Historic Resources group addresses critical issues
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

Carroll County Historic Resources Task Force has mobilized for protection and promotion of the county's historic assets.

The group met last Wednesday night at the Canal Center to identify and prioritize critical issues and to discuss possible courses of action.

This is the second time the task force has met. The first meeting was in October when organizations concerned with historic resources gathered to learn more about each other and talk about the needs and goals they have in common.

"Now that we've established what our assets are, we have some work to do," said Bonnie Maxwell, who heads the planning committee for the Historic Resources meetings.

The task force meetings are sponsored by Carroll County Focus on the Future and facilitated by Janet Ayres.

At Wednesday night's meeting, each person had an opportunity to state what he or she considers to be critical issues. These were grouped and prioritized into the following focus areas: Carroll County Historical Museum - Space and Funding; Educating Residents about Historic Assets; Resource Identification, Marketing, and Organizational Cooperation; and Deer Creek Valley and the Hoosier Heartland Highway - Challenges and Opportunities.

Discussion groups were formed for each focus area to talk about ways to address the issues.

Museum

The fate of the Historical Museum was a stated concern of many of those present. The County will no longer fund the Museum budget as of Jan. 1, and the Historical Society is anticipating re-location at some point. The museum focus group will search for space for a new building and for sources of funding, both for a facility and for operating expenses. Land for new construction appears to be the preferred option, but an interim facility may need to be considered, depending on funding, timing, etc. The goal is to be ready to move in five years. In the meantime, the public will be kept informed about the museum's offerings and operation. The Historical Society does plan to keep the museum open in 2008, with volunteers. More volunteers are needed.

Education

This group is concentrating on raising public awareness of the county's historic assets and making sure historic resources are accessible. Some of these resources are brochures, oral histories, written histories, and audio tours. Another component of historic education will be directed to youth. A goal will be to promote county history in the schools and in other youth groups, such as Scouts. County historians and tour guides will be encouraged to pass on their skills and information to others so this work will continue in the future. A visitors' bureau and county-wide historic website would help with educational objectives. Education is not only for awareness, but to increase community involvement.

Cooperation and Marketing

This group will identify all historic and recreational assets. The many historic resource groups will work with the County Chamber of Commerce and its Tourism Committee for cooperative promoting and marketing. Some of these means will be through coordinated website development, use of public access Channel 2, welcome packages, and directional and interpretive signage.

Hoosier Heartland impact

The Hoosier Heartland Highway will cut through the Deer Creek Valley Rural Historic District, sever access to the High Bridge Trail, and make landlocked about 200 acres of land. Context-sensitive planning for this part of the highway is under way with INDOT. Among the positives that might come from this are development of a trailhead, a park encompassing part of the historic district, and a visitors' center. Planning and timing are crucial for this opportunity. Other meetings are being held in the community on this same matter, and more community involvement will be sought in the next few weeks.

Other concerns

Many other concerns, needs, and ideas were brought before the whole group. A partial list of these include a need for a strategic and cooperative plan for the future, including sustainability of organizations and resources; identify unclaimed, non-championed assets such as deteriorating railroad bridges and prehistoric sites; more overnight accommodations; community calendar to coordinate meetings. In addition to the museum, concerns were also raised about the future of Adams Mill and the Mullin Schoolhouse.

In the spirit of information sharing, attendees were given a handout about websites with Carroll County historical or tourism information. The list includes 33 sites.

Other handouts available were lists of Historic Sites in Carroll County and Transportation Sites in Carroll County, both compiled by Brian Stirm. The lists are still being worked on but now include 120 historic sites and 96 transportation sites. These lists have been made as possible locations for interpretive signs.

Janet Ayres said the task force has identified short-term and long-term goals. The four focus groups will report on their progress at the next task force meeting, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. in the ground floor meeting room at the Flora Public Library. Anyone interested in the county's historic assets is encouraged to attend.