John Paul Park

John Paul Park. . Madison was established upon a shelf of high ground Between the Ohio River and Crooked Creek. From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania the Ohio River waters flow just south of this place all the way down to the Gulf of Mexico. From the Indiana hills just north and east of this place Crooked Creek waters flow past us, joining the Ohio River four miles downstream. The 1913 Tool Shed windows tell six history lessons about this place on the high ground, Madison's John Paul Park. , 1. Geography , Look north across the baseball field doพฤ toward Crooked Creek. Once it flowed in a U-shaped curve across the center of the field below. The hills behind Crooked Creek go back only a few miles. Behind the hills are flat plains. Before Indiana statehood in 1816, native Delaware Indians lived on these flat fertile plains. The plateau shelf where you stand was wider then. Between the plateau and the flat field is a steep hillside. Rainwater rushes down the hillside across the flood plain below, perhaps carrying Madison topsoil down the Ohio River. , II. Early History , Founder of Madison, early resident of the City, Revolutionary War veteran, John Paul, gave all this land to Madison in 1823. It was then called “Old City Cemetery”, or “Third Street Cemetery”. John Paul himself was buried here, as were at least 64 others. Headstones were dated from 1819 to 1839. The graveyard was described as abandoned and forsaken in 1900. Graves and headstones which could be found were removed to Springdale Cemetery, north of Crooked Creek on the edge of the hillside. Many are still there. , III. DAR , John Paul Chapter Indiana Daughters of the American Revolution was chartered in 1902. Members were descendants of men who fought in the Revolutionary War. These women lived in Madison and in Jefferson County. The chapter raised money locally for a town park to be designed and built on this abandoned cemetery land to honor John Paul, other settlers, and local residents. Funds were raised from: “fan sales, lawn fetes, musicales, flag raisings, band concerts, and patriotic celebrations”. Park design and development took almost twenty five years, 1903-1927. , IV: Park Design , The City of Madison contracted with John Paul Chapter DAR to develop the memorial park in 1903. The plateau designed landscape utilizes the number thirteen. The circular central stone fountain is comprised of thirteen groups of stones. Native trees were donated by the governors of the thirteen original colonies. These thirteen trees were planted in à circle, reflecting the circle of stars on the first flag of the colonies. Curved stone pathways encouraged strolling. Stone walls supporting the steep hillside were built. Stone benches faced north to view the hills. Two stone stairways led down from here on the plateau down to Crooked Creek and the floodplain below. , V. Grand Memories , Below the hills, below Springdale Cemetery, beneath the plateau and its designed landscape, between them Crooked Creek still flowed, usually within its banks, a natural U-shape across the flat floodplain. To create an active recreational area, retaining walls and earth banks were constructed just along the south edge of the cemetery. Crocked Creek flows in its new banks along the very north edge of John Paul Park. Baseball and softball teams have been using this field since 1908. Growing up in Madison has meant playing on this field or watching our teams play on this field, in this place in John Paul Park! , VI. Our City Park Restored , For many years John Paul Park has been owned and maintained by The City of Madison Park Department. John Paul Park has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. The John Paul Park Conservancy has been established to obtain funding so that the three areas of Madison's first City Park – the plateau and hillside, the flatland baseball Field, Crooked Creek – can be stabilized and restored for our future. You can help. A brochure is available at City Hall or Madison Visitor Center.