Guide For Vincennes - Grouseland

Grouseland
After lunching on sandwiches at Kimmel Park our next stop was Grouseland and the Indiana Historic Sites, which are located next to each other at 1st and Scott Streets. The Daughters of the American Revolution, Francis Vigo Chapter, owns Grouseland. We entered the back door by mistake, startling the guide. She recovered and responded by giving us one of the best tours of a facility of this type we have ever had.
The Tour
During the approximately hour-long tour, she related many facts about the building and William Henry Harrison and his family. The DAR has furnished the home with period furniture, some of which Governor Harrison owned while living there with his family. The building, the first brick structure built east of the Allegheny Mountains, served as home to his family, his office for running the huge territory, and as a meeting place in which he and the native tribes concluded many treaties. The home also served as a fortress against native attack. Fortress features included twenty-inch thick exterior and interior walls, interior and exterior shutters and a basement. The basement had a well for water access and a powder magazine.
The DAR does not allow photos of the inside of the museum for security reasons.

A History Travel Guide For Vincennes

Governed a Territory
Indiana Territorial Governor William Henry built Grouseland at his own expense, completing it in 1804. Since Vincennes was on the frontier, he had to import everything for the home that would serve as the social and official life of the territory. From the mansion, he would govern a larger territory than the national capital at Washington D. C. controlled. He called the mansion Grouseland because of the multitudes of grouse that lived in the area. Also called the “White House of the West," the structure is the first brick building constructed in the Indiana Territory.
Meeting House
The mansion's meeting chamber served as the location for many meetings between Harrison and representatives of the local Amerindian tribes and many treaties were signed there. This included the Grouseland Treaty in 1805.
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Harrison family retained ownership of the mansion until the 1840's. The home deteriorated over the years until the Daughters of the American Revolution purchased the property. After restoring the property, they placed care of the structure in the care of the Grouseland Foundation. The Foundation manages the property and events. Vincennes University's campus adjoins the property and several of Vincennes historic buildings have been moved there. These include the Territorial Capitol and several others.

Grouseland
3 West Scott Street
Vincennes, IN 47591

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Sample Chapter - Indiana’s Timeless Tales - 1782 - 1791 - John Van Cleve Family

Indiana’s Timeless Tales - 1782 - 1791

December 06, 1785 - John Van Cleve Family Arrives Washington, Pennsylvania
Blacksmith John Van Cleve, his wife Catherine and eight children arrive at Washington, Pennsylvania.
John Van Cleve (May 16, 1749 - June 1, 1791)
The son of Benjamin and Rachel Covenhoven Van Cleve, John was native to New Brunswick, Middlesex County, New Jersey Colony. At fifteen, John apprenticed to a blacksmith in Freehold, New Jersey. By 1771, John had finished his apprenticeship and established a blacksmith shop. That year he met, and married, Catherine Benham. The couple would have nine children, three of whom would die in infancy.
American Revolution
After the Battles of Lexington and Concord occurred, the New Jersey militia mobilized. John enlisted in the militia and served in his father's company. In that capacity, he acted as a guide for Captain Daniel Morgan's company of Riflemen. He continued to serve in the New Jersey militia after Morgan's capture at the Battle of Quebec on December 31, 1775. He served under General David Forman of the Continental Army during the American loss at the Battle of Germantown on October 4, 1777. After the battle, the British occupied Philadelphia. Van Cleve joined scouting parties that harassed British troops that had left the city to search for supplies.
Battle of Monmouth
By May of 1778, the British departed Philadelphia and began their march towards New York. General Washington pursued them, catching them at Monmouth, New Jersey, resulting in the Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778. Van Cleve's family fled in confusion to the Pine Swamps as the battle developed around them. John left them to help Morgan's company reorganize itself in the confusion of battle. Musket fire terrified the hiding family as the battle raged. The Americans prevailed, driving the British from the field, leaving devastation in their wake. The British had cut down the orchards, killed livestock and left the countryside in a state of charred destruction. John found his anvil in the ruins of his blacksmith shop and all that remained alive was a heifer and a sow that had its back broken by a British saber. This was the last battle of the Revolution that John served in during the Revolution.
Move to Washington, Pennsylvania
John's brother in law, Robert Benham, had settled in Washington, Pennsylvania, which is southwest of Pittsburg. He had traveled in early 1785 to Van Cleve's home in Freehold to visit John and convince him to near his home near the Monongahela River. John finally agreed to migrate, so the family, which had lived in the New Jersey area for over 100 years, decided to pull up stakes and move to the frontier area of southwestern Pennsylvania.
The Beginning
The family spent most of the summer preparing for the move. Finally, on November 2, 1785 the caravan of four wagons, eight horses and the entire Van Cleve family boarded their wagons and began the long journey to Washington, Pennsylvania. His thirteen-year-old son, Benjamin drove the lead wagon, with his mother beside him. Robert Benham drove another wagon and John's apprentice Tunis Voorheis drove another. Two of the daughters, ages seven and ten, walked alongside the wagon while four-year-old William and one-year-old George rode in the wagon with their mother. John rode a horse and rode ahead to scout the path. The author does not know who drove the fourth wagon. Three wagons held the family's possessions, the fourth John's blacksmith supplies.
The Journey
The family covered thirty miles the first day, the most they would cover for the entire thirty-four day journey of almost 400 miles. The camped about sixteen miles from Philadelphia in country that had been almost denuded of forests after almost 100 years of settlement. The next day they managed to find the Pennsylvania Road, which was little more than a rutted path leading west into the densely forested hilly area of southern Pennsylvania. Travel was slow. The road had no bridges, so the family had to ford each river and stream. The road ascended the steep hills using hairpin curves to gain the summit. The hills were so steep, they had to unhitch two horses from one wagon and add it to the next so the horses could gain the summit. After reaching the summit, they tied ropes to the wagons and lowered them down using raw muscle until they got to into the valley. They would then start the process over again for the next wagon until all were down. Then they would ascend the next hill. As winter approached, the family endured snow and ice. Wagons broke down periodically, and they would lose a day repairing the wagon. At length, they reached their destination on December 6, 1785. They lived in the Washington Pennsylvania area until 1790, when they would once again migrate to Losantiville in the Northwest Territory.
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Sample Chapter - Indiana’s Timeless Tales - Pre-History to 1781 - Shawnees in Indiana

