Beaver Lake, Jasper County and Newton County collection
Collection — Folder: S1675
Identifier: S1675
Scope and Contents
The collection includes 2 items. The first item is a copy of a letter, March 9, 1868, from Joseph S. Wilson, Commissioner, Department of the Interior, General Land Office, to Honorable John L. Dawson, Washington, D.C., regarding the survey of swamp lands of Beaver Lake, Jasper County, Indiana.
The second item is a copy of a letter, November 18, 1871, from Willis Drummond, Commissioner, Department of the Interior, General Land Office, to Parker Dresser, Esq., Washington, D.C., regarding the application of citizens of Newton County, Indiana, for the survey of swamp lands of Beaver Lake, Newton County, Indiana
The second item is a copy of a letter, November 18, 1871, from Willis Drummond, Commissioner, Department of the Interior, General Land Office, to Parker Dresser, Esq., Washington, D.C., regarding the application of citizens of Newton County, Indiana, for the survey of swamp lands of Beaver Lake, Newton County, Indiana
Dates
- 1868, 1871
Creator
- United States. Office of Land Use and Water Planning (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with Rare Books and Manuscripts, Indiana State Library, Indianapolis, IN. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts.
Historical Note
Indiana's Beaver Lake extended into Newton and Jasper Counties, and originally encompassed 16,000 acres. Its shallow waters were generally less than 15 feet deep, offering natural habitat for a wide variety of wildlife. The Swamp Act Law of 1852 provided a mechanism to drain and survey America’s swamp lands for settlement. In 1853 efforts began to drain Beaver Lake through a series of ditches and channels. By 1871, three quarters of the lake had been drained, and by 1880, most of Beaver Lake was dry, surveyed, and reclaimed for settlement.
Sources: Beaver Lake, Land of Enchantment, Elmore Barce, 1938, www.ingenweb.org/innewton; Kankakee Valley Historical Society, kankakeevalleyhistoricalsociety.org
Sources: Beaver Lake, Land of Enchantment, Elmore Barce, 1938, www.ingenweb.org/innewton; Kankakee Valley Historical Society, kankakeevalleyhistoricalsociety.org
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2017/04/27 by Linda Gellert. EAD finding aid created 2017/04/27 by Linda Gellert.
Creator
- United States. Office of Land Use and Water Planning (Organization)
- Title
- Beaver Lake, Jasper County and Newton County collection
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
