Both July and August are recognized as National Parks Month, and while Indiana has several national parks and historic sites, I would like to take the time to recognize some of our nearby state parks. Between Angel Mounds and New Harmony, as well as many others, we have a large variety of beautiful and interesting natural and historic sites in southern Indiana. When I visited Angel Mounds last month, I learned a lot about the Native American culture and the burial grounds. Did you know that the park was named after the Angel family who, in the early 19th century, owned the land it is now located on? Then, in 1938, the Indiana Historical Society purchased 480 acres of the Angel family property to protect the historically valuable site. In fact, it was Eli Lilly who donated the money for that purchase. Later, in 1946, the Historical Society gave the property to the State of Indiana, and in 1965 the state gave the archeological excavation rights to Indiana University. Present day, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites Corporation protects, manages and interprets Angel Mounds State Historic Site. Angel Mounds is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Sunday. The park hosts numerous special events throughout the year with their next one coming up at the end of September. They will be celebrating Native American Days, which will include an Indian market, native dancers, children’s archery competition, delicious food and hands-on activities and demonstrations for all ages. Also, from Sept. 6 through Oct. 28, they will have a fall harvest corn maze during regular operating hours, along with hayrides and special activities on the weekends. Angel Mounds is a unique historic site with that provides a fun learning experience for everyone. If you have never had the chance to visit, I hope you can plan a visit with friends and family in the near future. If you would like more information about Angel Mounds, you should visit www.angelmounds.org. Indiana also hosts two top-notch websites where you can find information and special events for other historic sites such as New Harmony. You may visit www.indianamuseum.org/sites and www.in.gov/dnr if you would like to plan an outing to another nearby park in Indiana. I hope you can take advantage of the recent nice weather we’ve been having and visit one of our excellent state parks or historic sites. -30- State Rep. Suzanne Crouch (R-Evansville) Crouch Capitol Connection, Angel Mounds provides unique historic view of our community, 8-17-12.doc |
