Free History Hike to present story of Baintertown Park

ELKHART, Ind. -- The Elkhart County Historical Museum will be presenting a free History Hike exploring the origins of Baintertown Park.

Hikes will take place on June 16 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. and on June 17 from 1p.m. to 2 p.m.

Weather permitting, the event will be outdoors, and will be a roughly one-mile trek.

According to Museum Curator of Education, Patrick McGuire, the purpose of the hike is to showcase the parks’ origins and rich history.

“Baintertown is my favorite part of our parks system, because there are so many layers of history in a small section, and it really highlights the intersections of nature and history,” said McGuire.

The area was first developed by native groups several hundred years ago, before homes and mills were constructed in the 1830s. A hydroelectric plant was installed in the 1920s to create electricity for a nearby trolley line.

In case of inclement weather, monitor the Elkhart County Historical Museum’s Facebook page for updates on rain dates.