Get to know the rebel state park -- The Shades! But is Shades actually the rugged, rebel, isolated park I think it is? You might be surprised to learn the real history of the property. Yes, there's lore and murder, but there's also innovation, social movements, and my favorite hike in Indiana so far! Plus, we get into astronomy and why Shades is the best place for star-gazing. If you've never been to Shades, make it a priority!

If you want to hike the Pine Hills Nature Preserve, this map gives information about what you’ll see. Learn more about The Friends of Turkey Run and Shades State Parks and keep track of their great events!

If you live in the area, be sure to connect with the Wabash Valley Astronomical Society. If you live in other parts of Indiana, the state’s astronomical society is a great place to start. I’m confident nearby states have their own societies, so my out of state listeners, you’ll have to look up your closest group. But everyone can be sure to check out the Indiana Family Star Party this summer too!

Any mistakes are my own.

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I loved learning about fire towers and lookouts in Indiana and across the country. There's so much history here, and I barely scratched the surface! You can learn tons about fire towers at the Forest Fire Lookout Association site. If you want to see a presentation Teena Ligman did in March 2025 about them, including pictures, click here. You’ll hear much of the same information but get the awesome visuals a podcast can’t provide.

If you have a kid who loves fire towers, check out Headstrong Hallie!, an illustrated kids’ book about Hallie Morse Daggett.

I saw Clarisse Carroll's name spelled several ways (Clarisse, Clarrise, and Clarissie). I pronounced it Cla-reece; Teena pronounced it Cla-rissie. I'm not sure which is correct, and unfortunately, I didn't have time to track down any of her relatives. If you know the right pronunciation, please reach out! If you'd like to read more about her, here’s information. I learned a lot about the Georgia Fire Tower on the US Forest Service site.

Finally, if you want to climb all Indiana’s fire towers and learn more about ones no longer in use, check them out here.

Any mistakes -- and I'm sure there are some! -- are mine.

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The Civilian Conservation Corps, started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, made our state parks what they are today. Not only did these boys (as they were endearlingly called) work in Indiana, but throughout the entire country developing parks, protecting forests, and on soil conservation projects. White, Black, Native American, and Hispanic -- young men from all walks of life left their fingerprints on our country.

I learned so much about the CCC from Glory-June Greiff whose book you can purchase on her website or potentially find at your local library. I also learned about the CCC from the book The Complete Guide to Indiana State Parks by Nathan D. Strange. In addition, the Indiana Historical Society was an enormous help in finding pictures of the boys and issues of the CCC company newsletters. I'm also hugely indebted to Katie Martin (no relation) for her excellent research. She and others wrote about Marshall Carter, but it was her work that directed me to his poem.

I also found information about the CCC on the Steuben County website, read interviews with Roger Woodcock in the Whitley County paper, learned about several African-American enrollees through the DNR's research, and learned about CCC companies nationwide on the CCC Legacy site.

Any mistakes are my own.

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