The water from the spring-fed caves of Spring Mill State Park powered gristmills, a wool mill, a sawmill and a distillery in an early 19th-century industrial town. At the restored Pioneer Village, you can explore 20 historic buildings. The village was founded in 1814; at its center stands a three-story limestone gristmill dating from 1817, which still grinds cornmeal today. Here, history can be seen not only in the architecture but also in a continuing function.
Limestone in Buildings and Local History
The limestone heritage takes many forms beyond Pioneer Village, too. The Blue Hole Quarry near Mitchell was Indiana’s first quarry; Dr. Winthrop Foote opened it in 1830. The Williams Covered Bridge crosses the East Fork of the White River. The Howe truss bridge was built in 1884 and is open to pedestrians only. In Oolitic stands the nine-foot-tall Palooka statue, rededicated there in 1984.
Other historic traces lead to the Red Cross: The Red Cross Log Cabin was built in 1904 by Joseph Gardner on the Red Cross Farm and rebuilt in Spring Mill State Park in 2018. The self-guided American Red Cross Driving Tour visits several historic sites in Lawrence County associated with Clara Barton. At the Lawrence County Visitors Center in Mitchell, you can pick up brochures and get tips and recommendations for local attractions.
The Grissom Memorial displays Virgil Grissom’s spacesuit, the Gemini 3 spacecraft Molly Brown, and personal and professional artifacts. Another facet of local history is the historic Mitchell Opera House: built in 1906 and fully restored in 2015, it hosts community events, film screenings and live music.
Caves, Forest and Trails
Several experiences below the surface focus on caves and their features. Bluespring Caverns offers a one-hour boat tour along an underground river. Along the way, you can see blind cave fish, blind cave crayfish, salamanders and bats. Twin Caves Boat Tours travel about 500 feet into the cave, offering views of various cave features. Since seasonal tour details may change, check tour times and conditions in advance. At Myst’ry River Gemstone Mine, visitors can search for semi-precious stones and fossils.
At Spring Mill State Park, challenging Trail 3 is a 2.5-mile loop that passes a cave overlook, sinkholes, Bronson Cave, Twin Caves and the Donaldson Woods Nature Preserve. Trail 4 follows a different route: it passes Wilson Monument, Donaldson Cave and Hamer Cemetery before reaching the village. Donaldson’s Woods is home to native trees more than 300 years old; the ecosystem of Donaldson Cave is home to endangered Hoosier cave fish.
A shorter nature trail is in the Ruth & Emery Bolton Natural Area. It is half a mile long and loops around Indiana’s largest karst sinkhole, which is more than 90 feet deep and covers ten acres. At eleven miles long, the Milwaukee Trail offers a longer route: its limestone-gravel surface is suitable for walking, running, cycling and nature watching. Along the way, there are views of the White River and old railroad bridges. The trail length, listed activities and scenery can help you make your choice.
More to Explore in Lawrence County
Birdwatching and picnicking are possible at Tincher Pond. Williams Dam State Recreational Area has a boat ramp, fishing areas and picnic spots; the White River still spills over the 17-foot-high dam. Carousel Winery has a tasting room in an old barn, with a hand-carved limestone counter.
Every June, Lawrence County celebrates Limestone Month with quarry tours, sculpting workshops, architecture-related walking tours and exhibitions. The Limestone Heritage Festival takes place on the first Saturday in June. If you’re planning around the event, check the exact date for that year.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Bedford, Starke County, Wabash County, Knox County, Vanderburgh, Jay County, Huntington County, Kosciusko County.
For the main travel overview: Indiana.
