2018 Number 3

Contact UsNature Center: 812.829.4344Email: info@friendsmccormickscreek.orgFaceboook: Facebook.com/FMCCSPWebsite: www.friendsmccormickscreek.org

PresidentDavid Gohndgohn@bluemarble.net

Vice PresidentDennis Goengoend@att.net

SecretaryJudy Mizemapa19191@gmail.comTreasurerBarbara Filtritreasurer@friendsmccormickscreek.org

Board Members

Park LiaisonDwight BrooksProperty Manager

EditorCrystal Corpecrystallize6@hotmail.com

Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park

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Centennial Cabin Complete!

CANYON COURIER ~ Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park ~

The road to completion of the Centennial Cabin had been long and not without its fair share of bumps, curves and obstacles. Despite impediments, construction was finished in July. The DNR officially opened and dedicated the Centennial Cabin during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 26th.

“This cabin represents 70 years of memories made naturally by the Luetkemeier family,” said DNR director Cameron Clark. “But it also represents the importance of partnerships for us.” This project would not have been possible without the support of the Luetkemeier family, the Friends of McCormick’s Creek, and Indiana Hardwood Specialists.

The construction of the Centennial Cabin is certainly unprecedented and first of its kind within the Indiana State Park system.

The cabin was the idea of brothers Jim, Glenn, and Maurie Luetkemeierwho together provided much of the funding. The brothers wanted to honor their late parents, Oscar and Louise Luetkemeier, of West Lafayette. Oscar and Louise spent their first vacation as a married couple at the park in 1948. The vacation became an annual tradition spanning 70 years and four generations of Luetkemeiers.

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The dedication was attended by over 200 people and included comments from Indiana Department of Resources Director Cameron Clark and Dan Bortner Director of Indiana State Parks.

Luetkemeier family members attended the ceremony as well, traveling from Michigan and North Carolina. Glenn and Maurie addressed the audience stressing their desire to help other families develop the sort of traditions and memories that they have enjoyed.“My dad referred to this park as the best kept secret in Indiana,” Glenn Luetkemeier said.An interpretive sign was unveiled at the ceremony and will be placed near the entrance to the cabin. It will convey the Luetkemeier family story and honor their generosity.

The two-story cabin boasts 1,400-square-feet, is surrounded by forest, and overlooks McCormick’s Cove Nature Preserve. It sleeps eight, features a fully accessible entrance and first floor, and is air-conditioned and heated. There is a beautiful sun room/porch offthe rear of the cabin and the cabin is fully furnished complete with bed linens, dishes and cookware. Reservations will be accepted for year round.

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McCormick’s Creek Wild About Wildlife!July 28th was the 18th Annual Wild about Wildlife event.

Thanks again to the dedicated volunteers of WildCare, Inc. for another great day of fun and discoveries! Volunteers brought to the nature center a few of their Wildcare Ambassadors for a close up look at these beautiful creatures. WildCare’s Education Ambassadors are non-releasable permanent resident animals who have the importantjob of teaching the public about the importance of conservation and respect for wildlife. If you want to know more about WildCare, check out their website at wildcareinc.org.

Wild about Wildlife ended with a presentation by Dedra and Jenny, McCormick's Creek seasonal interpreters, about the Hellbender, our largest and endangered salamander, and an Owl Prowl under full moon.It will happen again, next year. See you then!

Felix: American Kestrel Valentino: European Barn Owl

Theodore (“Teddy”): Striped SkunkLoki: Red Fox (grey morph)

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On a recent walk through the woods on trail #9 towards the Peden Farm Spring house with Naturalist Barbara Filtri, our conversation gravitated to the milestone that The Friends of McCormick’s Creek has recently reached…the completion of the Centennial Cabin and one of our largest fund raising campaigns to date…the restoration of the fire tower.

Our dialogue turned to one of the first projects undertaken by the Friends…the Peden Farm Springhouse in 2012. Barbara cracked a smile at the thought of that project and the group’s early fund raising efforts to raise a few thousand dollars for renovation. It seemed like an enormous endeavour at the time. However, that small accomplishment gave the Friends confidence that they had the support of both the public and private sectors in the community for future improvements in the park. Those small baby steps have lead the way to bigger and better projects and programs within the park.

