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 special historical place located in Turkey Run State Park in Indiana. This site was the very first part of what is now Indiana's second oldest state park. It tells the story of a family who built a life here and how their land became a beautiful park for everyone to enjoy.
Contents
The Lusk Family's New Home
The story of the Lusk Home begins with a man named Salmon Lusk. He was a soldier from Vermont who fought in the Battle of Tippecanoe alongside William Henry Harrison. For his service, Salmon Lusk was given this land.
Building a Life from Scratch
The Lusk family was very self-sufficient, meaning they made most of what they needed themselves. In 1822, Captain Lusk built a log cabin where he lived with his wife and their eight children. They lived in this cabin for nearly 20 years.
Then, in 1841, Salmon and his sons began building a new, bigger home. They made their own bricks and carved beautiful walnut woodwork for the house. To keep their home warm, Salmon even dug his own coal mine nearby!
The Busy Mill and a Big Flood
In 1826, Salmon Lusk also built a gristmill. A gristmill is a place where grain, like corn or wheat, is ground into flour. His mill had a strong stone foundation. It used a special horizontal waterwheel powered by water from a dam. The water was directed through a channel called a race to turn the wheel.
A small settlement grew around Lusk's house and mill. But on New Year's Day in 1847, a huge flood from Sugar Creek washed away almost every building. Only Lusk's sturdy brick house survived! Salmon Lusk's wife continued to live in the house until 1880. After her, their son, John Lusk, inherited the property. He mostly focused on protecting the trees from being cut down.
From Private Land to Public Park
After John Lusk passed away in 1915, the property was put up for sale. A company that cut down trees, called Hoosier Veneer, bought the land for $30,200.00.
Saving the Land for Everyone
However, a man named Richard Lieber and the State Parks Commission had a different idea. They wanted to save the beautiful land for a state park. They worked hard to raise money, collecting $40,000.00 to buy the land from the logging company. They even got last-minute help from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway!
On November 11, 1916, they successfully bought the Lusk property. This land was the very first piece acquired for what would become Turkey Run State Park.
Visiting the Lusk Home Today
Today, the Lusk Home is a popular spot for visitors to Turkey Run State Park. You can take tours of the home during the summer months. There is a fee to park your car inside the state park, and you pay an entrance fee at the main gate. From there, you can hike or drive to the Lusk Home.
The old coal mine that Salmon Lusk dug is now a safe home for bats! It's a great example of how historical sites can also become important places for wildlife.
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
