Muscatatuck County Park
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Muscatatuck County Park, formerly known as Vinegar Mills State Park and Muscatatuck State Park, is a recreational park located by the town of Vernon, Indiana in Jennings County.
Formally opened on May 17, 1921, on land given by Jennings County to the Indiana state government, Vinegar Mills State Park was established as an 86-acre park. It was named for an old mill used to cut stone during the pioneer days along the Muscatatuck River. The name was soon changed to Muscatatuck State Park, to reflect the historical Indian name given the River, believed to mean "winding waters". Aside from a small inn built from a brick house known as the William Read Home, which acted as a bed and breakfast, and wood-floored tents, the property was seldom improved upon; it remained a highly forested area popular with travelers between Madison, Indiana and Indianapolis. While a state park, it was the first to require no financial assistance from the state government, even though it never charged admission and the founder of the Indiana state park system, Richard Lieber, strongly believed in doing so. However, during the Great Depression both the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) made slight improvements to the property, mostly road work and a fire tower.[1] [2]
Muscatatuck would eventually be redesignated as a state game farm in 1956, concentrating on raising quail and pheasant. In 1962 it had the first youth camp in Indiana meant for the general public, and not for convicted youth. In 1968 the land was returned to Jennings County, which to this day has made it a county park. Although it lagged for twenty years by lack in funds, by the 1990s it saw an increase in funds, endowments, and community interest.[3] [4]
Mountain biking is available in the park, even though the only mountains in Indiana are in Porter County.[5]
Muscatatuck County Park should not be confused with nearby Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge.