As we walked further towards the remnants of the house I imagined the fields of the farm where they raised chickens and cows. A few yards below the stone remnants of the Peden cabin is a small creek and the restored spring house.

Spring houses probably go back to Colonial times. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries they were anintegral part of the rural landscape. The spring house was critical to the survival of a farm. On the hottest day in the summer, water in a spring stays at a temperature of about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

When the early settlers in Colonial days looked for a place to build a home, one of the first things that they looked for was a good spring. When the spring had walls built around it and a springhouse built over, the house was a year-round refrigerator. Ledges and places to hang meat, vegetables, and fruit were made of stone and metal hooks. Construction was of stone and wood. The stone was used as the foundation and floor because stone holds cold, and during floods solid rock spring houses did not wash away. Stone was placed into the water channel in the spring house on the earth floor. Stream water would run through the pool or trough and out an opening.

The little house would keep the family’s supply of fresh water clean, pure, and protected. Milk and milk products could be kept cool. Vegetables, fruit, barrels, jugs of cider and vinegar could be stored as well. Prepared foods were placed into crocks and partially submerged in the water.

The Spring House

This was my first look at the Historical Peden Farm area. As we stood in front of the remnants of the barn, my mind traveled back in time to the 1850’s when the trees would have been harvested and ground leveled for farming. The Peden family grew wheat and the main level of the barn was used for threshing. All that remains of the barn are the limestone pillars.

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Spring houses, such as the Peden Spring house, were the most common outbuildings of traditional farms. They were outnumbered by only barns and privies. Today they are symbol of days gone by.

As we concluded our walk and headed back to the nature center, I felt fortunate and thankful that the founders of FOMC had the wisdom to make the restoration of the spring house one of their first major fund raising projects!

Folklore Associated with Spring Houses

If there are no bullfrogs in the spring house, the water is no good.

To have healthy feet one had to bathe them in the spring water every evening.

If you dipped the hands and feet of a newborn into spring water, the child would never suffer frostbite of the hands or feet.

It was gospel that when a spring went dry and became moist again suddenly, a heavy rain was expected. From a work by Amos Long, Jr.

Inside the Peden Farm Springhouse

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10th Annual BBQ & Blues Cancelled!For the first time in 10 years the BBQ and Blues festival was cancelled. Due to the continuous rain, bouts of heavy downpours, and flash flood warnings, those in charge were forced to call off the event.

The stage, tents and picnic tables were in place and ready just case the radar indicated a break in the weather system...no such luck!

We’re sorry for the cancellation and the inconvenience to our BBQ & Blues fans. Please join us next year!

Restoration work on the historic fire tower at McCormick’s Creek State Park has started.

The work at the tower itself is estimated to be completed in 12 to 15 weeks, weather dependent. Trail 4 will be partially open during construction, but access to the tower’s area will be closed for safety reasons.

Built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps Company 589, the fire tower was in operation until 1967. Afterward it got a second life— as an observation point, a climbing challenge, and a memory-maker.

The Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park group, in cooperation with the DNR, has been actively promoting a fund raising effort, which stands well over $95,000. The group has received generous donations from individuals, local associations and businesses, such as Indiana Hardwood Specialists. Grants were awarded from the Efroymson Family Fund, SCIREMC, the Indiana Parks Alliance, the Owen County Community Foundation, and Owen County Preservations, among others. Donation boxes were placed at the Canyon Inn and Babb’s Supermarket. Additionally, all local schools conducted a penny drive to help with funding.

The rehabilitation will be conducted by Kilbride & Sons Construction. Preliminary work began early and included purchasing the white oak lumber to replace steps and landings. The wood has been aged, cut, beveled and surface-treated. The service road to the tower has been widened and resurfaced. The structure has been stripped of old safety barriers, and the cabin has been emptied. This is just the beginning of work that will include painting, increasing safety features, and clearing of trees around the tower to protect the structure and partially bring back the view from the top.

Update: As of publication, the rehabilitation of the tower is 25% completed. Windows are reglazed/re-painted, the outside of the cab is being painted and the floor replaced.

Fire Tower Restoration Update

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FOMCC Meeting NotesOctober

November

December

Be sure to check out daily activities and events at McCormick’s

Creek Nature Center!• Banana Peel - a month • Paper - a couple months • Wool Scarf - 1 year • Cigarette Butt - 5 years • Disposable Diaper - 2 decades • Hard Plastic Container - 3 decades • Rubber Boot Sole - 7 decades • Tin Can - a century • Aluminum Can - 3 centuries • Plastic 6-pack Holder - 5 centuries • Glass Bottles – eons

The Friends of McCormick's Creek thank you for being a steward of your Indiana State Parks by taking an active role!

