Issue 2 Summer 2021 Tippecanoe County Historical Association TippecaNEWS I N S I D E Eagle Scout Trade T H I S ISSUE: Bale Creation Project Eagle Scout Project 1 At the fall 2021 Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, you may see newly created reproductions of Upcoming fabric-wrapped trade bales, similar to those that French voyageurs would have used to 2 th Programs transport goods to and from the original Fort Ouiatenon in the mid-18 century. The cre- ation of these bales continues a tradition of area Boy Scouts supporting and participating in activities of the TCHA. Operations Report 3 TCHA and Boy Scouts of America have been integrally linked since 1929. In March of Feast Report 3 that year, the Association along with the City of Lafayette hosted a delegation of thirty French war heroes of the Association Amicale Croix de Guerre. TCHA held a pageant in their honor at the Fort Ouiatenon Park site, and costumed Boy Scouts provided Native Ouiatenon Preserve 4 American dances while adults portrayed priests, traders, and habitants. Tippecanoe Battle- 5 The Boy Scouts played an important role in the dedication of the blockhouse at the Fort field News Ouiatenon Park in 1930 when three Boy Scouts raised French, British, and American flags on poles while standing on the roof. From the very first Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, Research Library 6 Boy Scouts have participated, portraying voyageurs, performing Native American dances, serving food, delivering wood, and picking up trash. A scout also played taps on his bugle at the 200 th anniversary of the Battle of Tippecanoe in 2011. From the Vault 7 The tradition continued this spring with Samuel Root, part of Troop 373, whose charter organization is the Central Presbyterian Church in Lafayette. Samuel wanted to con- Saving a Legacy 8-9 tribute to TCHA and the Park as a thank-you for all his ex- periences at the Feast. The 25 bales he and his helpers created will greatly enhance the authenticity of the block- 10- Member Spotlight house programing during the Feast and the blockhouse 11 programs throughout the year. The rank of Eagle Scout, the highest in Scouting, is earned Follow Us! 12 by a Scout who has been a Life Scout for at least six months, has earned a minimum of 21 merit badges, and has demonstrated Scout Spirit and leadership within their troop. Only about 4% of Scouts earn the rank. Samuel had to plan, develop, raise funds, fully document, and lead this service project that demonstrated leadership and service to the community beyond scouting. Thanks again, Samuel, and congratulations on this achievement! P a g e 2 TippecaNEWS Upcoming Programs By Leslie Martin Conwell, Program Director TCHA has begun a busy summer of programming! Thanks to efforts by Pete Bill and Jeff Schwab, we can now offer many programs in a flexible hybrid format- both in person and via Zoom. Here are some of the exciting program- ming coming up this summer and early fall. Please note- Due to the changing status of COVID, please check TCHA’s website or Facebook page several days before a program is scheduled to find out if the program will be held in person, held virtually via “Zoom,” or will be a hybrid program. Zoom links will be posted several days before the program- www.tippecanoehistory.org July “Show & Tell- 1886 and Lizzie Shoemaker- Breaking Purdue’s Glass Ceiling in Science” Presented by Pete Bill, Tuesday, July 13, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Tippecanoe Battlefield Interpretation- the 4th US Infantry Presented by John & Nolan Wickett, Saturday, July 17, 10 AM – 4 PM, *In person program, Tippecanoe Battlefield “Purdue and Amelia Earhart” Presented by Sammie Morris- Director, Purdue University Archives & Special Collections Research Center, Tues- day, July 20, 12 PM – 1 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Woodland Indian Interpretation” Presented by members of the Wea Tribe, Saturday, July 24, 2 PM – 5 PM, Sunday, July 25, 10 AM – 3 PM, *In per- son program, Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park “Powerful Women of Purdue” Presented by Dr. Katharine Watson- Archivist, Purdue University Susan Bulkeley Women’s Archives, Wednesday, July 18, 6 PM – 7 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Guided Tour of the Tippecanoe Battlefield Grounds and Museum” Presented by Rick Conwell, Saturday, July 31, 1 PM – 2 PM, Tippecanoe Battlefield and Museum, *In person pro- gram, Free for members, $5 for non-members, children up to 18 free* *Includes museum admission August “Show & Tell- Ouiatenon Artifacts” Presented by Leslie Martin Conwell, Tuesday, August 3, 6 PM – 7 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in per- son and via Zoom “History of West Lafayette” Presented by Nick Schenkel, 12 PM – 1 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Show & Tell- Artifacts from