Friends of Lincoln State Park

Saturday, September 15th from 10 AM until 4 PM, history will come to life as the Interpretive Naturalist will present a Civil War & Living History event at the Col. William Jones Home.

The event will feature crafts, cooking, and reenactments of frontier life in the 1840's. Volunteers are welcome, so anyone interested in doing a demonstration of cooking, soap-making, or other pioneer skills should contact interpretive naturalist, Michael Crews, by calling the Nature Center at (812) 937-1979 or the Park Office at (812) 937-4710.

William Jones was a merchant, farmer, politician, and Union Colonel during the Civil War. The home was built around 1834 and the farm contained a general store where Abraham Lincoln was also employed. Born in Vincennes in 1803, Jones settled in Spencer County in 1828. Jones and his wife, Rachel, raised five sons on this farm. The home is currently open for tours from 9-10 AM on Fridays and Saturdays and from 1-3 PM on Sundays.

The Col. William Jones Home is located approximately 3/4 mile west of US 231 on Boone Street in Gentryville.

You may have read in last month's newsletter that Chainsaw Willy would be attending the August meeting to discuss his work and a possible project for the Friends of Lincoln State Park. We are pleased to report that Chainsaw Willy has agreed to create a life-sized wood carving of young Abraham Lincoln for the Friends which will be donated to Lincoln State Park. Current plans are to place the carving which will stand 7 feet 4 inches tall at the main gatehouse at the entrance to the park.

The carving will include a one foot high base which will be large enough to stand on and compare your own height to that of our 16th President who stood 6 feet 4 inches tall. If all goes as planned, Abe will arrive at the park sometime this fall.

Photo of the White-Breasted Nuthatch.

By Wayne Rink

The white-breasted nuthatch is a 6-inch long bird with a dark crown and nape, white face, and a gray back. They have varying amounts of reddish-brown on the rump and flanks. The sexes differ in the color of their crown and back except in the southeast where they cannot be reliably distinguished by their plumage.

White-breasted nuthatches eat going headfirst down tree trunks. They eat nuts, acorns, and insects, and will come to bird feeders for suet and sunflower seed.

These birds live in deciduous and mixed woods and are in this area year round. So, you will be able to find them in your Lincoln State Park and Col. Jones Home vicinity. Come and explore this fantastic area!

The Friends of Lincoln State Park are working hard getting ready for this year's Fall Frolic & Haunted Trail set for Saturday October 20th and 27th this year. Once again there will be hayrides, pumpkin painting, games and more from 12-3 PM at the Troy Road Picnic Area and Spring Shelter. A new event added last year will return as the Friends will once again partner with the Heritage Hills FFA to present the Haunted Trail at the amphitheatre.

The haunted trail was very well received last season and we were able to donate $200 to the Heritage Hills FFA in appreciation of their hard work and support. While it has not been necessary in years past to "beat the bushes" for volunteers, increased attendance at our events means we will need more volunteers this year. We have our volunteer list ready and you may get a phone call if you checked the volunteer box on your membership application. If you get a call, say "Yes!" and come join the fun.

We are also looking for business sponsors for this year's event. Sponsorship will run around $50. Anyone interested in being a sponsor can contact us by e-mail or call 362-7954.

There will be a special haunted trail planning meeting on Sunday, September 30th at 4 PM at the amphitheatre and our next regular meeting on Tuesday, October 2nd will also be held at the amphitheatre.

Efforts to revive an outdoor drama at the Lincoln Amphitheatre continue to move forward. Last month, a special meeting of the Lincoln Boyhood Drama Association was held. At that meeting the current officers and board of directors officially resigned to make way for the appointment of a new board of directors who will be responsible for negotiating a contract with the Indiana DNR to manage and operate a new outdoor drama using funds appropriated in the last session of the Indiana General Assembly. A new board of directors was named and officers were elected. The new officers of the Association are Will Koch-president, Fr. Jeremy King-vice-president, Bud Schaaf-treasurer, and Paula Werne-secretary. An executive committee was appointed and recruitment efforts continue for members of both the board and executive committee.

Of most pressing concern to the new board will be negotiating a contract with the DNR, hiring essential personnel, and forming a committee to select a playwright for a new outdoor drama. It is expected that the new drama will focus more on Lincoln as President and how his experiences on the Indiana frontier shaped his character and led him to greatness. It is still anticipated that the new drama would premiere in 2009, coinciding with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial year.

It might still be warm and muggy outside, but autumn has officially arrived on the Friends of Lincoln State Park website. Our website is always being changed and updated, so if you haven't visited in a while check us out! In addition to our new fall color scheme we've added some new photos, some new information pages, and even the weather!

If you have any suggestions or special requests for information you'd like to see on our website, let us know. And be sure to make our site the first place you visit for information about Lincoln State Park.