Indiana’s Timeless Tales - Pre-History to 1781

Shawnees in Indiana
The Shawnee name derives from the Shawnee word "shawanwa," which means "southerner" in the native language. The tribe speaks a form of Algonquian, which makes the tribe akin to the Delaware, Illiniwek, Kickapoo, Menominee, Miami, and Sauk and Fox tribes. Range
The Shawnee were a semi-nomadic tribe and lived in villages scattered over a large area in the Ohio River Valley, Pennsylvania and originally in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia. Conflict with the Iroquois tribes in the Ohio River Valley drove them off for a number of years. The Iroquois did not live in the Ohio River Valley; however, they wanted the region because it was a prime hunting area. The Iroquois wanted the abundant fur supply to trade with the Europeans. The Iroquois' power began declining, and the Shawnee were able to migrate back into the Ohio River Valley, Kentucky and central Ohio. During the middle years of the 1700’s, they had settled into three main areas in Indiana, the southwestern, southeastern and the northeast region around Fort Wayne. Some bands also moved into the White and Mississinewa rivers region.
Shawnee Dress
Both men and women wore leggings. Men wore breechclouts while women wore skirts over the leggings. Neither sex wore shirts, but wore ponchos in cold weather. Some of the men wore a beaded headband with one or two feathers stuck in the back. They did not wear headdresses. Warriors would sometimes shave their heads.
Shawnee Lifestyle
The Shawnee men did the hunting. They also were the warriors that fought both white encroachment and other tribes to protect their hunting lands, or gain lands from other tribes. The women took care of the children, did the cooking and tended the crops. Both sexes engaged in storytelling, an important part of their culture. During the summer, the tribes lived in larger villages to plant and tend their garden crops. In winter, these villages would split up into smaller groups to live in hunting camps. The Shawnee constructed dugout canoes to travel over water and used dogs to transport goods overland. Prior to the European arrival, the natives did not have horses.
Shawnee Villages
The Shawnee lived in a bark-covered structure called a wikkum, or wigwam. These structures were easy to build, but are not portable. Most families would build a new one each season when they moved into their seasonal winter camps or summer villages. The structure consisted of wooden poles covered with bark or grass. They used rope or strips of bark to hold the covering in place. These wigwams were usually eight to ten feet tall and could be cone shaped, round or rectangular. A village typically had a larger council house.
Shawnee Agriculture
Maize was the most important crop, and most tribes grew some. If they did not grow it, they traded for it. They also grew beans, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers and probably potatoes. They also gathered honey, nuts, berries and other fruits. Tribes tried to grow enough food to dry for storage over the winter.
Shawnee Hunting
The Shawnee diet was largely meat based. The men hunted the forests for deer and wild turkeys with bow and arrow. They also fished in the streams and sometimes used traps and snares to catch smaller game like rabbit and squirrel.
Shawnee Meals
Most of the meals were simple to prepare. They would eat corn on the cob when fresh maize was available. They also popped the corn and ground it into meal to make into cornbread or hominy. They used clay ovens to bake the cornbread. They roasted meat over the fire or on heated stones. Usually they had water with their meals.
Shawnee Politics
Each village had its own chief. The village chief could be a man or a woman. They chose their war chief based on his bravery and skill in battle. The war chief was always a male. A principal chief held sway over several villages and was always a male. Chiefs had considerable power, but held it only as long as they had the support of their people. If they grew unpopular, the people could replace them.
To contact the Shawnee tribe, visit this link:
The Shawnee Tribe
P.O. Box 189
29 S Hwy 69A
Miami OK 74355
918-542-2441
http://www.shawnee-tribe.com/

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Sample Chapter - Indiana Courthouses - Southeast Edition - Cornerstone Laid for the New Dearborn County Courthouse