the Tippecanoe Battlefield Museum” Presented by Rick Conwell, Tuesday, August 10, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Folk Music” Presented by Annie Hatke Schap, Wednesday, September 8, 6 PM – 7 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom September & October “Show & Tell- Fraternal Organizations” Presented by Ken Moder, Tuesday, September 14, 11:30 AM -12:30 PM, the History Center, *Hybrid meeting- in person and via Zoom “Feast of the Hunters’ Moon” Saturday, October 9, 10 AM – 5 PM, Sunday, October 10, 10 AM – 4 PM, *In person program, Fort Ouiatenon His- toric Park I s s u e 2 P a g e 3 Operations Report By Leslie Martin Conwell, Operations Manager Thanks to the help of some dedicated volunteers, the Arganbright Genealogy Li- brary and the History Center grounds have been spruced up for the summer! At Arganbright, volunteers did the tedious job of beautifying the walkways by chipping out old concrete, putting in new pavers, planting flowers, putting down fresh mulch, and repairing a large urn. At the History Center, weeds were pulled and new mulch was spread. Thank you to the following volunteers for helping the buildings and grounds look renewed, refreshed, and welcoming- Shirley & Mike Benham, Pete Bill, Walt & Eileen Griffin, Carolyn O’Connell, Ouiatenon Blacksmiths, and Mary & Ted Springer. We appreciate all that you, our members, bring to TCHA. Through your volunteering, at- tendance at programs, donations, membership renewals, participation in TCHA’s social me- dia platforms and your valued input as TCHA moves into the future, YOU are TCHA’s best ambassadors to the community. Have a great summer! Feast of the Hunters’ moon By Leslie Martin Conwell, Feast Event Manager Mark your calendars! 2021 Feast of the A decision as to the status of the 2021 Feast will be made by August 1. Continuing dialog is being Hunters’ Moon is held with community officials as to the status of COVID 19 and any anticipated impacts on the event. Please visit the Feast website www.feastofthehuntersmoon.org for updates. October 9 & 10. Come enjoy the 54th annual Feast of the Hunters’ Moon, scheduled for October 9-10! The Feast is a re-enactment of 18th century life at Fort Ouiatenon Historic Park on the banks of the Wabash River just southwest of current day West Lafayette, IN. The event’s time period depicts the heyday of Fort Ouiatenon, 1717-1791. The first European settlement in Indiana, Fort Ouiatenon was a witness to many different cultures and lifeways. At the Feast, skilled interpreters, musicians, and artisans engage the imagination while inspiring exploration of the music, cultures, and crafts of the past. Period foods include frybread, buffalo, stews, and soups. Besides TCHA, over 50 area not-for-profits benefit from the Feast. The event infuses over 2 million dollars into the local tourism economy, thus making the Feast vital to the quality of life in the community at large. Beginning August 1, advance tickets may be purchased online on the Feast website or after September 1 they may be purchased at several area businesses. See the Feast website for ticket information. The Feast has been successful these many years due to the wonderful relation- ships TCHA has built with other community organizations, Feast participants, vol- unteers, and the public. TCHA would like to thank Tippecanoe County Park and Recreation Director Allen Nail, who is soon retiring, for his many years of partner- ship, support, and friendship at the Feast. We’d also like to wish good luck to Na- than Murphy on his new job in Texas. Nathan worked as the Site Manager at Fort Ouiatenon for 19 years, and will be greatly missed. P a g e 4 TippecaNEWS Ouiatenon Preserve By J. Colby Bartlett, Director of the Ouiatenon Preserve, Inc. A TCHA cornerstone and community landmark received international attention last month when on Friday May 21st, His Excellency Philippe Etienne, Ambassador of France to the United States traveled to Tippecanoe County to tour the Ouiatenon Preserve - National Historic Landmark, a Roy Whistler Foundation Project. Ambassador Etienne, accompanied by Consul General Guillaume Lacroix and Honorary Consul Martin Baier visited Indiana during a two day official diplomatic visit that included meetings with Governor Holcomb, Indiana corporate leaders and a visit with French drivers at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway preparing for the Indianapolis 500. Ambassador Etienne and his entourage was received on Friday afternoon at the Fort Ouiatenon Park. Upon his arri- val, he was escorted by Captain Malcolm Duncan leading the Tippecanoe Ancient Fife & Drum Corp and Captain Thomas Wojcinski leading the Les Garnison du Pays den Haut, French Marine unit. While he reviewed the assem- bled troops, I was explaining the history of the establishment of Ouiatenon, by a small detachment of Marines in 1717.