Indiana's Spring Mill built in 1818
A Beautiful Valley
I have been checking on the Internet; trying to verify my memory of Spring Mill's history. I learned many things in our too brief a visit at Spring Mill State Park in Mitchel, Indiana. I found more about staying at the park and not as much about the history of what is called Pioneer Village. So you'll have to trust me, I won't be wildly inaccurate.
Mitchell as it is currently spelled was founded in the 1850's on the new railroad line. The town itself was surveyed and laid out by a West Point graduate. He agreed to do this if the town was named Mitchel, his last name. It was but somehow an "L" spilled in over the years. Maybe there was too much "L" in Mitchel to only have one. As Mitchell became the center of commerce in the second half of the 19th century the Spring Mills village declined. The mill continued to operate, but travelers no longer came to the tavern as railroads replaced stagecoaches.
Vincennes was the territory capital until Corydon became the territorial capital in 1813. Corydon became the first state capital in 1816 as Indiana became the nineteenth state to join the Union. Spring Mills was a stagecoach stop on the road (trail) to Vincennes. The mill was built in 1818 just as Indiana was starting to boom with settlers. The several native tribes such as, Delawares, Wea, Kickapoos, Miamis and Potawatomis had been defeated and forced out ---
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