Hiking History

The creek 
Nestled in the hills of Southern Indiana is a 1319 acre state park.  Spring Mill State Park gives it's visitors a chance to explore caves, capture the serene beauty of the woodlands, and take a walk back in time. Or visit the Virgil I. Grissom Memorial at the entrance to the park.

Wildlife and birds are abundant in the park.  It's not uncommon to see wading birds in Spring Mill Lake, or to see deer, raccoons and other animals throughout the day.  The caves are home to fish, bats and spiders.

The main attraction of the park is the Pioneer Village.  It takes you back close to 200 years in history to some of the first settlers in Indiana.  Thanks to Samuel Jackson, Jr., a young Canadian soldier from the War of 1812, and his vision of building a log cabin and a grist mill in the Indiana Territory, the Pioneer Village has survived the ownership of many people until 1927.  In 1927, Richard Lieber, the father of Indiana's state park system, was instrumental in the restoration of the Village.

By 1817, Jackson had sold his property to the Bullitt brothers, two wealthy land barons from Kentucky, for $2000.  When Indiana became a state in 1816, they saw an opportunity to make a profit, and hired Uriah Glover to supervise the construction of a three story grist mill, which still stands today as the centerpiece of the Pioneer Village.  In 1825, they sold the mill for $20,000.

The new owners, the Montgomery brothers (William & Joseph) of Philadelphia, were also wealthy merchants, who decided to add a sawmill, tavern, distillery and several other buildings.  In 1828, a post office was established under the name of "Arcole Village". By 1832, both brothers were gone, and the village was left in the hands of a Joseph Montgomery, son of William.  He did not want to keep the land, and sold the village to Hugh & Thomas Hamer in 1832 for $7000, a loss of $13,000.

Hamer Cemetery is located inside the park.  Trail 4 leads to it.
It was during the "Hamer" era that the village began to thrive.  Hugh and his family moved into a house built for the Bullitt brothers, while Thomas and his family moved into the house formerly occupied by Uriah Glover.  Hugh was active in politics and the village was often frequented by famous Indiana politicians.  The Hamer Gardens were established to entertain these political guests.  A school and other structures were built as the village became a thriving community.

In 1849, Thomas decided to sell his shares of the village and move to a farm nearby.  By the 1850's, the "glory years" were coming to an end.  The coming of the railroads, the Civil War, and steam-powered grist mills caused the once thriving village to dwindle in the late 1850's.  The rugged terrain kept railroads from coming to the village, and many people began to move to cities that had them.

Hugh Hamer died in 1872, and the Hamer era came to an end.  His son tried to keep the village going for several years, but later sold it to John Hurley. He even changed it's name to Daisy Spring Mill in the hopes of enticing more people there.  By the 1880's the mill was only running in season, and most village shops were closed.  The village was sold to the Lehigh Portland Cement Company in 1886.  Lehigh purchased it for the water supply flowing from Hamer Cave, to cool the lime kilns in nearby Mitchell.

The Grave of Hugh Hamer (1799-1872)
By 1898, the village was virtually abandoned, and in much need of repair.

In 1927, Indiana University relinquished 183 acres of land to the DNR.  Lawrence County matched the transfer by adding 539 acres.  The Lehigh Portland Cement Company donated the 295 acres that included the village and Hamer Cave.  Restoration of the village began in 1928 under the Civilian Conservation Corps.

It took several years to  restore the village, but by the 1940's, Spring Mill State Park was one of the most popular parks in Indiana.

 
The Dam 
The Cave that started it all
The Grist Mill
a flower in the Hamer Garden

 

a scenic view of the mill 







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