Dearborn County Courthouse

Indiana Courthouses - Southeast Edition

April 13, 1871 - Cornerstone Laid for the New Dearborn County Courthouse
Dearborn County officials laid the cornerstone for Dearborn County's fourth courthouse at a festive ceremony on April 13, 1871. The new courthouse would replace the first one, built in 1810, that had been gutted by a fire.
The First Court House
Built in 1810, the first Dearborn County Court House was a two-story brick structure that mimicked the standard courthouse design of that period. It had a hip roof and octagonal cupola. This courthouse burned on March 26, 1826. Only the brick shell remained.
The "Second" Court House
Most of the county records burned in the fire so county officials asked Dearborn County residents to bring their deeds and other public records to Lawrenceburg to copy them by hand into the records. County commissioners decided not to build a new structure. They decided to use the exterior walls to house the building, constructing a new interior within the burned out walls. This building opened in 1828. The commissions authorized two annex buildings nearby to house the county clerk and the treasurer.
The Third Court House
On September 26, 1836, the county seat moved to Wilmington where it remained until it moved back to Lawrenceburg on January 4, 1844, when Indiana Governor James Whitcomb signed a law authorizing the creation of Ohio County and along with it the relocation of the county seat from Wilmington to Lawrenceburg.
The New Court House
By 1870, Dearborn County needed a new courthouse. The needs of the county had outgrown the capacity of the old courthouse. The commissioners inspected several Indiana courthouses and decided they liked the Floyd County courthouse the best. They contacted the architech that designed it, George H. Kyle to build the new one. Mr. Kyle, a Virginia native living in Vevay since about 1840, had designed other courthouses and had built up an excellent reputation. He drew up plans, which the commissioners accepted on June 15, 1870. Construction of the structure took three years and was completed in 1873. During the construction, county functions took place in the Odd Fellows building at the intersection of High and Walnut Streets.
Cornerstone Ceremonies
The cornerstone laying ceremony took place with an estimated 5,000 spectators on April 13, 1871 and included guest speaker Louis Jordan. County officials included a time capsule in the cornerstone in which they secreted many items from the period. These included histories of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Druids, Good Templars as well as Lawrenceburg religious societies. They also inserted other historic documents, continental money and old coins from the Revolution.
Completion of the Court House
Workers completed construction in 1873. During the three years construction the Odd Fellows Hall served as the temporary Court House. The building cost $135,775.00 to build. It was a three-story building that included city hall offices and a public opera house. The magnificent courtroom occupied the back half of the second floor. Built from pearl gray limestone quarried at Ellettsville, Indiana the Greek Revival three structure features four fluted columns and an arched doorway. Most of the interior features of the Court House have remained unchanged from the original structure, including the wooden and iron doors and the folding iron window shutters. Five rooms in the courthouse retain their original fireplaces. The courthouse included city offices, an opera house and a seventy-foot long by fifty-foot wide courtroom on the second floor. Community public ceremonies took place in the courtroom and included high school graduations and political rallies. The courtroom was divided in 1903 by order of Judge George E. Downey.
Dearborn County Courthouse
Corner of High and Mary Streets
Lawrenceburg, IN
http://www.dearborncounty.org
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Wednesday, February 27, 2019

Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - North West Edition - Lincoln Funeral Train

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - North West Edition

Title of Marker:
The Lincoln Funeral Train
Location:
100 E. Michigan Blvd. (U.S. 12), Michigan City, IN 46360 (Laporte County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Installed 2010 Indiana Historical Bureau and Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission
Marker ID #:
46.2010.1
Marker Text:
Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln's funeral was April 19, 1865 at the White House.1 The funeral train left for Springfield, Illinois April 21 directed by military; stops en route allowed the public to pay homage. 2 From Indianapolis, train passed mourners lighted by bonfires and torches along the way; arrived in Michigan City by 8:35 a.m., May 1.3
Residents decorated depot north of here with memorial arches adorned with roses, evergreens, flags, and images of Lincoln. 4 Train stopped to switch engines and to allow dignitaries from Illinois and Indiana to board. Sixteen women entered funeral car to place flowers on casket.5 Train left for Chicago on Michigan Central Railroad; track was lined with mourners.6
Brief History by the Author
Southern sympathizer and actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre on April 15, 1865. It was just six days after General Robert E. Lee had surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant. The surrender effectively ended the Civil War that had raged across the nation for four years. After funeral services in the White House on April 19, 1865 after lying in state in the East Room of the White house on April 18. After the funeral, an honor guard transported the casket holding the body to the Rotunda at the United States Capitol for a ceremonial service. The body lay in state on April 20. At 7:00 AM, an honor guard escorted the President to a waiting funeral train that would transport the President to Springfield, Illinois for burial. The funeral procession for President Lincoln began at 8:00 AM with around 10,000 people observing. The route the train would take would mirror the route he took on his journey to Washington DC from Springfield, Illinois on his inauguration journey in 1861. Before reaching Indiana, the train would travel through Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and Ohio. The President's son, Todd, who had died in the White House was disinterred and placed in the train for burial with his father.
Last Time in Indiana
The President reached the state he spent his boyhood in, crossing the Ohio Border into Richmond, Indiana at 7:00 AM, April 30, 1865. Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton got on the train and accompanied the fallen President to Indianapolis, where Lincoln lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda. Thousands gathered to pay their last respects to the fallen President. Along the way, the train passed through various Indiana towns, including Centreville, Germantown, Cambridge, Knightstown and Charlottesville. Church bells tolled and crowds gathered to watch the solemn procession stream by. A heavy rain had accompanied Lincoln along the route. The rain prevented Governor Morton from delivering his public address. The train departed Indianapolis late in the evening and arrived at Michigan City, Indiana. At Michigan City, the train delayed while Chicago dignitaries gathered to board the train to accompany the President to Chicago. Local officials conducted an unscheduled funeral as they waited. The train departed Michigan City May 1, 1865 at 8:35 AM. Lincoln left Indiana, the place of his boyhood, for the last time.

