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Last updated on Thursday, September 6, 2018
(BEDFORD) - Hoosier National Forest is offering several programs for the public in September.
If wilderness or history are of interest to you, forest volunteers are hosting an open house at the Brooks Wilderness Welcome Center on Sunday, September 9, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. (eastern time).
This is an authentic log cabin at the edge of the Charles C. Deam Wilderness in Monroe County.
To reach the cabin and wilderness take Ind. 446 (south of Bloomington) to Tower Ridge Rd. Built by John S. Brooks in the 1890's, the building is characteristic of log homes built in the eastern United States between 1850 and 1920. The entrance to the Charles C. Deam Wilderness was chosen as a perfect place to reconstruct the cabin.
Volunteers can answer questions about this area or others on the forest.
After touring the cabin, visitors are encouraged to experience the wilderness by hiking one of the many trails or driving the Tower Ridge Road to the Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower.
Blackwell Horse Camp
Join archaeologists from the forest's heritage program at Blackwell Horse Camp (Tower Ridge Rd., off Ind. 446, south of Bloomington) on Saturday, September 15th from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., for some hands-on history activities.
See and touch artifacts from the Buffalo Trace and other areas of the forest. The Buffalo Trace, Indiana's first highway, was carved into the landscape by migrating bison.
These corridors provided the means for early transportation into the region, and profoundly influenced the people and communities through which they passed. The Buffalo Trace, an Indiana Historic Pathway, was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2009. Remnants can be seen along the Springs Valley Trail.
Learn About An Atlatl
Have you heard of an atlatl?
The atlatl is a seemingly simple tool, essentially a lever that doubles the length of the thrower's arm, yet it can deliver 200 times the power, and six times the range of a dart tossed like a traditional spear!
An atlatl demonstration will be held and you can test your throwing skills on a life-size buffalo target!
The atlatl may be one of the first compound weapons created, and its effectiveness allowed humans to hunt large Ice Age mammals. The earliest archaeological evidence is over 25,000 years old. Its use in North America was largely phased out around 3000 B.C. by the bow and arrow, yet continued to be an essential component of the Inuit toolkit to hunt sea mammals as late as the 1800's, and a formidable weapon used by Aztec soldiers in the 1500's in their war against Spanish invaders.
Darts thrust from an atlatl could penetrate Spanish steel armor.
This event is part of the U.S. Forest Service's "It's All Yours" campaign, an effort to connect all Americans to their national forests and grasslands.
Rickenbaugh Historic Home
The Rickenbaugh historic home will be open for visitors to view and ask questions of Forest Service staff on Saturday, September 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm (central time). The home is located at the Indian-Celina Lakes Recreation Area, off Ind. 37, south of I64, in Perry County. A day use fee is required to enter the recreation area. Built in 1874, it was sold to the Forest Service in 1968. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The Forest Service has rehabilitated the property with the cooperation of many local partners and grants. The building is constructed entirely of local materials: sandstone, oak, poplar, and walnut. The Celina Post Office occupied three shelves in one of the large cupboards from 1880 until 1951. Join us to learn more of the unique history of this family and area.
Please visit our website https://www.fs.usda.gov/hoosier , Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HoosierNF/ or contact the Hoosier National Forest at 812-275-5987 (Bedford) or 812-547-7051 (Tell City) for more information or questions.
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