A lake with a sandy beach, a forest with marked trails, and a covered bridge each offer a different side of Jackson. Its history is equally varied, spanning a fortification from the early 19th century, the Tuskegee Airmen’s protest, and brickmaking in Medora.
Water and trails around Starve Hollow
Starve Hollow State Recreation Area offers fishing and boat rentals on 145-acre Starve Hollow Lake. A large sandy beach is open for swimming. The recreation area covers about 280 acres; nearby trails also offer opportunities for hiking and mountain biking.
For mountain bikers, the area covered by the trail mileage figure is important: Jackson-Washington State Forest and Starve Hollow State Recreation Area together offer 12.2 miles of mountain bike trails at two locations. The state forest covers nearly 18,000 acres in Jackson and Washington counties in southern Indiana. It lies in a part of the state with a distinctive topography known as “knobs.” The forest has about 13.9 miles of marked trails across two separate areas.
The Sawmill Hollow Interpretive Trail combines nature with background information. It provides information about multiple-use and resource management in Jackson-Washington State Forest and a brief overview of the forest’s history. Allow at least two hours to hike the trail and visit each station.
History along the way
Fort Vallonia was built in 1812 as a stockade fort along an old Native American trail to protect settlers in the area. In 1813, the fort was occupied by Major John Tipton and his militia rangers. Indian Treaty Corner marks the intersection of the 1805 Grouseland Treaty line and the 1809 Fort Wayne Treaty line.
The Medora Covered Bridge also leads to a specific destination: it spans the East Fork of the White River one mile east of Medora, Indiana, on State Road 235. The bridge is closed to vehicle traffic, making it a good place to explore the covered structure.
Medora’s industrial history can be traced through two dates. The Medora Shale Brick Company was founded in 1904; construction of the facility, with six beehive kilns along the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railroad, began by 1910 at the latest. By 1927, the Medora brick plant had ten kilns. Ten still remained there in 2007.
Freeman Field and Seymour
Training operations at Freeman Field began in December 1942. By February 1945, the field had trained more than 4,000 pilots to fly twin-engine aircraft for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. Another historic turning point followed in April 1945: the Freeman Field Mutiny marker documents the 477th Bombardment Group Tuskegee Airmen’s protest against segregation in the officers’ clubs. The Tuskegee Airmen’s resistance to racism and their combat service contributed to the desegregation of the U.S. military in 1948.
In Seymour, the Freeman Army Airfield Museum consists of two buildings, each about 3,000 square feet, wheelchair-accessible, and ADA-compliant. They are across from the Freeman Municipal Airport terminal. Also in Seymour is the John Mellencamp Mural, on the west side of This Old Guitar Music Store.
Notable places and local highlights
The Jackson County Visitor Center is located in the Southern Indiana Railroad Freighthouse. The historic freight depot was built around 1890 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 22, 2003.
In Freetown, Salt Creek Winery produces grape wines and fruit wines, including varieties made from blueberries, strawberries, cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, and black currants. The winery welcomes the public to its Tasting Room. Motorsport enthusiasts will find a local attraction in Jackson County at Brownstown Speedway, which draws competitors and fans from across the United States.
Discover more destinations: Seymour, Medora, Steuben County, Harrison County, Ripley, Whitley County, Lake, Shelby County.
For the main travel overview: Indiana.