Sample Chapter - International Circus Hall of Fame - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - North Central Edition International Circus Hall of Fame

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
North Central Edition

International Circus Hall of Fame
See a miniature of the 1934 Hagenbeck Wallace Circus as well as many other circus related exhibits.
International Circus Hall of Fame
3076 E. Circus Lane
Peru, IN 46970
800-771-0241
circushalloffame@gmail.com

April 26, 1884 - The Great Wallace Show Begins - Peru
Benjamin E. Wallace opened his Wallace and Co.'s Great World Menagerie, Grand International Mardi Gras, Highway Holiday Hidalgo and Alliance of Novelties in Peru, Indiana on April 26, 1884. The show began with great fanfare, featuring a parade of exotic animals, top-notch performers and brass band.
Benjamin E. Wallace (October 4, 1847 - April 7, 1921)
A native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Benjamin was the son of Ephraim and Rebecca Wallace. Wallace migrated to Peru, Indiana and established a livery business there. He became interested in the circus business so he and a business partner, James Anderson, began assembling a collection of circus equipment. The largest complement of equipment came from a circus called the W. C. Coup Circus. This circus had become financially unstable and went bankrupt. Wallace traveled to Detroit and purchased much of the equipment, which included rail cars full of tents, poles, costuming and other equipment. From other circuses, he obtained many of the animals he would need for the act. He set up headquarters outside of Peru and billed his first show for April 26, 1884 in Peru.
Fire Strikes
On January 25, 1884, a fire from an overheated stove swept through the circus. The fire killed many of the animals. Monkeys, tigers, deer and other animals perished in the fire. Wallace persisted with the opening of the show. Until the damaged living quarters for the animals could be repaired, he kept many of the surviving animals in an abandoned chair factory on Second Street in Peru.
Opening Night
The Wallace and Co.'s Great World Menagerie, Grand International Mardi Gras, Highway Holiday Hidalgo and Alliance of Novelties in Peru opened on schedule, accompanied by the Peru brass band and over 5,000 spectators. Spectators packed the two performances, with many turned away. The show was a success. The season open, the circus went on tour, visiting many small towns in southern Indiana and Ohio. The tour also included towns in Kentucky and Virginia. Since there was no entertainment of any sort in most of these towns, people packed the shows. Wallace did not disappoint them as his retinue included some of the best performers and animals that were well trained and treated. The next year he shortened the name to The Great Wallace Show. He had winter quarters for the circus in Peru.
Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus
The circus continued for many years with increasing success. In 1907, Wallace purchased the Carl Hagenbeck Circus. He combined the two acts into the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus, which continued operations until the Flood of 1913 damaged the circus and killed many of the animals. He sold the circus to a corporation that continued the circus as the American Circus Corporation before operations finally ceased in 1938.

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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - North East Edition - Johnny Appleseed Park

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
North East Edition

Johnny Appleseed Park

This thirty-one acre park serves as the final resting place for Johnny Appleseed. The park is home to the annual Johnny Appleseed Festival in September.
John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) (September 26, 1774 – March 18, 1845)
The son of Nathaniel Chapman and Elizabeth Simonds Chapman, John was a native of Leominster, Massachusetts. His mother died giving birth to a son, who died about two weeks after his mother. Nathaniel had enlisted in the Continental Army. He was away at war when his wife died. Historians know little of Chapman's early life. He and his eleven-year-old brother migrated west into the Northwest Territory in 1792. The two boys lived a life in the wilderness until their father migrated into the new state of Ohio in 1805. Apparently, at that time, John became apprenticed to a nurseryman who tended apple trees. Thus began Chapman's lifelong career.
Johnny Appleseed Businessman
Most of the legends that surround Johnny Appleseed, the nickname that people gave him, involve him randomly planting apple seeds in the frontier. The truth is far different. Chapman foresaw that the frontier would expand west. By planting the apples, he established a claim on the land on which they were planted. He moved ahead of the wave of settlement, planting apple tree seeds, a valuable commodity on the frontier. Thus, by the time he died in 1845 he had accumulated over 1200 acres land. By the time the apple trees were ready to sell to incoming pioneers, the pioneers had arrived to buy them.
Johnny Appleseed Nurseryman
Chapman moved through the wilderness, choosing his land carefully. Once he found choice spots, he would clear a section, fence it and plant his seeds. Every couple of years he would return to the site to tend the seedlings. He worked mostly in the states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Indiana. When the pioneers arrived near his nursery, he would sell off the trees, then much of the land. He sold his seedlings for three cents each, seven cents if he wanted the buyers to allow him to plant them. The apples he planted were not the familiar types found in grocery stores and orchards today. These apples were hard, tart and nutritious. Pioneers used them to make cider, applejack, apple butter and other frontier staples.
Missionary
Chapman was a devout Christian and a member of the Church of Swedenborg, known as the New Church. During his travels, he served his church as a missionary, spreading his message to isolated pioneer homesteads, where he frequently boarded, and to the natives he encountered as he traveled. He would spend his evenings at a homestead spinning stories and telling about his faith. His beliefs spurred his celibacy. Chapman never married, believing that God would reward his abstinence in heaven.
Death at Fort Wayne
Chapman lived in the Fort Wayne area from the mid-1830's until his death in 1845. His orchard about twelve miles south of Fort Wayne, on the banks of the Maumee River, held around 12,000 trees. He died in Fort Wayne in 1845 and is interred in Johnny Appleseed Park in Fort Wayne.
Johnny Appleseed Park
1500 E Coliseum Blvd
Fort Wayne, IN 46805
Johnny Appleseed Festival
(260) 427-6720

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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - West Central Edition - Westernmost Naval Battle of the Revolution

