The "Indiana Mile" is a one mile walking trail around Indiana State University's Memorial Stadium located at Wabash and Brown Avenues on the Historic National Road. Designed and built during the Burke Administration, it is laid out in a shape approximating the geographic outline of Indiana.
Ecologist and TREES Board member Dr. Marion Jackson, professor emeritus Indiana State University, wrote the new field guide for the trees of Indiana, 101 Trees of Indiana, A Field Guide, published by Indiana University Press in 2004
At a TREES committee meeting in January 2005, Hank Metzger suggested planting Indiana's 101 native trees, as catalogued by Dr. Jackson's book, along the "Indiana Mile" trail. Immediately, the TREES Board saw the merits of this suggestion.
Dr. Jackson divided the state into eight regions and placed the trees and shrubs in the area each was most likely to appear. Dr. Jackson included 16 shrubs that grow to the size of small trees to add additional interest.
Then Kevin Runion, TREES Board member, landscape architect, and Associate Vice President of ISU, created the landscape plan.
Approval to plant the trees was secured by cooperative efforts of the City Park Department and Indiana State University.
Planting this many trees at one time presents a real challenge when it comes to watering. The only solution was to use drip irrigation. This was made possible by the City Park Department, the City Forrester and a substantial gift from Hank Metzger Landscape, Inc.
Funds to underwrite the cost of the trees came from a bequest to TREES Inc. from Guido Miescher, long-time faithful TREES Board member. This gift was publicly recognized with sincere appreciation at the dedication ceremony.
The majority of the 101 trees and 16 shrub were planted by Metzger Landscape, Inc. in December 2006. All the trees have not yet been located – and not all that were planted survived the transition. But this will be an on-going project of TREES Inc. in cooperation with Metzger Landscape.
This is a spectacular project – a tremendous gift to the Terre Haute community.
Art Spaces, Inc., a group of talented community arts and business leaders, artists, and citizens formed in 2003 as an economic development and city beautification initiative, was asked to develop a multi-purpose implementation plan to construct an outdoor sculpture here. "The City of Terre Haute has demonstrated its consideration for the role that public art can play in bringing visibility and a unique sense of place to any given location as well as adding character and texture to a landscape," notes a segment of the stadium project Request for Proposals.
The initial result of this effort is the abstract "TREE" sculpture, identification pillar, associated identification map, and individual tree identification markers designed and built by Mark Wallis of Spencer, Indiana. Mark's proposal was unanimously selected from a field of 27 artists from 14 states responding to the "RFP". The sculpture, the 101 Trees of Indiana identification plaque pillar, and individual tree identification markers were dedicated at an impressive ceremony on the afternoon of August 13, 2007.
Thanks to Mary Kramer for graciously providing information about Art Spaces, Inc.
Maps provided by Trish Eccles and Pat Martin.
