Arthur Franklin Mapes (1913 – 4 January 1986) was an American poet. Among his works is the poem entitled "Indiana", written in 1963. and adopted as the Indiana state poem the same year. In 1977, he was unofficially designated Indiana State Poet Laureate, a position that was not recognized as official until July 1, 2005. Much of his poetry reflected his humble beginnings and the love he had for his hometown, Kendallville, and state. His poetry also reflected his feeling on God, his spiritual journey, the landscape, and nature. Many of his poems were[1] printed in national and international publications.[2][3][4]
Arthur Franklin Mapes was born and raised in Kendallville, IN in a family of eight children. He married Ruth Acker and had ten children. He worked at Flint & Walling, Inc. for many years as a mechanic. During his career, he won eight awards at the state, national and international levels, which include The Golden Quill Award of 1965 which was given to Mapes for Winter Cavern and the status of Indiana’s Poet Laureate in 1977. Additionally, he was a member of the Indiana Poetry Society, the Poets Corner, and was a columnist for Cornucopia Poetry Magazine.