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
West Central Edition

Title of Marker:
Westernmost Naval Battle of the Revolution
Location:
0.7 mile south of junction of SR 58 & US 41, between Old US 41/Earl J. Abe Rogers Road & new US 41, Carlisle. (Sullivan County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Erected by the Sullivan County Historical Society 1985
Marker ID #:
77.1985.1
Marker Text:
On 25 February 1779 Col. George Rogers Clark captured Ft. Sackville at Vincennes from the British. About 6 miles west at Pointe Coupee on the Wabash River on 2 March 1779 Capt. Leonard Helm commanding 3 boats and 50 volunteers from Vincennes captured a reinforcement fleet of 7 boats carrying 40 soldiers and valuable supplies and Indian trade goods. This small naval battle completed destruction of British military strength in the Wabash Valley.
Brief History by the Author
Colonel George Rogers Clark captured Vincennes from the British garrison that held it in July 1778. Clark left Captain Leonard Helm in charge of a militia force to hold the town. Clark departed with his main force to capture Cahokia and Caskaskia near the Mississippi River. After Clark departed most of the militia under Helm deserted, leaving Captain Helm with only a handful of men. Hearing that Vincennes was now in the hands of the Americans, British Lieutenant-Governor Henry Hamilton left Detroit and moved against Vincennes to recapture it. He succeeded in taking the post, making Helm and the remainder of his soldiers captives. Fur trader Francis Vigo visited the fort after Hamilton had captured it. Hamilton took him prisoner, and then released him after Vigo would not aid the Americans during his return trip. To honor the promise, Vigo returned to St. Louis. After his return, Vigo traveled to Kaskaskia, a distance of fifty miles, to inform Clark that the British held Vincennes.
Recapturing Vincennes
Clark responded by leading his 170 men through 180 miles of flooded countryside in eighteen days. In a surprise attack, Clark took Vincennes. Helm took an active part in the negotiations.
The Naval Battle
Clark learned that a shipment of supplies was due to come down the Wabash from Detroit. He dispatched Captain Leonard Helm with three boats and fifty men. The American force encountered the enemy at night by discerning the fires of the enemy in the darkness. Helm's men surrounded the British flotilla and captured it without firing a shot. The British supplies became American supplies. British power in the Western theatre was broken.

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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - Central Edition - 28th Regiment USCT

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
Central Edition

Title of Marker:
28th Regiment USCT
Location:
Virginia Avenue & McCarty Street, Indianapolis. (Marion County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Installed: 2004 Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana War Memorials Commission, Andrew & Esther Bowman, and African American Landmarks Committee of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, Inc.
Marker ID #:
49.2004.5
Marker Text:
Side one:
Indiana's only African-American Civil War regiment served as part of the 28th Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops. African-American infantry was authorized in 1863 to help fill federal quota for soldiers. The Reverend Willis Revels was recruiting officer. Recruits trained at Camp Fremont, established on land near here owned by Calvin Fletcher.
Side two:
In April 1864, six companies were organized and activated. The 28th regiment served valiantly in the Battle of the Crater at Petersburg, Virginia on July 30, 1864, when nearly half of the men were killed or wounded. The 28th returned to Indianapolis January 6, 1866 to a reception in its honor; officers and men were discharged January 9.
Brief History
The United States Department of War authorized the only black troops from Indiana that would serve during the American Civil War on November 30, 1863. Enlistments began on December 3, 1863 and moved to a training camp on the south side of Indianapolis called Camp Fremont. The regiment's commanding officer was Captain Charles S. Russell. The regiment left Indiana on April 24, 1864 for Washington, DC and then to Alexandra, Virginia for additional training.
Combat
On June 21, the 28th engaged in its first battle at White House, Virginia. General Sherman took the unit along on his march through the Chickahominy swamp. During this campaign, the unit suffered heavy casualties. It participated in the sieges of Richmond and Petersburg in Virginia. It lost almost half its soldiers to death and wounding at the Battle of the Crater in Virginia. After reinforcement and enlargement to a full regiment, the unit marched into Richmond, Virginia on Richmond, April 4, 1865. At war's end, the Army deployed the regiment to Brazos, Santiago and Corpus Christi, Texas to deal with unrest there. The regiment mustered out on November 8, 1865. It returned to Indianapolis on January 8, 1866 to a reception held in its honor.
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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - Southwest Edition - Site of Hindostan

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
Southwest Edition

Title of Marker:
Site of Hindostan (.6 mile south)
Location:
SE corner of SR 550 & CR 55, near Hindostan Falls, Loogootee. (Martin County, Indiana)
Installed by:
Erected by Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission, 1966
Marker ID #:
51.1966.1
Marker Text:
First settled in 1818, Hindostan became county seat of Martin County, boasting a population of approximately 1, 200. A "Great Sickness" struck in 1828 bringing death to the inhabitants. The town was never occupied again.

