Turkey Run State Park
Encyclopedia
Turkey Run State Park is located in Parke County, Indiana
, in the west-central part of the state on State Road 47 two miles (3 km) east of U.S. 41. It was Indiana's second state park, with the first parcel of land being purchased in 1916 at the cost of $40,200 when the State Park system was first established on the Indiana state centennial. It hosts the Turkey Run Inn, built in 1919. The origin of the name "Turkey Run" is unknown but the most accepted theory is that wild turkey
s would congregate in the gorges (or "runs") for warmth where early settlers in the area would trap them in dead-end gorges and hunt them with ease.
, had acquired $20,000 for the purchase of the area, but the lumber company Hoosier Veneer wanted $30,000 for it. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
gave the commission enough money to buy the land from the lumber company for over $40,000.
. Both parks are located along Sugar Creek
, and both feature the gorge system formed by the drainage of the creek as it cuts down through sandstone
bedrock. Mansfield sandstone is the specific type seen at Turkey Run, named after Mansfield, Indiana
. This makes the two parks all the more interesting, since travel to them crosses a flat glacial till plain, and suddenly the traveler enters the gorge system.
at the mouth of the ancient where sediments collected and compacted. This swampy environment formed many coal deposits which were mined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collapsed entrance to a coal mine is still a major feature of the park.
During the Pleistocene Epoch
the Mansfield sandstone bedrock was carved into the current distinct formations by glacial meltwaters and their associated erosion. Turkey Run features many common features of glaciation, including glacial erratic
s, till
, and scoured canyons from erosion by melting glacial waters.
Rocky Hollow begins at 680 feet (207.3 m) above sea level on the northeast border of the park (County Road 280E) and drops to 540 feet (164.6 m) at Sugar Creek just above the swinging bridge. Boars Hollow and Falls Canyon drop a similar distance but in half to a third (respectively) of the length.
. The annual celebration of Serbian food and culture originated in the mid 1970's by a group of Serbian families from the Chicago area. Through the 1980s, the event grew to as many as 20 families. The weekend's events focus on large amounts of meat blazing about the grills of Turkey Run (TR), hiking, and a slow float down Sugar Creek. In 1988, due to the massive popularity of Turkey Run State Park on Memorial Day Weekend, attendees began reserving rooms at Turkey Run Inn two years in advance. Grilling activities are usually situated around grills and picnic tables adjacent to the Tennis Courts.
The event has seen continued evolution. Beginning in 1996, a new generation of attendees were groomed to keep the tradition alive as many of the original attendees grew older and unable to commit to attendance each year. This new generation has opened up the celebration of the Serbian culture individuals of all backgrounds and ethnicities. While many of the attendees are not Serbian, still lives is the celebration of the Serbian culture - primarily through cuisine and the ever present Serbian Flag which can typically be found attached to a nearby light pole by an old tree branch and duct tape.
. The first was the Lusk Home and Mill Site
. The initial area for Turkey Run developed around this home.
, the first director of the Indiana State Parks system and the man who instigated Indiana's creation of its park system. During a thunderstorm
in 1918 he discovered the house. He liked it immediately, and convinced the owner to have it moved three miles (5 km) so it could serve as the administration building for the state park. All but the chimney was salvageable. Fortunately, an elderly man familiar with the chimney's "cat and clay" style gave directions for making a new one, using stone from an old bridge. The supports were originally of butternut
, but are now of sassafras
. The cabin is now used as a museum honoring Lieber and the entire Indiana state park system. Lieber died in 1944 and his ashes were buried within the park.
Parke County, Indiana
Parke County is a county in the western part of the U.S. state of Indiana. It was formed in 1821 out of a portion of Vigo County. The county seat is Rockville....
, in the west-central part of the state on State Road 47 two miles (3 km) east of U.S. 41. It was Indiana's second state park, with the first parcel of land being purchased in 1916 at the cost of $40,200 when the State Park system was first established on the Indiana state centennial. It hosts the Turkey Run Inn, built in 1919. The origin of the name "Turkey Run" is unknown but the most accepted theory is that wild turkey
Wild Turkey
The Wild Turkey is native to North America and is the heaviest member of the Galliformes. It is the same species as the domestic turkey, which derives from the South Mexican subspecies of wild turkey .Adult wild turkeys have long reddish-yellow to grayish-green...
s would congregate in the gorges (or "runs") for warmth where early settlers in the area would trap them in dead-end gorges and hunt them with ease.