FOSTERS a partnership between visitors and the parks by encouraging all visitors to help maintain clean parks.

EMPOWERS and ENCOURAGES the public to take responsibility in keeping parks clean.

ELIMINATES unsightly trash and receptacles in the park environment that can detract from the beauty of the natural environment.

REDUCES unsightly litter in the park environment, which can impact wildlife and their habitat significantly.

AVOIDS the unpleasant smells and messes associated with dumpsters.

INCREASES the safety of your visit by reducing the number of bees, wasps, and other pests, such as skunks and rats, in the picnic areas and campgrounds.

IMPROVES health of wildlife by reducing their dependency on trash as a food source.

SAVES money used to pay for trash disposal, which can then be spent to improve your parks in other ways.Although tracking of the dollars saved by the Carry In and Carry Out policy is hard to assess, an estimate from a neighboring Ohio State Park placed a monetary amount saved at $65,000 in labor and recycle fees! REDIRECTS staff resources to other necessary park improvement projects.

PROMPTS parks users to use eco-friendly (recyclable, recycled, biodegradable, or sustainable materials and supplies).

For 25 years (since 1993), visitors to Indiana State Parks have participated in a carry in, carry out program in the day use areas. The program has been very successful!Noxious odors, scavenging animals and threatening yellow jackets that picnic-area trash barrels once attracted are gone!

What are the benefits of a trash free park?

Decomposing time

Updates

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For complete details and information on annual events please visit our facebook page and website

October Fallo-o-ween - October 26&27

December FOMC Holiday Party - tbd

January 1st Day Hike - January 1st

Be sure to check out daily activities and events at McCormick’s

Creek Nature Center!

PAVING THE WAY TO A NEW PARK

ENTRANCE

The Buzz at the Creek is the plan of a new park entrance! If you are a frequent visitor to the park you know how harrowing it is to pull out into the line of traffic on State Road 46 especially if you are towing a camp trailer! The proposal on the table is to utilize the stop light at State Road 46 and State Road 43. From that light, park guests will turn north a few feet and then west toward the entrance. The current historic park entrance will remain in place and in use.

As with any project of this magnitude that involves several government agencies, it will take time. Structural plans, surveys, utility re-location and

traffic pattern studies will have to be completed before we can proceed.

Dwight Brooks recently described our position in likeness to a sports team …”We’re suited up but we’re on the B team. The A team is currently in play and active. We are on the bench! When someone on the A team line-up drops out or is eliminated, we’ll come off the bench and be in play.”

It’s extremely difficult to predict a time frame for completion of this project but our eyes look toward the year 2023.

FALL-O-WEEN - October 26 & 27One of our biggest and exciting events!

Friday Magic show at the Canyon Inn 7-8pmSaturday Spooky Crafts - Nature Center -11am-1pm Pumpkin Carving - Nature Center-1pm-3pm Face painting - Nature Center - 1:30-2:30 Campground Decorating Contest 3pm-5pm Trick or Treat - Campground - 4pm-6pm Costume Contest - Nature Center - 6:30-7:15 Haunted Trail - Nature Center - 8pm-9pm Scheduled Events

General MeetingsPlease join us on the 2nd Tuesday of eachmonth at the Nature Center 6pm for ourmonthly meeting. Enjoy a pot-luck styledinner, snacks and fellowship. Monthlyspecial guest speaker or activities are planned.We hope to see you there!

Board MeetingsBoard meetings are open to all members. These meetings are held at the Canyon Inn, in the lobby, at 6pm every 1st Thursday ofthe month.

It’s now easier to donate to the Friends of McCormmick’s Creek through Amazon!Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/35-2004784

FOMC will receive a donation proportional to your qualifiying purchases!

The mission of the Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park is to develop and support projects and events that help preserve, restore, manage and interpret the natural and cultural heritage and recreational opportunities of McCormick’s Creek State Park.

MISSION STATEMENT

P.0. Box 483, Spencer, IN 47460

Friends of McCormick’s Creek State Park CANYON COURIER