Brief History
A report by the Indiana Historical Bureau corrects and updates the information on this marker, much of which is incorrect or unverified.
The date of settlement is apparently incorrect. A journal entry from a traveler in 1817 who says, “This beautiful country continues as far as Sholt’s Tavern on White River, thirty-six miles east of Vincennes.” The man that owned the tavern was also the principal founder of Hindostan, thus the area was settled before 1818.
Hindostan did become the county seat in 1820, upon the establishment of Martin County; however, the population of the town given as 1200 is suspect. Census data from the time indicate that 351 people lived there.
The third assertion of a "Great Sickness" in 1828 is also unsubstantiated. There are records that several times disease did strike the community, notably in 1819 or 1820. There is a record in a newspaper that mentions the request to the state legislature that the Martin County Seat be moved because of an epidemic that struck the town, leaving it depopulated. The Bureau could find no source document to verify the statement.
The last assertion that the town "was never occupied again" is also in error. From newspaper accounts over the years after the move of the county seat, the town was still occupied, thought the population declined. The town is now abandoned. For more information on the Bureau's Report, see this link.
Hindustan
A promising town called Hindustan Falls once occupied the site now occupied by Hindustan Falls Public Fishing Area. In 1816, the same year Indiana became a State, Hindustan Falls became a town. It flourished since it was on the original stagecoach route between New Albany and Vincennes and on one of the only roads in the area. By 1820, the town's population grew to 1200 at a time when the population of Louisville, KY was only 1300 people. Since most were, adventurers from New England and Kentucky and few were farmers many lived in flatboats on the river. Captain Caleb Fellows, a soldier who had served in the East India Company, named the town.
Disaster
The town grew, its exports floated by keelboat as far as New Orleans. The people of the new town exported corn, bacon and "Hindustan oil stone,” which was a whetstone used for sharpening knives and gravestones mined in quarries nearby. Abundant meat in the form of bears, deer, and squirrels inhabited the forest lands around the settlement. There was a hotel, gristmill and sawmill in the growing town. There was a constant flow of people in and out of the town. In 1820, disaster struck the town in the form of either cholera or yellow fever, or possibly both. The disease, whatever it was, was particularly virulent, often killing whole families. Many dead families were burned in their cabins in an effort to contain the pestilence. A mass grave, whose location is unknown, held the remains of many of the deceased. By 1824, half the population had gone and by 1840, the once promising village was completely depopulated.
Hindustan Falls Public Fishing Area
Hindustan Falls Public Fishing Area is located on the East Fork of the White River southwest of Shoals and southeast of Loogootee on County Road 55, just of Indiana State Road 550. To get there drive southeast of Loogootee on Indiana State Road 550 to a right turn on County Road 55. Camping is available at nearby Martin State Forest and Glendale State Fish and Wildlife Area. The fishing is good at Hindustan Falls for freshwater drum and in the river for trotline fishing.
Canoe Floats
There are two canoe floats associated with Hindustan Falls Public Fishing Area. The first one begins north of Shoals, the put in point on private property from which permission must be gained from the owner of the land before proceeding. To get there from US Routes 50/150, go north on Main Street in Shoals to a right turn on East River Road. After about a mile and a half East River Road meets the river and follows its course for a while. This is the place to put in. There is limited parking on the road and this is private property. Please respect the owners and ask permission before trespassing. The canoe ride from that point to Hindustan Falls is about sixteen miles long. It will take approximately six hours. There is one riffle area that will probably require a portage.
The take out point is the public fishing area ramp. Cars will drive south on Indiana State Road 550 to Hindustan Road. If canoeing past this point portage around the falls as they can be dangerous.
Canoe Ride on the East Fork White River
The canoe ride from Hindustan Falls to Portersville is a pleasant twenty-mile float that will take about nine hours. The put in point is at the second ramp below the falls at Hindustan Falls and the take out point is at the Portersville State Launch Ramp northeast of Portersville. The car shuttle needs to return to Shoals on Indiana State Road 550 to US 231. Turn south on US Route 231 and drive to County Road 650 S. Turn west and drive to Alfordville. South of town stay on the blacktop jogging west on 700 S then south on 1125 E and proceed about four miles to the river near Portersville. The take-out site is on the northeast side of the bridge.

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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - South Central Edition - Private Barton W. Mitchell

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
South Central Edition

Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - South Central Edition
Title of Marker:
Private Barton W. Mitchell
Location:
SW corner of town square, SR 46/East Harrison Street & North Washington, Hartsville. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)
Installed by:
1992 by Indiana Historical Bureau
Marker ID #:
03.1992.1
Marker Text:
Mitchell, Co. F, 27th Indiana Volunteers, is buried in Hartsville Baptist Cemetery. He found Confederate General Lee's "Lost" Special orders No. 191 Near Frederick, MD, September 13, 1862. Union General McClellan then engaged Lee at the Battle of Antietam.
Barton W. Mitchell (1816 - 1868)
Mitchell joined the Union Army on Sept. 12, 1861. He reported to the 27th Indiana Volunteers. His unit was at Frederick, Maryland. They were resting from a previous battle near a campground previously occupied by Confederate Major General Daniel Harvey Hill's troops. It was around noon on September 13, 1862, when Mitchell noticed a packet lying in the grass in the campground Hill's troops had occupied. Picking up the packet, he found three cigars. Wrapped around the cigars he found a piece of paper. Upon examining the contents of the letter, he realized he had made an important find. He turned the letter (no word on the fate of the cigars) to his sergeant. The letter made its way up the chain of command until it reached the Commander of the Union Troops, Major General George B. McClellan. The contents of the letter delighted General McClellan, who told a subordinate officer, "Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home."
Special Order 191
Mitchell had happened upon a letter that was of great importance to the Confederate Army. Many historians consider his find to have changed the course of the war. Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee drafted the letter on September 9, 1862. It contained detailed troop movements that Lee planned to make during the next few days. The intelligence contained in the letters contributed greatly to the Union victories at the Battle of South Mountain and Battle of Antietam.
Wounded at Antietam
Mitchell received a leg wound at the Battle of Antietam. Due to the lack of antibiotics at the time, many wounds became infected. This was the case with Mitchell and he mustered out on Sept. 1, 1864. He died in 1868, possibly because of the infected leg, which probably never healed properly.

