Most People Don’t Know About This Ancient Sacred Park In Indiana And It’s A Shame
History and nature come together in the best ways possible in Lafayette, Indiana. There is a sacred state park there that deserves your attention this spring and summer.
Check out this old battle ground that few people know about. Scroll on for more details.
Prophetstown State Park was established in 2004 to preserve an old Native American village in west-central Indiana near the town of Battle Ground and the site of the Battle of Tippecanoe. As it has only been around for about the past 15 years, it is still one of the Hoosier State's newest state parks.
This sacred state park features trails for hiking and biking, picnic areas, and a campground. There are both easy and moderate trails of various lengths to please nature lovers of all skill levels. Enjoy views of the Tippecanoe River, Harrison Creek, prairies, forests and more.
You'll also find the Museum at Prophetstown, which recreates this village founded in 1808 by Tecumseh, a Shawnee warrior chief, and his brother Tenskwatawa, also known as The Prophet. They were forced here by white settlers who moved in from the east.
This Native village grew into a multi-tribal community as the brothers believed the only way to defeat the white settlers was to band against them. Tecumseh traveled far and wide in order to speak with other tribes and to form alliances. In total, he was able to get 14 of them to set aside old disputes and come together, meeting at Prophetstown to hear him talk about his ideas.
Unfortunately, the governor of Indiana in the early 1800s, William Henry Harrison, heard of this great gathering and gathered his own band of support - 1,200 troops - to meet them. In the end, it resulted in a two-hour battle and Prophetstown being burned to the ground.
Fast forward 200 years and you can still see what life was like so long ago. Through conservation, reenactment, and preservation, this unique attraction really takes you back in time.
There is even a living historic farm depicting life in the 1920s near this sacred state park. It covers 900 acres and contains sheep, pigs, chickens, cattle, and other livestock.
Also found at this sacred state park is an aquatic center that is open Memorial Day through Labor Day each year. It features a 30-foot tube slide, a lazy river, water basketball, and much more. It is open between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and admission is $5 for those over the age of 3.
Prophetstown State Park's landscape formed over time by glaciers, moving water, and other natural occurrences. Even if you don't care about the history, it is still a lovely place to get lost for a morning or afternoon.
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
