The unlikely alliance that saved Indiana’s ancient forest

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Founders Rescue Turkey Run Forest

Turkey Run’s ancient forest faced the ax in 1916 when timber firms eyed its old trees. A public campaign led by Richard Lieber and Juliet Strauss raised $20,000, but fell short at auction.

Then race car moguls stepped in. Carl Fischer of Indianapolis Motor Speedway pledged $5,000 plus 10% of race day profits.

His partner Arthur Newby matched with $5,000 more.

Thanks to these speed kings, the 2,382-acre woodland sold for $40,200 in November, becoming Indiana’s second state park. The tracks at Turkey Run State Park now tell this unlikely tale of how race cars saved trees.

Timber Companies Threatened Indiana’s Ancient Forest in 1916

Timber companies wanted to chop down Turkey Run in 1916, one of Indiana’s last untouched forests with trees over 400 years old.

This 2,382-acre woodland in Parke County along Sugar Creek had huge tulip trees, oaks, and sycamores that no one had ever cut down.

Visitors loved its deep ravines and tall sandstone cliffs shaped by water over hundreds of years. While loggers saw money, nature lovers saw a treasure worth saving.

A Newspaper Columnist and German Immigrant Joined Forces

Richard Lieber, who moved to America from Germany and loved nature, found out the forest was going up for sale and knew he needed to act quickly.

He worked with Juliet Strauss, a popular Rockville newspaper writer who wrote touching stories about saving her favorite woods.

They put together a group of locals with a big goal: collect $25,000 to buy the property before the May 1916 auction. Time was running out for the old trees.

Schoolchildren and Women’s Clubs Opened Their Wallets

Regular folks from across Indiana helped raise about $20,000 to save the forest.

Money came from kids breaking open their piggy banks, women’s clubs holding bake sales, and everyday people sending whatever cash they could spare.

The group worked hard, but when auction day came in May, their offer of $20,200 wasn’t enough. The forest seemed doomed as the auctioneer ended the sale.

The Forest Sold to Men Who Wanted Its Valuable Wood

Hoosier Veneer Company won the auction, paying $30,200 for the land with plans to cut down the valuable hardwoods. The group watched sadly as their dream to save the forest seemed to fall apart.

The company gave them six months to buy back the land at a higher price before cutting began, but time was ticking away. The forest badly needed a hero.

Car Racing Pioneer Saw the Forest’s Value

Running out of options, Lieber asked Carl Fischer, a car industry leader who helped start the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, for help. Fischer took time off to visit Turkey Run himself.

Walking among the giant trees, Fischer fell in love with the place and wrote a check on the spot for $5,000 to help save it. But they still needed to find more money.

Race Day Proceeds Became Forest Protection Funds

Fischer came up with a smart plan: ask the Indianapolis Motor Speedway board to give 10% of the money from the upcoming Decoration Day race.

Though racing cars and saving forests seemed totally different, Fischer talked his business partners into it by saying that protecting nature helped the community.

The board said yes, creating one of America’s first business-backed nature projects.

Another Speedway Founder Added His Own Money

Arthur Newby, another Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder who made bikes, got excited about saving forests after hearing about Fischer’s gift. He added his own $5,000 to the growing fund.

The total racing community gift topped $10,000, a huge amount in 1916 that boosted the campaign and showed that business people cared about saving nature too.

The Governor Got Behind the Forest Protection Plan

Governor Samuel Ralston took notice when racing bigshots started putting money into forest saving.

He worked with state lawmakers to set aside more funds, creating a team effort between citizens, businesses, and government.

This teamwork between different groups became a model that nature lovers across America would copy for years to come.

Last-Minute Negotiations Saved the Ancient Trees

The group went to Hoosier Veneer Company with their new total of over $40,000. Talks went on through fall while cutting equipment sat ready at the edge of the forest.

The company played hardball, but in November 1916, they struck a deal: $40,200 bought the land with all its ancient trees safe from cutting. The forest would live on for future visitors to enjoy.

A New State Park Celebrated Indiana’s Centennial

Turkey Run became Indiana’s second state park during the state’s 100th birthday celebrations.

At the opening ceremony, racing pioneers stood next to nature lovers, showing how different groups could work together for a common goal.

The park joined McCormick’s Creek in a growing network of protected lands that would eventually spread across the state.

Speed and Nature Found Common Ground

The unlikely alliance between race car enthusiasts and tree huggers created a conservation success story that continues today.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway proceeds supported additional conservation projects throughout the 1920s, showing how business could benefit nature.

Turkey Run welcomes over 500,000 visitors annually who hike beneath the same massive trees that Fischer, Newby, and their racing colleagues saved from destruction over a century ago.

Visiting Turkey Run State Park, Indiana

Turkey Run State Park at 8121 E. Park Road in Marshall preserves ancient forest saved by Indianapolis Motor Speedway founders who donated racing proceeds to America’s first grassroots conservation campaign in 1916.

You can explore 14+ miles of trails through virgin timber that racing pioneers rescued from logging. The Nature Center has interactive exhibits about conservation history.

Take Trail 3 "Ladders Trail" to see dramatic sandstone formations, and cross the suspension bridge to Rocky Hollow-Falls Canyon Nature Preserve.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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