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Sample Chapter - Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites - South East Edition - Grave of Jonathan Jennings

Guide to Indiana's Historic Sites
South East Edition

Charlestown Historical Markers
Title of Marker:
Grave of Jonathan Jennings 1784-1834
Location:
Market Street/Indiana State Road 3 at Pleasant Street, Charlestown. Indiana State Road 3 intersects Indiana State Road 62 near the center of town. (Clark County, Indiana) Pleasant Street intersects Market Street/Indiana State Road 3 just south of Jonathan Jennings Elementary School.
Installed by:
Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission, 1966
Marker ID #:
10.1966.1
Marker Text:
Indiana Territorial Delegate to Congress, 1809-1816. President of Indiana Constitutional Convention, June 1816. First Governor of Indiana, 1816-1822. Member of Congress, 1822-1830.

Brief History
Jonathan Jennings (1784-1834)
Jonathan Jennings became the sixth child of Jacob and Mary Kennedy Jennings when he was born in New Jersey. he attended grammar school at Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, and studied law at Washington, Pennsylvania. he immigrated to the Indiana Territory in 1806 and became a lawyer in Jeffersonville, later moving to Vincennes. There were not enough clients in the new territory to make a living, so he served in various government offices and participated in several land speculation deals. These deals brought him some wealth. He and Territorial Governor Benjamin Harrison had a series of political disputes after Jennings became a clerk at Vincennes University.
Election to Congress
As a territory, the Indiana Territory was entitled to non-voting representation in Congress. Jennings gained election to the Eleventh Congress in 1809. In 1815, Jennings introduced a petition for Statehood to Congress. The 1815 census indicated that the population exceeded the 63000 requirement laid down by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. Congress passed the Enabling Act on April 11, 1816, authorizing Indiana's authority to form a government. .
Constitutional Convention
He became a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Corydon in June 1816. He was a leading advocate to ban slavery in the state. In this endeavor, he succeeded. The convention adjourned on June 29 and Jennings announced his candidacy for governor. He used the slogan "No Slavery in Indiana" during his campaign.
Governor Jennings
Jennings beat the other candidate, the former pro slavery Territorial Governor Thomas Posey handily. He served as governor for two terms, and returned to Congress as Indiana's elected representative in 1822. Jennings retired to his Charlestown home in 1831 after leaving Congress. He died at his Charlestown farm of a heart attack.

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Sample Chapter - Short Indiana Road Trips - Calli Nature Preserve

Calli Nature Preserve
Visiting Calli

Short Indiana Road Trips

To visit the Violet and Louis Calli Nature Preserve you will need to find County Road 40E. This road is about a mile east of downtown North Vernon, Indiana on US 50. The gravel road begins just east of the bridge across the Vernon Fork of the Muscatatuck River. After turning south on the gravel road, you will travel about a quarter mile to the parking lot, which is on the left. The road comes to a dead end at this point.
Dr. Louis and Violet Calli
Dr. Louis Calli and his wife Violet owned the land for the Violet and Louis Calli Nature Preserve. Dr. Calli was a physician who practiced for over fifty years in North Vernon. His wife Violet established the first Youth Center in North Vernon. She was awarded the Governor's Award for Community Service. The Jennings County Community Foundation owns the Nature Preserve. The Foundation manages the place in cooperation with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The Nature Trail Head
The Violet and Louis Calli Nature Preserve consists of 180 acres. The trailhead for the self-guiding trail is adjacent to the parking lot on the same side of the road. The trail is just a bit over two miles long. There is a brochure available in a box at the trailhead that describes 18 stations along the course of the trail. There is also a notepad for you to register, just for fun.
The Trail
The trail begins with a pleasant stroll in the forest. It then follows the course of a spring fed stream. The best part of this hike is the extensive section that follows the course of the Vernon Fork of the Muscatatuck River. Some of the hike is along high bluffs overlooking the river. However, there are spots that allow access to sand bars extending out into the river. In early to mid April this portion of the trail is emblazoned with thousands of Virginia bluebells in full bloom. These flowers line the riverbank, the trail sometimes passing through vast beds of them. There are also some old hemlock stands along the river on these limestone bluffs.
Great Hike
The trail finishes up by passing through some open fields before finally exiting at the parking lot on the opposite side of the road. The Violet and Louis Calli Nature Preserve Nature Trail is a fun and pretty place to visit for a hike.
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Sample Chapter - Batesville - Oldenburg Auto Tour - Holy Family Church

Batesville - Oldenburg Auto Tour

Oldenburg

Holy Family Church

Father Franz Joseph Rudolf arrived in Oldenburg on October 29, 1844 to serve the Catholics of Oldenburg at the request of Vincennes Diocese bishop's representative Father Hailandiere. Franz Joseph replaced the log church with a stone one, which parishioners dedicated in April 1850. Franz Joseph a year later persuaded Sister Theresa Hackelmeier to come to Oldenburg to establish a school. Franz Joseph's next project was to build a larger brick church. This church, the current one, saw completion in 1862. According the newspaper, the Franklin Democrat, this new church was "the largest church edifice in the State." After Franz Joseph’s death in 1866, in answer to Father Rudolf's request, two Franciscan Friars Nicholas Waechter and Jacob Menchen traveled to Oldenburg to continue Father Franz Joseph's mission. They arrived on August 7, 1866. The friars lived in the older stone church, which had been converted into a monastery. This monastery included twenty-four cells, two study rooms, library and kitchen. This monastery, expanded in 1894, continued in operation for various purposes until it was razed, after much public discussion, in 1986. The original stone church remains, minus its distinctive onion dome, which was removed in 1949.

