Pioneer Village is Living History at Spring Mill State Park Near Mitchell, Indiana

Nestled in the hills of Southern Indiana you will find Spring Mill State Park. Located near the small town of Mitchell, Indiana, Spring Mill is one of the state's finest historical and recreational parks. There is truly something for everyone here, from the limestone cave system to the Gus Grissom Memorial, which honors the hometown boy who grew up to become the second American in space. Grissom played a very important role in NASA's early space programs.

Perhaps the greatest draw to Spring Mill State Park is the restored Pioneer Village. A thriving community was located here in the early 19^th century. The grist mill was built from local limestone in 1817, and it is the focal point of the Pioneer Village. Periodically throughout the day the immense water wheel is activated. You can watch the huge millstones grind corn, and then buy a bag of the cornmeal. The rest of the village is a living history museum, with people working at weaving, blacksmithing, and various other occupations represented in the log buildings as they were in the heyday of the village. During the early 1800s, this little village produced corn, pork, and whiskey, and shipped products down rivers on flatboats made from lumber cut at the sawmill, which is attached to the grist mill building. The flatboats ended up as far away as New Orleans, where the goods were sold and the lumber from the boats was often used for construction.

The water that feeds the millwheel flows out of Hamer Cave. The water is partly diverted from the rocky stream above the valley through an overhead wooden flume to the mill wheel. Today, a pipe runs inside the flume to control water loss from splashing and to preserve the flume. Besides the large wheel that turns the grist stones inside the mill, there is another wheel under the sawmill platform. The saw is an "up and down" saw blade, which works with a spacer that moves the rack and pinion carriage to advance the log as the slow process cuts it into lumber. Circular blades were in use in some places in the early 1800s, but the positioning of the power wheels and the way the mill was constructed created a situation where the up and down blade was the practical choice. Inside the mill you will find a museum of early 1800s artifacts and regional history. There are two floors inside the expansive mill building, and both levels are filled with interesting displays.

The Pioneer Village grounds also contain period gardens and log homes where you can see pioneer lifestyle demonstrations such as fireplace cooking. The gardens are planted with historically accurate herbs, flowers and vegetables, and most of the garden plant species are identified for visitors. There is a general mercantile, vintage apothecary shop, and a school house in the village, too. The restoration work to the mill and village was begun in the 1930s by the CCC, and the lake and many of the picnic shelters and other structures were built then, too. The quaint stone fences and several stone walls have been restored and everything is well maintained.

The lovely mill stream winds through the middle of the village, and if you visit on a warm day, you must take time to sit on the bank and relax beside the babbling water. Since the water comes from an underground stream through Hamer Cave it is always cool and refreshing, and some barefoot wading may also be in order on a hot day. One of the picnic areas and a playground are near the outskirts of the Pioneer Village, and you could spend an entire day just in this section of the park.

But there is so much more to see and do at Spring Mill State Park.

Watch a slideshow of Spring Mill State Park

Learn more about the natural wonders of the area.

Perhaps you will stay at the Spring Mill Inn, or participate in the naturalist activities.