Unit III

It has been 10 years since I last visited the Falls of the Ohio State Park in my hometown of Clarksville, Indiana. It is a place that has endured many youthful summer days of my friends and I romping around its fossil beds, but yet somehow I have managed to evade the area throughout the majority of my twenties. A six-year stint in the Air Force and four more years of college could possibly attribute to this notion, but the Falls has always remained in my backyard in Clarksville; and has done so for over 350 million years. It only seemed appropriate that I venture back to the Falls after my journey through the military as the great frontiersmen did so over 200 years before me.

As I pulled up to my destination, uncertainty filled my mind of what I was to be expecting. A decade is a long time to be away from anyplace so I was sure to encounter some unfamiliarity upon arrival.  Were there going to be any changes that I would recognize? Perhaps there were improvements to the area to help prevent the public’s urge to litter the historic grounds with unnecessary rubbish? Why did I care? I do not know why these were the questions my brain was sporadically producing, but I knew the answers were coming soon.

Corps of Discovery Exhibit concept (courtesy to fallsoftheohio.org)

The first familiar sight that became visible as I made my way along the banks of the Ohio River into the state park was the Falls of the Ohio Interpretive Center. As I leisurely made my approach, a large bronze statue of two men with pioneer-styled hats came into view through my driver’s side window. It was a portrayal of legendary American explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark shaking hands before the two ventured off to explore the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  It certainly was a new sculpture that helped identify the Falls as a pivotal place during that epic journey. Stephen E. Ambrose described the famous handshake in his book, Undaunted Courage, as “the defining moment when the Lewis and Clark Expedition began”. It still amazes me that Clarksville is the town where that historic journey originated.

I continued cautiously around the Interpretive Center to the parking lot before finally backing into one of the many empty spots, failing to notice if I had managed to stay in between the white parking lines. I jerked the emergency brake up, shifted the transmission into park, and then paused. The music was still blaring through the windows and sunroof. Somehow, several of the visitors making their way to the fossil beds could hear the music over the three riding lawnmowers in the vicinity and quickly spun their heads towards my direction. I turned the radio off and then paused again. Now all I hear is the idle engine quietly purring as the visitors continued down the guided path into the fossil beds.

With the intense Midwest heat flowing into the cabin, my hand reached for the keys dangling from the ignition and with a swift counter-clockwise rotation of my hand, the car shut off. Again, I paused. Why I was just sitting there I have no idea. Scanning the area for some sense of direction, I noticed an information billboard along the walkway leading to the Interpretive Center filled with brochures and calendars of upcoming activities and events. The stapled papers contained basic information on how individuals could participate in any of the events on the calendar.

The summer months usually bring local children to the Falls for all sorts of activities and learning opportunities. During these opportunities, children and adults can learn about the historical and archeological significance the Falls has to the region of Kentuckiana. One of the many programs provided by the Falls of the Ohio Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1987 that oversees the preservation and education of the Falls, is the Teen Archeologist Camp.

“Some teens join the Archeologist Camp because that’s what Indiana Jones does”, said Dani Cummins, executive director of the Falls of the Ohio Foundation, who helps the foundation reach out to youth and the communities throughout Kentuckiana. “Though they don’t experience the dangers and things that Harrison Ford does, they really do have a lot of fun during the camp.” Even without the whip and fedora, children ages 11-15 can spend the day living the professional career of “Dr. Jones”.

Cummins, who taught English for 11 years at nearby Jeffersonville High School, started her career with the Falls of the Ohio Foundation as a volunteer in 1991. Her decision to become a volunteer was heavily influenced by her interest in Native American culture. Now after 20 years with the Foundation, her focus, along with the Foundation’s focus, is on a $9.5 million project that will revamp the entire Interpretive Center.

“The life-span for most museum exhibits is 10-15 years. We are approaching 17 years now, so it is definitely time for improving our exhibits,” she said. The project is called “The Crossroads Campaign” and is planned for two phases. The first-phase goal of raising $6.5 million will allow for the redesign and replacement of the 17-year old exhibits and establishment of $1 million endowment. The second-phase campaign goal of $3 million will allow for the expansion of the Interpretive Center, including a second floor exhibit gallery/community room.

            To date, the campaign has raised more than $3 million for the new exhibits. “Most of the donations have been silent donations from major donors around the area including Brown-Forman, Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, and the Town of Clarksville,” she said. “The Indiana Department of Natural Resources has donated $500,000.”

Dani Cummins (left), Falls of the Ohio Foundation Executive Director, is presented a $3,000 grant at their November 10, 2010 awards reception from June Huggins of The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. The grant will help with development of the great blue heron exhibit for young children as part of the Foundation’s Crossroads Campaign for new exhibits.(Courtesy of fallsoftheohio.org)

As the campaign seems to have started successful, the dreadful economic crisis has already forced the Foundation to push the 2011-projected completion date to 2013. For the campaign to come to fruition, the Foundation has now turned to community groups throughout Kentuckiana for additional financial support.

