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Wednesday. September 25.197-1 Cincinnati-North Journal Page9 Tlmrsdav. September 2U. 197-1 Union-1,ihcrty Journal Page 9Friday, September27,1974 Jimi-nal-News, Hamilton, Ohio Page9IT TAKES a special type of sportsman to go fishing din ing the cold winter’months, but those who brave the weather are rewarded with good catches ofcrappic, bluegill and largcmouth bass at 5,800-aerc Indian Lake, Ohio Department of Natural Resources photo.INDIAN LAKE State Park's shelter houses are year-round centers of activity. In the winter they offer protection, with two fireplaces to warm chilled bones.The park, with its 5,800-acre lake, is the focal point for a variety of recreational activities. Ohio Department of Natural Resources photo.Indian Lake is a living legend that combinesmodem recreation with early pioneer historyIndian Lake State Park combines Indian legend with pioneer history.This 6,448-acre park with its 5,800-acre lake in Logan County, is in the center of an area rich in Indian lore and tradition. The park is about 75 miles north of Hamilton.Each year, more than 1.5 million’ vacationers and weekend boaters are attracted to this huge lake which serves as a focal point for a wide variety of recreational opportunities in west-central Ohio..The lake is dotted by 69 tree-covered islands, many of which are named to reflect the Indian heritage of the region: Min-ncwaukcn, Cranetown, Miami, Tccumsch, Shawnee.“Indian Lake is one of thepremier buating areas in Ohio and the midwest, ** says Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director William B. Nye. “Boats with unlimited horsepower motors are permitted on the lake. And the lake is so bigthat large horsepowered boats don't interfere with the thousands of sailboaters who use the lake eachyear.Nye said Indian Lake is the only inland lake in Ohio with lighted buoys for nighttime navigation.Anglers pull good catches of crappie, bluegill, catfish and largemouth bass from the lake.Campers can camp 12 months a year in the spacious 443-site Class A camping area. The area iscomplete with a commissary but open only during the warmer months.Although the water of the lake is considered part of the state park, much of the shoreline is privately owned. The state owns about 648 lakeside acres scattered in smalJ holdings around the lakeshore.Park manager William Fox says large numbers of Canada geese, blue heron and duck frequent the lake. Deer and red fox roam the fields surrounding the park.Fox says once a particularly brave deer walked up to a park office window and looked inside, startling some office workers.In addition to the park, the area' has many other attractions. Within a short driving distance from the park are several covered bridges, the Valley Hi Ski Area, the Ohio Highway Transportation Research Center, the Neil Armstrong Aerospace Museum, Zane Caverns and severalhistoric Indian mounds and Indian towns.Wyandot and Shawnee Indians once lived in the Logan County area. Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton fought Indians here before westward-moving pioneers settled in the richagricultural land to raise corn and hogs.Indian Lake is partly natural and partly man-made.5 The original lake, called Lewistown Reservoir by the pioneers, was carved by the glaciers whichcovered much of Ohio thousands of years ago. In 1851, the reservoir was enlarged by water backed behind a dam across the Great Miami River.The lake provided water for the Miami and Erie Canal, enabling the canal to carry much of the state’s commerce between Lake1 Erie and the Ohio River in the mid-1800s.The canal's use waned with the coming of thesteam engine to the lands west of the Appalachians.As the great iron rails connected Ohio towns with each other and with th€ outside world, farmers and manufacturers found they could transport their goods more cheaply by train. The canal company went bankrupt and the canal was abandoned.Today, many visitors find as an interesting sidelight to thoir Indian Lake stay, a visit to one of the many abandoned portions of the canal — a visit to Ohio’s past.
Newspaper Details
Journal News
Hamilton, Ohio, US
Fri, Sep 27, 1974
Page 41
Full Page
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USA 12 Jan 2019
Other Publications Near Hamilton, Ohio
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