Saving Turkey Run: Juliet Strauss, Journalism, and Indiana’s First State Parks
“Juliet always was very self-reliant. She was blazing new trails in journalism, very outspoken in what she believed in,” says Ray Boomhower, author and editor for the Indiana Historical Society Press.
Rockville was a small town on the western frontier of Indiana when Juliet was born there in 1863.
Boomhower states, “She had a real talent for writing. In fact, so much so that other students at school, when they needed help with their essays, would go to Juliet and ask her to spice up their own writing.”
The wilderness around Rockville was like a second home for Juliet, and she often wrote of the natural beauty that surrounded her in Parke County.
“Her compositions,” Boomhower notes, “when it came to the knowledge of the editor of the Rockville Tribune newspaper, John Beadle, he went to her mother, said ‘your daughter has a real talent for writing, and she should be encouraged to do so, and I'd be happy to have her do some composition for a newspaper.’ That's how she got her start.”
As she began to write for the newspaper, Juliet met Isaac Strauss, the typesetting and press operator. The two fell in love and married in 1881. Soon, Juliet was working side by side with her husband to publish the weekly Rockville Tribune.
“It really came to fore in 1893, when she started a regular weekly column called ‘Squibs and Sayings’ that she produced for the rest of her life. It was featured on page one of the Tribune every week. Later, her work drew the attention of the editors at the Indianapolis News, and they offered her a weekly column in her own right,” says Boomhower.
At the time, the Indianapolis News was one of the most highly respected and widely read newspapers in the state. Writing under the heading “The Country Contributor,” Juliet Strauss became one of the most popular journalists in Indiana.
“Later on, that column caught the attention of a national editor, Edward Bok of the Ladies' Home Journal, which was the magazine for women in the late 19th and early 20th century. It had over a million subscribers and so her audience broadened to the whole country,” Boomhower explains.
The Campaign to Save Turkey Run
By 1915, the very lands that inspired Strauss were under threat from timber companies that wanted to clear cut the forests.
States Boomhower, “From a young age, Juliet loved going out into lush forests that were in Parke County. She felt that this spot needed to be preserved for all time, for future generations to enjoy as she did from a young age.”
When Strauss learned that an Indianapolis lumber company was attempting to purchase these lands at auction, she mobilized to save the area. As a journalist, she had known Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston and sent him letters promoting wildlife conservation. She also joined forces with a powerful ally, Richard Lieber, who was currently campaigning to create a new state park system.
“They were both very supportive of saving Turkey Run from these timber companies. A commission was established by the State Centennial Commission to help save Turkey Run,” Boomhower says.
The commission raised more than $30,000 to purchase the land. But in a sudden move at auction, the timber company outbid Strauss and Lieber by $100.
“The auctioneer banged his gavel, and it seemed the death knell sounded for Turkey Run,” describes Boomhower. “But Lieber and Strauss did not give up. They decided to keep on fighting on behalf of the land.”
Strauss went to work immediately, using her connections with the lawmakers and several wealthy donors. Together with Richard Lieber’s influence, Strauss was able to raise an additional $10,000 to buy out the timber companies and save the land.
Today, in the heart of Turkey Run State Park, a statue stands in tribute to Juliet Strauss for her efforts to preserve this wooded temple to nature.
“She set in motion a state park that is still enjoyed by Hoosiers and people from all over the country who visit it today, enjoy the recreation opportunities of hiking and going through the trails, and communicating with nature,” says Boomhower.
“I think she would be proud of the fact that she left something behind in Turkey Run that generations down the road will enjoy it for a long, long time,” Boomhower concludes.
—
The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/
