Juliet V. Strauss, Turkey Run Commission document
Collection — Folder: S3084
Identifier: S3084
Scope and Contents
This collection comprises a document sent to Juiet V. Strauss in Rockville, Indiana from Governor Samuel Ralston of Indiana appointing her and two other individuals--William Watson Woollen and Vida Newsome--to the Turkey Run Commission on April 27, 1915, for the purpose of discovering the best way to preserve the area which included Turkey Run, Bloomingdale Glens, and the surrounding area.
Dates
- 1915/04/27
Creator
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
Juliet V. Strauss was a journalist and conservationist from Rockville, Indiana. She was born Juliet Virginia Humphrey to William and Susan (King) Humphrey on January 7, 1863. After her father's death when she was four years old, she and her three sisters were raised solely by her mother, an independent, strong-willed woman who valued education. She began her journalism career by contributing articles to the Rockville Tribune as a teenager. She married Isaac R. Strouse on December 22, 1881, and chose to spell her new surname as "Strauss" in contrast to her spouse.
Strauss' first regular column, "Squibs and Sayings," which first appeared on February 9, 1893 in the Tribune, provided insights and commentary on Hoosier rural life, as well as a woman's perspective. Her articles proved popular and in 1903, she began writing a weekly column for the Indianapolis News as "The Country Contributor." Another of Strauss' columns, "The Ideas of a Plain Country Woman," was published in the Ladies' Home Journal, beginning in 1905. Strauss continued to write both columns until her death. She also helped found the Woman's Press Club of Indiana in 1913.
A lifelong resident of Parke County, Strauss grew concerned when timber companies threatened the beloved forest near her home and she became a fierce advocate for the preservation of over 2,000 acres of forested land along Sugar Creek. The area, then known as Bloomingdale Glens, was later named Turkey Run. Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston appointed her and two others to the Turkey Run Commission in 1915, to spearhead efforts to turn Turkey Run into the first state park. The commission aimed to raise public awareness of their campaign and encouraged donations towards purchasing the land for the park. Strauss used her column as a platform to spread her conservationist message and personally donated to the land acquisition funds. Her efforts proved fruitful when the park land was finally purchased in 1916 from the Hoosier Veneer Company and Turkey Run was established as Indiana's second state park.
Strauss died two years later on May 22, 1918. In July 1922, the Woman's Press Club of Indiana dedicated a memorial statue and fountain in Strauss's honor at Turkey Run State Park.
Sources:
Ray E. Boomhower (Spring 1995). "The Country Contributor: Rockville's Juliet V. Strauss." Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History 7, no. 2 (Spring 1995): 39. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://cdm16797.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16797coll39/id/2242.
Indiana Historical Bureau. "Juliet V. Strauss." Historical marker. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4124.htm.
Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. "Juliet V. Strauss - 2001." Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Accessed Augsut 20, 2020. https://ijhf.org/juliet-v-strauss.
Strauss' first regular column, "Squibs and Sayings," which first appeared on February 9, 1893 in the Tribune, provided insights and commentary on Hoosier rural life, as well as a woman's perspective. Her articles proved popular and in 1903, she began writing a weekly column for the Indianapolis News as "The Country Contributor." Another of Strauss' columns, "The Ideas of a Plain Country Woman," was published in the Ladies' Home Journal, beginning in 1905. Strauss continued to write both columns until her death. She also helped found the Woman's Press Club of Indiana in 1913.
A lifelong resident of Parke County, Strauss grew concerned when timber companies threatened the beloved forest near her home and she became a fierce advocate for the preservation of over 2,000 acres of forested land along Sugar Creek. The area, then known as Bloomingdale Glens, was later named Turkey Run. Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston appointed her and two others to the Turkey Run Commission in 1915, to spearhead efforts to turn Turkey Run into the first state park. The commission aimed to raise public awareness of their campaign and encouraged donations towards purchasing the land for the park. Strauss used her column as a platform to spread her conservationist message and personally donated to the land acquisition funds. Her efforts proved fruitful when the park land was finally purchased in 1916 from the Hoosier Veneer Company and Turkey Run was established as Indiana's second state park.
Strauss died two years later on May 22, 1918. In July 1922, the Woman's Press Club of Indiana dedicated a memorial statue and fountain in Strauss's honor at Turkey Run State Park.
Sources:
Ray E. Boomhower (Spring 1995). "The Country Contributor: Rockville's Juliet V. Strauss." Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History 7, no. 2 (Spring 1995): 39. Accessed August 20, 2020. http://cdm16797.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p16797coll39/id/2242.
Indiana Historical Bureau. "Juliet V. Strauss." Historical marker. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/history/markers/4124.htm.
Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. "Juliet V. Strauss - 2001." Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Accessed Augsut 20, 2020. https://ijhf.org/juliet-v-strauss.
Historical Note
In 1916, Turkey Run State Park became Indiana's second state park. Richard Lieber, Indianapolis businessman and German immigrant, had been advocating for a state park system for half a decade and believed the state centennial was the optimal time for its founding. Lieber would later become the first director of the Indiana Department of Conservation.
During the same period, journalist Juliet V. Strauss from Rockville, Indiana spoke against timber companies endangering old-growth forests in Parke County. Her efforts came to the attention of Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston and Lieber. Ralston appointed her and two others--William Watson Woollen and Vida Newsome--to investigate preservation of the land which would become Turkey Run. Lieber pinpointed the establishment of Turkey Run State Park as the perfect way to launch the park system, though in actuality, it followed the founding of McCormick's Creek State Park.
Turkey Run lies along State Road 47 southwest of Crawfordsville in Parke County. The park preserves old forests, deep sandstone ravines, and scenic views along Sugar Creek.
Sources:
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Parks. "Turkey Run State Park." IN.gov. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2964.htm.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Parks. "The Beginning of Indiana State Parks." Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/8622.htm.
Indiana Historical Bureau and Casey Pfeiffer. "Saving Turkey Run." Marking Hoosier History Archives. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/history/4233.htm.
During the same period, journalist Juliet V. Strauss from Rockville, Indiana spoke against timber companies endangering old-growth forests in Parke County. Her efforts came to the attention of Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston and Lieber. Ralston appointed her and two others--William Watson Woollen and Vida Newsome--to investigate preservation of the land which would become Turkey Run. Lieber pinpointed the establishment of Turkey Run State Park as the perfect way to launch the park system, though in actuality, it followed the founding of McCormick's Creek State Park.
Turkey Run lies along State Road 47 southwest of Crawfordsville in Parke County. The park preserves old forests, deep sandstone ravines, and scenic views along Sugar Creek.
Sources:
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Parks. "Turkey Run State Park." IN.gov. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2964.htm.
Indiana Department of Natural Resources, State Parks. "The Beginning of Indiana State Parks." Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/8622.htm.
Indiana Historical Bureau and Casey Pfeiffer. "Saving Turkey Run." Marking Hoosier History Archives. Accessed August 20, 2020. https://www.in.gov/history/4233.htm.
Extent
0.01 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection consists of one item.
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 2020/08/20 by Brittany Kropf. EAD finding aid created 2020/08/20 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Title
- Juliet V. Strauss, Turkey Run Commission document
- 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
