Because Ideas Matter...
The faculty and staff of Butler University's College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences presents
Recommended Readings
People, Parks, and Perceptions: A
History and Appreciation of Indiana State Parks
by Glory-June Greiff, Trafford Publishing, 2009
Reviewed by George Geib
The search to determine what makes Indiana
different is a favorite topic for local readers, and a question
that has engaged some of the nineteenth state's best local writers.
Glory-June Greiff suggests that an important part of the answer
lies in our state park system. In her new book, People, Parks, and
Perceptions, she directs our attention to the advocates,
administrators and attendees, from Richard Lieber to the present
day, who have purchased, preserved, adapted, interpreted and
enjoyed the physical and historical features of nearly thirty
special Hoosier localities. Lieber's original vision of natural
monuments and pioneer spirit, the great physical transformations
wrought by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the Great Depression,
and the continued demand for amenities by tourists and campers of
an automotive era serve as contexts for a focused and entertaining
narrative. Each of the current parks, and several former ones that
now serve other fish and wildlife functions, enjoy a capsule
history of their own. Many remind us of the importance private
benefactors have played in saving some of Indiana's best natural
landscapes. All remind us of the power of place in the Hoosier
spirit.
- George Geib is professor of history at Butler
University.