| The History of Shakamak State Park |
| By Max E. Griffith |
| For seventy years our beautiful Shakamak State Park has provided recreation, sport, and endless hours of enjoyment for, not only the people of this area, but also people from all over the United States. We should never take our park for granted, because had it not been for the work of some pretty determined, hard working, patient men, Shakamak would not exist. The struggle to provide this area with a state park was won by the close cooperation of men from Hymera, Coalmont and Jasonville. Working both together for the common cause, and as separate organizations in their respective counties, they wrote a story of success that should never be forgotten. This story should be told and retold as succeeding generations discover anew, Shakamak State Park. It began July 21, 1926, with a letter addressed to George N. Mannfeld, who was then Superintendent of Fisheries and Game of the Indiana Conservation Department. The letter introduced a proposal to stop up a five-foot sewer and create a huge lake. The letter went on to say that no such body of water existed at that time in southern Indiana. It explained that a huge railroad-fill had been made to extend the Golden Knob Mine’s railroad switch to the Badder’s Mine, thus forming the lake’s dam. Estimates of the cost, at the time, were $150,000. The men next convinced Governor Edward Jackson that there was a reasonable need for a state park in this section of Indiana. However, the state had no means of purchasing the land, so a new law had to be passed permitting counties to sell bonds to raise money for this purpose. At this time, other counties were offering to donate land to be developed as state parks. After an almost Herculean effort on the part of these men, the law was passed without a dissenting vote and signed by the Governor. It was announced that the park, which was first called the Tri-State Park and Tri-County State Park, would be dedicated on Labor Day, September 3, 1928. A general holiday was proclaimed for the three counties. Addresses were to have been made by Governor Ed Jackson, Richard Lieber, Secretary of the Conservation Committee, Congressman Arthur Greenwood, Congressman Noble Johnson and a host of other notables of the time. A number of bands would play and there would be an old-fashioned basket dinner. There was no reason to celebrate on Labor Day that year, because there had arisen in Clay County, a question over the legality of the bonds, which were to be sold to purchase the land. This latest obstruction was soon cleared from the way and the bonds were purchased by the Brazil Trust Company, on Monday November 8, 1928. Was the way now clear? Sadly the answer was no. The Greene County bonds had not yet been purchased. In May of 1929, the Citizens Trust Company and the First National Bank of Jasonville purchased the bonds, thus clearing one of the last hurdles in the fight to obtain the park. On April 30, 1929 the State Conservation Commission approved the name "Shakamak" for the new tri-county park, located near Jasonville. Many names were suggested for the park, but it was finally decided to use the name the Kickapoo Indians had given to nearby Eel River. Shakamak in the Kickapoo language means “river of long fish”. This refers, of course, to the many eel found in the river, which the Kickapoo considered a great delicacy. For the sake of historical perspective, it should be remembered there were no white men living in Greene County before 1816, and the Indians didn’t leave this area until 1819. That’s just 110 years before Shakamak was named. Adding another fifty years brings us to the present time. This makes a total of 160 years. To put it another way, it is just the life spans of two eighty-year-old men who lived consecutively. The point is, of course, that we really aren’t so far removed from the time when this land we occupy belonged to the bear, the deer and yes, to the red men. On October 2, 1929, T.C. O’Conner, president of the Jasonville Industrial Bureau, wielded an ax and felled the first tree in the proposed lake basin. Willard Humphreys, who had so unselfishly given of his time and money for the park, remarked that he was willing to concede this honor to his friend Tim, but if the park was to be finished for the present generation, the laborers would have to be more skilled than Timothy in the use of an ax. Martin R. Goshorn, of Clay City, a member of the Conservation Commission, and the man responsible for interesting Chairman Richard Lieber and the Commission in the project in the beginning, inspected the concrete on the dam on Tuesday, October 29, 1929. He, along with the State engineers, pronounced the work satisfactory and ordered park custodian William Wallace to close the dam. All that remained was waiting for the lake to fill. While our lake is filling up with water, let’s examine it more closely and attempt to gain a more thorough knowledge of it. The lake itself is the beginning of a large valley, or hollow. In fact, to the natives of this area, it is known as Johnson Hollow. The hollow continues on the other side of the railroad grade, or now dam, growing wider and deeper. Another dam will be constructed further on up the hollow, in thirty years to create huge Lake Kickapoo—but that’s another story. The surrounding area was known as Golden Knobs. Many of our local residents hunted rabbit and squirrel in the area. However, I am told that the most hunting done there was for the tasty morel mushroom. Of course everyone swears to the fact that the largest mushrooms were to be found in profusion in the area now covered by water. Coal was discovered in this area and with the coming of the railroad, through Jasonville, in 1900, it wasn’t long before a mine was sunk at Golden Knobs. Fortunately the location of the mine was such that the Coal Company was forced to build their railroad grade across Johnson Hollow. This grade, or fill, measured 800 feet wide, at the base and averaged 22 feet wide at the top. It was estimated that this grade would have cost $200,000 to construct at the time the lake was begun. The coal company found it necessary to install a sewer measuring 5 ft. in diameter, to allow the natural drainage of the area, before they could begin the fill. The state made a careful study of the composition of the railroad grade, in the very beginning, to make sure it would serve as a dam. Core samples, from drilling, were sent to Indianapolis for this purpose. The results of these tests were found to be very desirable. The area now covered by the lake was then woodland. It had to be completely cleared of trees and then dredged out. This was no small job in itself, when one considers there was no modern machinery to accomplish this task. Men with shovels and horses pulling plows and graders were the equipment of the day. To those who may be interested in the Golden Knob coal mine, I furnish the following information. The shaft was sunk in 1903. Its depth was 203 ft. The mine was closed down in 1908. In that time 155,000 tons of coal had been shipped out. In 1929, State Road 48 did not exist. The following directions were given to people that year that wished to view first hand the work that was being done at the park. If the roads are dry, proceed west on Main Street to the corner where the gravel road turns northward (this would be at the 4 way stop at the intersection of South Fry Street and Old West Main). Follow the gravel, then dirt road northward to old Golden Knob switch, then turn left on Golden Knob switch to deep hollow and clearing. This brings the visitor to almost the center of the park and the hills and ravines must be explored on foot. At this time, State Road 59 was only paved as far south as Bogle Corner, and was the only paved road in Clay County, besides State Road 40. The road into Jasonville, from Bogle, was a dirt road. In an attempt to route Shakamak traffic through Coalmont, instead of Jasonville, private citizens paid to have a concrete slab road constructed from Bogle Corner through Coalmont. This road was officially opened on August 21, 1929. The State of Indiana finally began work on State Road 48 on Monday, April 13, 1931. This new road would begin on West Main Street in Jasonville and extend past Shakamak State Park, and would include the unpaved stretch between Coalmont and Hymera, thus connecting state road 59 with the Dixie Bee Highway, State Road 41. In May of 1931, the State Conservation Commission appropriated $30,000 for the construction of several buildings to be used as a group camp for county 4-H and other organizations such as the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. When finished these building would accommodate 400 to 500 boys and girls at a time. By using 75 to 100 men, working every day, these buildings were finished in time for the first 4-H Club visit on August 10, 1931. Four hundred girls and boys from Sullivan, Clay, Putnam, Vermillion and Vigo counties took part in this first meeting. |
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