History
The heart of Turkey Run was owned by the Lusk family until 1915. The State Park Commission, run by Richard LieberRichard Lieber
Richard Lieber was a German-American businessman who became the father of the Indiana state parks system. At his death, he could be considered the most powerful spokesman in the United States for the conservation of natural resources.-Early life:He was born into privilege in Düsseldorf, Germany,...
, had acquired $20,000 for the purchase of the area, but the lumber company Hoosier Veneer wanted $30,000 for it. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Indianapolis Motor Speedway
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana in the United States, is the home of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race and the Brickyard 400....
gave the commission enough money to buy the land from the lumber company for over $40,000.
Locale
Turkey Run State Park is located about 10 miles southwest of Shades State ParkShades State Park
Shades State Park is a state park in Montgomery, Parke, and Fountain Counties in Indiana. It is located west-northwest of Indianapolis, Indiana. In the last decades of the 19th century, the area was a resort with a forty-room inn. In the 1930s a man named Joseph Frisz acquired the land in order...
. Both parks are located along Sugar Creek
Sugar Creek (Western Indiana)
Sugar Creek is a waterway located in the U.S. state of Indiana. It originates in a farm field approximately two miles south-southwest of Kempton, Indiana, and travels west-southwest for about before merging with the Wabash River north of Montezuma...
, and both feature the gorge system formed by the drainage of the creek as it cuts down through sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
bedrock. Mansfield sandstone is the specific type seen at Turkey Run, named after Mansfield, Indiana
Mansfield, Indiana
Mansfield is located in Jackson Township, Parke County, Indiana.- History :...
. This makes the two parks all the more interesting, since travel to them crosses a flat glacial till plain, and suddenly the traveler enters the gorge system.
Trails
A system of trails offers hikers plenty of outing opportunities during the summer months when the drainage is relatively free of water, and the suspension footbridge across Sugar Creek, the main drainage for both parks, provides access to trails on the far side. Trail 3 is particularly noted for its ruggedness, including ladders and narrow but deep gorges. Floating down Sugar Creek through the park in either inner tubes, canoes, or kayaks is very popular in the summer months. You can pick 3 miles (4.8 km), 8 miles (12.9 km) or even 11-15 mile trips down Sugar Creek. Also, in the spring when heavy rains and snow melt flood the narrow gorges, many more adventurous hikers will go "creek stomping" through the narrow gorges. However, the fast moving current, steep gorge walls, and unpredictable contours of the creek beds make this activity dangerous if the water level is high.Park Geology
The major features of the park are formed from erosion in Mansfield sandstone from the Mansfield formation. This formation was deposited during the Carboniferous periodCarboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
at the mouth of the ancient where sediments collected and compacted. This swampy environment formed many coal deposits which were mined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The collapsed entrance to a coal mine is still a major feature of the park.
During the Pleistocene Epoch
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
the Mansfield sandstone bedrock was carved into the current distinct formations by glacial meltwaters and their associated erosion. Turkey Run features many common features of glaciation, including glacial erratic
Glacial erratic
A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that differs from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests. "Erratics" take their name from the Latin word errare, and are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundreds of kilometres...
s, till
Till
thumb|right|Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material , and this characteristic, known as matrix support, is diagnostic of till....
, and scoured canyons from erosion by melting glacial waters.
Rocky Hollow Falls Canyon Nature Preserve
The Rocky Hollow Nature Preserve is a series of canyons cut into the sandstone. Rocky Hollow is the longest and Falls Canyon has the only existing waterfall (seasonal) in the park. There are six designated trails through the preserve, each with its own unique micro-climate. Depending on the season, these trails may be impassible or muddy, or refreshing on a hot afternoon.Rocky Hollow begins at 680 feet (207.3 m) above sea level on the northeast border of the park (County Road 280E) and drops to 540 feet (164.6 m) at Sugar Creek just above the swinging bridge. Boars Hollow and Falls Canyon drop a similar distance but in half to a third (respectively) of the length.
Annual events
Every Memorial Day Weekend, Turkey Run State Park plays host to Serb FestSerb Fest
Serb Fest at Turkey Run State ParkEvery Memorial Day Weekend, Turkey Run State Park in Marshall, Indiana plays host to Serb Fest. The annual celebration of Serbian food and culture originated in the mid-1970s by a group of Serbian families from the Chicago area. Through the 1980s, the event grew...