For a biography of Franz Joseph Rudolf, see the historical marker that appears later in this book.

Holy Family Church

3027 Pearl Street

PO Box 98

Oldenburg, Indiana 47036-0098

812-934-3013

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Saturday, February 23, 2019

Sample Chapter - Southeast Indiana Agritourism Guide

Farm and Greenhouse Markets Southeast Edition

Huber Orchard and Winery
Founded by German immigrant Simon Huber in 1843, Huber Orchard and Winery grows an extensive selection of apples.
From his native Baden-Baden, Germany, Simon learned the winemaking craft and brought his knowledge with him to his 80 acre farm. He made his first wines from strawberries. The farm prospered and grew through seven generation and has grown to over 600 acres. The Huber Orchard and Winery is the largest winemaking operation in Indiana. The eighteen varieties of grapes produce over 400,000 pounds of grapes on average per year. The farm produces more than wine. The product mix includes fruits and vegetables. The Huber’s Starlight Distillery on the farm produces different kinds of brandies. Tours are available for those wishing to learn more.
For more information, contact:
Huber Orchard and Winery
19816 Huber Rd
Borden, IN 47106
812-923-9463
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Sample Chapter - Gardeners Guide to Growing Vegetables

Gardeners Guide to Growing Vegetables

Cabbage
Introduction
The cabbage is an important food crop that is valuable because of its dense-leaved heads. Botanically, the plant is a biennial grown as an annual. During the first season, cabbages will form the head that serves as a nutritional source of food. During the second year the plant will flower and set seed. Gardeners wishing to grow their own cabbage seed will need to allow the plants to stand through the winter. They can then harvest the seed the following year. Since the cabbage is hardy to USDA Zone 6 - 9, this will not work in colder areas.
The cabbage heads range from just under a pound to well over nine pounds. Size depends upon the variety, weather and soil conditions. Cabbage is related to the other cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
The cabbage is eaten in many forms. These include fresh, pickled, fermented (sauerkraut), steamed, stewed, sautéed, braised and fried. Cabbage may be preserved by freezing, canning or drying. Rich in nutrients, the cabbage provides a good supply of dietary fiber, too.
It is native to wild, rocky cliffs where it can grow unmolested by encroachment by other plants, which it cannot tolerate well. The thickened leaves allow the plant to store water.
Common Name:
The common name cabbage originally referred to all members of the cabbage family. That family includes cauliflower, broccoli, kale and many others. The name now refers to the plant we know as the cabbage. The word cabbage derives from the French word caboche, which means, "having a head."
Botanical Name:
Brassica oleracea - Capitata Group
The genus name is the Latin name for cabbage. The species name is Latin for "vegetable like".
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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Sample Chapter - Dearborn Historical Marker — Guilford Covered Bridge

Sample Chapter - Dearborn Historical Marker — Guilford Covered Bridge
Dearborn Historical Marker — Guilford Covered Bridge

August 22, 2015
Inscription. Built 1879
Original Design by Archibald M. Kennedy and Sons
Additional Structural Supports added in the early 1900s to sustain heavier loads produced by Guilford's rail commerce
Moved from Yorkridge Rd to park in 1960
Damaged by fire in 1993
Restored in 1997 by LL Brown Co. and the Amos Schwartz Co
For the Dearborn County Park and Recreation Board
And the Dearborn County Commissioners
Location. 39° 10.215' N, 84° 54.508' W.
Marker is in Guilford, Indiana, in Dearborn County.
Marker can be reached from Main Street.
Marker is inside the bridge on the right side as you pass under the bridge from the road.
The Bridge is located in the Guilford Covered Bridge Park.
Marker is at or near this postal address:
4785 Main Street, Guilford IN 47022, United States of America.

Brief History by the Author
Guilford Covered Bridge

A Visit to Aurora and Lawrenceburg, Indiana

Guilford has the last remaining covered bridge in Dearborn County, constructed by noted bridge builder Archibald M. Kennedy & Sons of Rushville. Mr. Kennedy was hired by the County Commissioners in 1879 to construct the 101-foot long bridge spanning East Fork Tanners Creek. Because the bridge was to be torn down and replaced by a concrete bridge in 1961 the people of the county banded together to save the old structure. The populace of Guilford raised the funds needed to tear it down and move it to its current location, in the Guilford Covered Bridge Park, at the intersection of Indiana State Road 1 and York Ridge Road. An arsonist damaged the bridge in 1993; locals restored the bridge in 1997. Visitors to the park drive through the bridge as they enter the park.
Archibald Kennedy (August 25, 1818 - June 3, 1897)
A native of Guilford County, North Carolina, he was the son of E. L. Kennedy and Martha Kennedy. The family moved to Fayette County, Indiana in 1818. He started working as a carpenter in 1841 and started building covered bridges as a side business in 1853. His first bridge was a two span bridge over the east fork of the Whitewater River in Franklin County. Archibald showed prowess as a bridge builder and this soon became his chief occupation. He passed the bridge building business on to his sons who in turn passed it on to their sons. The family bridge building business lasted three generations and during that time, they built at least fifty-eight bridges.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.17017, -84.90867 (decimal degrees)
39°10'13" N, 84°54'31" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/680665/4337743 (zone/easting/northing)