William R. Overlease collection on Indiana State Parks
Collection
Identifier: L243
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of materials compiled by naturalist, William R. Overlease, regarding Spring Mill State Park, Brown County State Park, McCormick’s Creek State Park, and Turkey Run State Park. The collection includes correspondence, pamphlets, reports, notes, postcards, and some photographs ranging from 1914 to 1977. There are also two volumes, "A Study of a Pioneer Village: Spring Mill, Indiana" thesis by William Roy Overlease (1977) and Spring Mill: Hidden Valley Village by Norman C. Evans (1953).
There is also an oversize collection containing a Spring Mill Village State Park planting plan, dated May 1932 and a Bloomington, Indiana topography map reprint from 1950 (OBD033).
There is also an oversize collection containing a Spring Mill Village State Park planting plan, dated May 1932 and a Bloomington, Indiana topography map reprint from 1950 (OBD033).
Dates
- 1914-1977
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.
Biographical Note
William Roy Overlease worked as a naturalist for the Indiana State Park system for five years in the 1950s. In 1963, Overlease became a professor of Biology at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. Professor Overlease is currently retired from teaching and living in Bloomington, Indiana.
Historical Note
The Indiana State Parks traces its history back to 1916. Colonel Richard Lieber, an Indianapolis businessman and German immigrant, recommended that a state park system be created as part of Indiana’s celebration of its centennial. Lieber became a national leader in the state parks movement and assisted other states in forming their own systems as well. He became the first Director of the Indiana Department of Conservation, serving for more than a decade.
Source:
Department of Natural Resources. “History and Culture.” http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/about_history.html.
“Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies.” http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~ecology/gordonarea/history.html.
Source:
Department of Natural Resources. “History and Culture.” http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/about_history.html.
“Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies.” http://darwin.wcupa.edu/~ecology/gordonarea/history.html.
Extent
0.65 Cubic Feet (2 manuscript boxes, 1 extra-large oversize folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from William R. Overlease on 1978/01/04.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2007 February by Elizabeth M. Wilkinson. EAD finding aid created 2007 February by Elizabeth M. Wilkinson. EAD finding aid revised 2015/11/14 by Laura Eliason; 2019/10/18 by Lauren Patton; 2022/07/26 by Laura Eliason; 2024/11/22 by Brittany Kropf.
- Brown County (Ind.)
- Brown County State Park (Ind.)
- Conservation of natural resources
- Correspondence
- Forestry and natural resources -- Indiana
- Indiana. Division of State Parks
- Lawrence County (Ind.)
- McCormick's Creek State Park (Ind.)
- Pamphlets
- Photographs
- Postcards
- Spring Mill State Park (Ind.)
- State parks
- Turkey Run State Park (Ind.)
- Title
- William R. Overlease collection on Indiana State Parks
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
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
