Lusk Home and Mill Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lusk Home and Mill Site
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 Location in Parke County, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | Marshall, Indiana |
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| Architect | Britton, J.A. |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival, Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 74000017 |
| Added to NRHP | October 29, 1974 |
The Lusk Home and Mill Site is a really old and important place located inside Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. This park is the second oldest state park in Indiana! The Lusk Home and Mill Site was the very first part of the park to be developed.
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Who Was Salmon Lusk?
A man named Salmon Lusk came from Vermont. He was given this land because he fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe. He served under a famous leader named William Henry Harrison. The Lusk family was very good at taking care of themselves. They grew their own food and made many things they needed.
Building a Home and Mill
In 1822, Captain Lusk built a log cabin for his family. He lived there with his wife and eight children. Later, in 1841, he and his sons built a new brick house. They made the bricks themselves and carved beautiful walnut wood for the inside. To heat their home, Salmon Lusk even dug his own coal mine!
In 1826, Lusk also built a gristmill. A gristmill is a building where grain is ground into flour. He used strong stone for the foundation. Water from a nearby stream was moved by a dam and a special channel. This water turned a horizontal waterwheel, which powered the mill.
A Big Flood Changes Things
A small town started to grow around Lusk's house and mill. But on New Year's Day in 1847, a huge flood happened. The Sugar Creek river overflowed its banks. The flood washed away almost every building in the settlement. Only Lusk's strong brick house was left standing.
Salmon Lusk's wife continued to live in the house until 1880. After she passed away, their son, John Lusk, inherited the property. John didn't do much with the site, but he made sure no one cut down the trees.
Becoming Part of Turkey Run State Park
After John Lusk died in 1915, the property was put up for sale. A company that cut down trees, Hoosier Veneer, bought the land for $30,200.
However, people wanted to save the land. Richard Lieber and the State Parks Commission worked hard to buy it back. They raised $40,000. With help from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they bought the land from the logging company on November 11, 1916. This Lusk property was the very first piece of land bought for Turkey Run State Park.
Visiting the Lusk Home Today
Today, you can visit the Lusk Home! It is open for tours during the summer months. You need to pay a fee to park your car inside the state park. Then, you pay an entrance fee at the main gate. After that, you can hike or drive to the Lusk Home. The old coal mine is now a home for bats!
See also
- Arch in the Town of Marshall
- Richard Lieber Log Cabin, within Turkey Run State Park
- Beeson Covered Bridge
- Parke County Covered Bridges
- List of Registered Historic Places in Indiana
- Parke County Covered Bridge Festival