. The annual celebration of Serbian food and culture originated in the mid 1970's by a group of Serbian families from the Chicago area. Through the 1980s, the event grew to as many as 20 families. The weekend's events focus on large amounts of meat blazing about the grills of Turkey Run (TR), hiking, and a slow float down Sugar Creek. In 1988, due to the massive popularity of Turkey Run State Park on Memorial Day Weekend, attendees began reserving rooms at Turkey Run Inn two years in advance. Grilling activities are usually situated around grills and picnic tables adjacent to the Tennis Courts.
The event has seen continued evolution. Beginning in 1996, a new generation of attendees were groomed to keep the tradition alive as many of the original attendees grew older and unable to commit to attendance each year. This new generation has opened up the celebration of the Serbian culture individuals of all backgrounds and ethnicities. While many of the attendees are not Serbian, still lives is the celebration of the Serbian culture - primarily through cuisine and the ever present Serbian Flag which can typically be found attached to a nearby light pole by an old tree branch and duct tape.
Lusk Home and Mill Site
There are two sites within the park which are on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. The first was the Lusk Home and Mill Site
Lusk Home and Mill Site
The Lusk Home and Mill Site was the first European-American development in present Turkey Run State Park, Indiana's second oldest state park....
. The initial area for Turkey Run developed around this home.
Lieber Log Cabin
The second Turkey Run locale on the National Register is the Lieber Log Cabin. It was built in 1848 from the native tulip trees, the oldest of its kind in Indiana. It is named in honor of Colonel Richard LieberRichard Lieber
Richard Lieber was a German-American businessman who became the father of the Indiana state parks system. At his death, he could be considered the most powerful spokesman in the United States for the conservation of natural resources.-Early life:He was born into privilege in Düsseldorf, Germany,...
, the first director of the Indiana State Parks system and the man who instigated Indiana's creation of its park system. During a thunderstorm
Thunderstorm
A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm, a lightning storm, thundershower or simply a storm is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere known as thunder. The meteorologically assigned cloud type associated with the...
in 1918 he discovered the house. He liked it immediately, and convinced the owner to have it moved three miles (5 km) so it could serve as the administration building for the state park. All but the chimney was salvageable. Fortunately, an elderly man familiar with the chimney's "cat and clay" style gave directions for making a new one, using stone from an old bridge. The supports were originally of butternut
Butternut
Butternut may refer to:*Butternut tree, Juglans cinerea, or its fruit*Butternut squash, an edible winter squash.*Butternut, a shade of yellow similar to khaki and the color of the butternut squash...
, but are now of sassafras
Sassafras
Sassafras is a genus of three extant and one extinct species of deciduous trees in the family Lauraceae, native to eastern North America and eastern Asia.-Overview:...
. The cabin is now used as a museum honoring Lieber and the entire Indiana state park system. Lieber died in 1944 and his ashes were buried within the park.
See also
- Arch in the Town of MarshallArch in the Town of MarshallThe Arch in the Town of Marshall, also known as Marshall Arch, was built in 1921 by Carroll Beeson.-See also:* Lusk Home and Mill Site, within Turkey Run State Park* Richard Lieber Log Cabin, within Turkey Run State Park* Beeson Covered Bridge...
- Beeson Covered BridgeBeeson Covered BridgeThe Beeson Covered Bridge is a Burr Arch covered bridge structure that was built by the Frankfurt Construction Company in 1906. It is 55 Feet long, 16 feet wide, and 13 feet high....
- Parke County Covered BridgesParke County Covered BridgesThe covered bridges of Parke County are well-known tourist attractions in Parke County, Indiana, United States, which touts itself as the "Covered Bridge Capital of the World". The county has more covered bridges than any other county in the United States...
- List of Registered Historic Places in Indiana
- Parke County Covered Bridge FestivalParke County Covered Bridge FestivalThe Parke County Covered Bridge Festival is a fall festival which takes place in nine communities in Parke County, Indiana. It celebrates the county's 31 covered bridges, and is attended by more than 2 million people each year...
External links
- Turkey Run State Park by The Technological Edge, Inc.
- Turkey Run Online