Creighton Brightens Christmas For Potawatomi Wildlife Park With Donation Of 9.95 Acres
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Friday, Creighton Brothers General Manager Ron Truex presented the deed for 9.95 acres to the park.
"We're really, really happy we're able to do this," said Truex.[[In-content Ad]]The Creighton family and company feels very strongly about providing opportunities for families to spend time together, Truex said, so when the chance came up to donate the property, they took advantage of it.
Truex said, "It was something that if this hadn't come along, we probably would have made another financial contribution. We're very happy to do this for the park."
The 9.95 acres includes the site of a New Deal project on Birch road, Tippecanoe Township, Marshall County, known locally as "The Wall." The Potawatomi Wildlife Park hopes to eventually restore the stone structure. The wall was created under President Roosevelt's New Deal program to get America back to work during the Great Depression, according to information provided by the park's executive director, Michael Stephan.
The stone structure was created about 1934 on a piece of ground historically used as a fishing and swimming access location on the Tippecanoe River. Time and plant growth over the years undermined the stability of the retaining walls, steps and built-in features.
Not only does the park hope to save the wall for future generations, but in the process will also protect a river bank area along one of Indiana's most environmentally significant waterways, according to Stephan's information.
Potawatomi Wildlife Park already sponsored an Eagle Scout project that included cleaning up the years of trash dumping that occurred on the site.
The park preserves the site of both prehistoric and historic Indian encampments, including an early 1800s Potawatomi Indiana village. The property preserves a ford at the Tippecanoe River, where more than a dozen different Indian trails, as well as the Goshen Logansport trail, crossed the river.
The site of the Menominee village south of Plymouth holds the claim as being the start of the "trail of tears/death," where many Potawatomi Indians were gathered and sent west to Kansas.
Potawatomi Wildlife Park was founded by Vernon Romine, who left an estate of 151 of the current 317-acre park property, and an endowment fund to be administered by a board of directors.
Romine was a local land owner who visualized a park open free of charge to the public. The park operates on income generated by the endowment fund, donations and modest fees for some group activities. The park receives no city, county or state funding, and charges no general admission fee.
In his will, Romine left the task of developing the property to five service clubs, including the Lions Clubs of Bourbon, Etna Green and Mentone; and the Kiwanis Clubs of Bremen and Bourbon. The property and assets were incorporated Nov. 29, 1982, and became a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation in May 1984.
The board expanded in 2003 to allow additional board representation, permitting a total of up to 20 board members representing the counties of Kosciusko, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Fulton and Marshall. The current board includes five appointed board members representing each of the five service clubs and 10 at-large members.
The park also has a 10-member advisory council, and one paid staff member serving as the executive director.
For more information, visit online at www.getintonature.com
Friday, Creighton Brothers General Manager Ron Truex presented the deed for 9.95 acres to the park.
"We're really, really happy we're able to do this," said Truex.[[In-content Ad]]The Creighton family and company feels very strongly about providing opportunities for families to spend time together, Truex said, so when the chance came up to donate the property, they took advantage of it.
Truex said, "It was something that if this hadn't come along, we probably would have made another financial contribution. We're very happy to do this for the park."
The 9.95 acres includes the site of a New Deal project on Birch road, Tippecanoe Township, Marshall County, known locally as "The Wall." The Potawatomi Wildlife Park hopes to eventually restore the stone structure. The wall was created under President Roosevelt's New Deal program to get America back to work during the Great Depression, according to information provided by the park's executive director, Michael Stephan.
The stone structure was created about 1934 on a piece of ground historically used as a fishing and swimming access location on the Tippecanoe River. Time and plant growth over the years undermined the stability of the retaining walls, steps and built-in features.
Not only does the park hope to save the wall for future generations, but in the process will also protect a river bank area along one of Indiana's most environmentally significant waterways, according to Stephan's information.
Potawatomi Wildlife Park already sponsored an Eagle Scout project that included cleaning up the years of trash dumping that occurred on the site.
The park preserves the site of both prehistoric and historic Indian encampments, including an early 1800s Potawatomi Indiana village. The property preserves a ford at the Tippecanoe River, where more than a dozen different Indian trails, as well as the Goshen Logansport trail, crossed the river.
The site of the Menominee village south of Plymouth holds the claim as being the start of the "trail of tears/death," where many Potawatomi Indians were gathered and sent west to Kansas.
Potawatomi Wildlife Park was founded by Vernon Romine, who left an estate of 151 of the current 317-acre park property, and an endowment fund to be administered by a board of directors.
Romine was a local land owner who visualized a park open free of charge to the public. The park operates on income generated by the endowment fund, donations and modest fees for some group activities. The park receives no city, county or state funding, and charges no general admission fee.
In his will, Romine left the task of developing the property to five service clubs, including the Lions Clubs of Bourbon, Etna Green and Mentone; and the Kiwanis Clubs of Bremen and Bourbon. The property and assets were incorporated Nov. 29, 1982, and became a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation in May 1984.
The board expanded in 2003 to allow additional board representation, permitting a total of up to 20 board members representing the counties of Kosciusko, St. Joseph, Elkhart, Fulton and Marshall. The current board includes five appointed board members representing each of the five service clubs and 10 at-large members.
The park also has a 10-member advisory council, and one paid staff member serving as the executive director.
For more information, visit online at www.getintonature.com
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