“We have started to go public with the campaign by holding a press event and through our annual ‘Rock the Rocks’ fundraiser,” she said. “Rock the Rocks” is the Foundation’s seventh annual benefit that features dinner, bourbon tasting, handcrafted beers, a silent auction, fossil bed hike, and viewing of the center’s film, original exhibits, and new exhibit plans. “This year all the proceeds will go directly towards benefiting the Crossroads Campaign.” A “mammoth” red banner hangs off the front entrance of the Interpretive Center advertising for the “Rock the Rocks” event. The theme, “A Mammoth Event”, is in celebration of the Center’s mammoth moving to its new location in front of the auditorium and the installation of a hanging blown glass sculpture in the Interpretive Center Rotunda. Construction is already underway in the Rotunda in preparation for the upcoming fundraiser. The Foundation decided the Rotunda’s renovation should be the first element of the plan completed to entice visitors and donors into wanting to see more.

The proposed new rotunda is shown in this rendering.(Courtesy fallsoftheohio.org)

As I walked through the lobby of the Interpretive Center, I could recall the times as a youth experiencing what I was now seeing. There have been some changes throughout the Center, but the Crossroads Campaign is designed to help re-energize the Falls for future generations.

 I started to think of how children now envision the Falls. Is their vision different from mine when I was a child? I never experienced the Falls outside of school until I was 14 years-old. That was when my dad moved my brother and me to Clarksville from neighboring Jeffersonville. Even though the cities were separated by rock-throwing distance, it felt like I had moved across the country. I had to abandon my childhood friends to go to a different high school, as a freshman. I hated it! It didn’t seem fair. But I also embraced it. I thrived in it. I was the “new” kid that was the nephew of the popular senior. Nobody knew who I was, so I reinvented myself. Distanced myself from the previous 13 years to become more outgoing and spontaneous. This led to adventurous outings to the Falls, exploring the fossil beds and surrounding wilderness with my friends in an attempt to garner some excitement in our young lives. However, it was not until my senior year of high school that I truly understood how important community involvement is to the Falls.

The spring of 2001 marked my first trip to the spring break mecca, Panama City. I was young, excited, and foolish. Driving southbound on Interstate 65 during “Senior Skip Day” with four carloads of a dozen or so friends, we made it to Montgomery, Alabama before the two lead cars were pulled over by state troopers. I was bringing up the rear of the group, along with an SUV packed with varsity squad cheerleaders.

Knowing what I know now, it’s fortunate we didn’t stop to check on the first two cars because they ended up spending the night in custody for possession of a “funky” substance. Only the problem was that the reservation for the guys’ room was in the name of one of the detainees. No, I guess it really wasn’t a problem now that I think about. I mean, what 17 year-old dude isn’t going to accept the head cheerleader’s offer to stay with them for the night?

Leading up to that notable Thursday night in March, my tolerance level was at the maximum. However, that night I was as sober as a priest on Sunday. I didn’t think anything of the five cans of Bud Light in my cargo shorts’ pockets as I walked along the Panama City strip that was bumper-to-bumper with intoxicated, bare-chested coeds. But somehow, out of nowhere, red and blue lights were surrounding me like I just knocked off the community bank next to the parking lot I was standing in. It wasn’t long until I was in the backseat of a cruiser, my hands bound behind my back. Official report: possession of alcohol by a minor, sentenced to community service.

The 30 hours of community service that I endured then helped me realize now that our community needs the Falls like the Falls needs the community. The dozen or so large, black trash bags that I filled with garbage and debris during those hours aided in the Foundation’s mission of the preservation of the Falls. Volunteering opportunities seem always available at the Falls and is also a great way to support the Foundation, even in the harshest of economies.

The Crossroads Campaign continues to march on with the vision of emphasizing the region’s scientific, cultural, and natural history for future generations. Continued support from the community is needed to help frame the story of our heritage and environment at the Falls. Walking along the paths that Lewis and Clark once walked and where glaciers once laid has instilled me with the notion that this is a story for all of Southern Indiana, the Greater Louisville region, and the world. Don Munich, the Community Leader of Falls Preservation Efforts, has been actively involved with the Falls for over 50 years. After viewing the proposed Crossroad Campaign, Munich wanted others to recognize the vision of the campaign that will encompass land, water, time, and life:

A vision is not something that you arrive at overnight. 20 years ago, many people saw what they thought was the original vision for this area, to really enhance the natural beauty that rests here. This new exhibit project…these concepts…capture all of those ideas. This is the vision for the Falls of the Ohio. (fallsoftheohio.org)

          The vision of crossing our geography, science, ecology, history, and culture paths will make the Falls a sought-after tourist and academic destination for everyone around the world. Many people within the community have made an effort to help the campaign reach its goal but with such a long ways to go, there is so much more to be accomplished in preserving this God-created wonder of our region. The Falls remains a vital cultural and natural resource for our community and the generosity from our community will help make it remain part of our home for many generations to come.