Tippecanoe Battlefield
The Tippecanoe Battlefield Park was created to
preserve the location of the Battle of Tippecanoe that had been
fought on November 7,1811 and occupies a 16 acre site that was
deeded to the state by John Tipton, a veteran of the battle, in
1836, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fight. It had been used
for many political rallies prior to this, the most significant
perhaps being the 1840 in favor of William Henry Harrison's bid for
the White House that was attended by some 30,000 folks. This
location was attracting visitors by the 1850s and the battlefield
was bordered by the Louisville, New Albany & Salem Railroad during
that entire decade. They would construct a refreshment stand next to
the site to accommodate visitors, but the property would eventually
be purchased by the Northwest Indiana Conference of the Methodist
Church and used as the Battle Ground Collegiate Institute, and much
later as a Methodist youth camp. Although there was quite a bit of
interest in the location as the sesquicentennial of the fight in
1961 drew close, the camp would be abandoned in 1971 and the
location would become neglected. In 1960, it would be made a
National Historical Landmark, with the locals acquiring the property
when it closed and created a museum where the camp had put a lodge.
In 1995, it would greatly restored, and ceded to the Tippecanoe
County Park board in 1972. There are many recreational opportunities
found here that include; hiking since the Wabash Heritage Trail runs
by, a museum, battlefield monument and nature center. In 1966, it
would be added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The story of this battle is quite an interesting one, since Tecumseh
and his brother, Tenskwatawa, otherwise called the Prophet, came
here from Ohio and began to organize the tribes into one huge army
aimed at destroying the white man and his constant growing pains.
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