Places that Percolate: French Post Park and the Creation of a Hoosier Origin Story

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

On the surface, French Post Park, a small, wooded picnic area and campground located on the south bank of the Wabash River in Carroll County, Indiana, may seem unremarkable. Covering about 5.4 acres, the park’s amenities consist of a small shelter, a few fire rings, a boat ramp, and a swing set. But, to the people of Carroll County, particularly those who live nearby in Adams and Rock Creek Townships, the park is a persistent place that cultivates their deep-seated feelings of patriotism, pride, and place. While we often associate persistent places with concentrations of resources, ancient traditions, or remarkable landforms, French Post Park reminds us that ‘place’ is a quality, not a quantity, and that persistent places become such not because of the resources they provide but because of the relationships they foster and the feelings of belonging and connection they evoke.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Rethinking Persistent Places: Relationships, Atmospheres, and Affects   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38036.0