Prophetstown State Park

Prophetstown State Park commemorates a Native American village founded in 1808 by Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and his brother Tenskwatawa north of present-day Lafayette, Indiana, which grew into a large, multi-tribal community. The park features an open-air museum at Prophetstown, with living history exhibits including a Shawnee village and a 1920s-era farmstead. Battle Ground, Indiana, is a village about a mile east of the site of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811, a crucial battle in Tecumseh's War which ultimately led to the demise of Prophetstown. The state park was established in 2004 and receives about 335,000 visitors annually.[1]

For the Illinois State Park, see Prophetstown State Recreation Area.

Prophetstown
Prophetstown State Park, January 2012
A map of Indiana showing the location of Prophetstown State Park
A map of Indiana showing the location of Prophetstown State Park
Location of Prophetstown State Park in Indiana
A map of Indiana showing the location of Prophetstown State Park
A map of Indiana showing the location of Prophetstown State Park
Prophetstown State Park (the United States)
TypeState Park
LocationTippecanoe County, Indiana, United States
Nearest cityBattle Ground, Indiana
Coordinates40°30′0″N 86°50′0″W
Area2,000 acres (810 ha)
Created2004 (2004)
Operated byIndiana Department of Natural Resources
Visitors334,375 (in 2018–2019)[1]
WebsiteOfficial Website

History

The park was first proposed in 1989 but did not receive funding from the Indiana legislature until 1994. Land acquisition continued through 1999 when the legislature funded $3.7 million to create the park. Indiana Governor Joe Kernan formally dedicated the park in 2004. The campground opened the following year and was a partnership with Lafayette as part of the Lafayette Inn tax proceeds.[2] Construction of the aquatic park began in October 2012 and was completed in 2013 after lobbying by local officials to drive more visitors to the park and Tippecanoe County.[3]

The Farm at Prophetstown is a non-profit organization that rents approximately 125 acres (51 ha) from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to show farming life as it was in the 1920s.

Facilities and activities
Prophetstown barn
  • Historic Prophetstown farmstead, a 1920s living history farm.
  • Woodland Indian settlement with replicas of a Shawnee council house and medicine lodge
  • Hiking trail (2.75 miles (4.43 km))
  • Bicycle trail (2.4 miles (3.9 km))
  • Interpretative naturalist services
  • Picnic areas and shelters
  • Camping, with 110 campsites and a dumping station

References
  1. "2018 / 2019 Estimated Fiscal Year Visits for Indiana State Parks ~ Alphabetical" (PDF). Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  2. Poston, Heather (June 25, 2003). "Prophetstown park receives funds, promises activities for all Hoosiers". Purdue Exponent. Purdue Exponent. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  3. "State Park Timeline". Journal and Courier. Lafayette (IN) Journal and Courier. June 15, 2013. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
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