We decided to move from Charlestown SP the other day, hoping for a shorter drive to his job. The drive was definitely shorter and the park absolutely beautiful, except for the garbage left by uncaring campers over the weekend.
Deam Lake is an 194 acre lake with exceptional wetland and forest habitat surrounding it. The park offers many recreation opportunities such as boating (trolling motors only), fishing, swimming, miles of trails for hiking of horseback riding, and a Nature Center complete with a naturalist (Thanks Jay!). I’ve really enjoyed exploring the area and have many gorgeous pictures to share with you.
Today I went to speak with Tom Bricker, the park manager, about some of the history of the area. My main interest was in learning about the 2 cemeteries located in and near the property and he was more then willing to share some of what he knows.
The first cemetery I noticed was on the way into the park. It is called Miller cemetery and its oldest marked grave is from 1811 though the general consensus is that there are plots there that are older still. As I strolled thru the grounds I made note of some of the names I found such as Waggoner, Miller, and Jackson. Mr. Bricker informed me that Waggoner was one of the oldest families in the area. This brings us to the other cemetery, located on the edge of the campground inside the park.
This second cemetery, much smaller then the first with only a few headstones still standing, is called Waggoner Cemetery. Though I was given permission, I ran out of time to actually enter the chain-link fencing that the park has placed around the cemetery. The fencing is intended to protect what headstones are left from malicious individuals as well as unaware wildlife.
I really enjoyed speaking with Mr. Bricker who, after 34 years of service, will be retiring this November. He shared stories of the Waggoner family and two old home sites that had been located within the park. He also shared with me some of the history of the area including the old broom factory that had been located to the west of the lake as well as the basket factory to the east.
If you ever have the chance to visit Deam Lake in southern Indiana, you should also make some time to visit some of the surrounding towns, especially Starlight. Starlight, Indiana is the home of Huber Winery, Restaurant, and Farm as well as the Forest Discovery Center. The Huber family has created a great business for themselves with a farm, acres of crops and orchards, the winery, restaurant, and a farmer’s market with fresh fruits and vegetables as well as specialty foods like jellies and jams and special sauces. They also make fudge and have many gifts and souvenirs.
I really enjoyed myself this week and I want to thank Mr. Bricker as well as his staff, especially Dani and Zack, who made our stay so pleasurable.
Filed under: Camp Life
