PARKE COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Local historical and cultural projects all across the state of Indiana will be supported through grant funding from the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Fund.
According to a release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, multiple communities across the state will receive a portion of the total $600,000 in grants from the Wabash River Heritage Corridor Fund. The release also notes that the funding is sourced from royalties on oil that is extracted close to the Wabash River in the southern part of the state.
“Counties like us couldn’t do the things we do without those grant availabilities, whether it be a Community Crossings grant or this DNR grant, this Wabash River Heritage Corridor,” Jim Meece, President of the Parke County Board of Commissioners said. “It’s a wonderful thing that they understand the need and the value of these old artifacts and these things keep them going as we all do.”
Two local organizations in Parke County will receive a portion of the funding for the following projects:
- Parke County: Melcher Covered Bridge Rehabilitation | $100,000
- The Parke County Commissioners will receive $100,000 to rehabilitate the Melcher Covered Bridge near the town of Montezuma. This structure is one of 31 remaining covered bridges in Parke County. It was closed in 2023 due to the failure of the west abutment and subsequent damage to some of the bridge’s structural members. Completion of this project will protect the bridge and should allow it to be reopened.
- Parke County: Parke County Historical Museum Rehabilitation | $20,511
- The Parke County Historical Society will receive $20,511 to assist with the rehabilitation of the County Historical Museum, which was built as a seminary in 1839 and has had various uses over time. Grant funding will enable repairs that will keep water out of the building, including new roofing and gutters, repair and repointing of exterior brick walls, and repair of deteriorated windows and wood trim. These efforts will help protect the museum and its artifacts.
“To see the future of Indiana, it’s important to understand our past,” Dan Borner, DNR director said. “These projects all play an important role in preserving our history and helping more people connect with our shared Hoosier heritage.”
The following Indiana-based organizations will also receive a portion of the grant funding to help support the cultural and historical aspects of Indiana:
- Tippecanoe County: Ouiatenon Preserve Archaeological Survey | $99,024
- Carroll and Cass Counties: Wabash & Erie Canal Archaeological Survey | $100,000
- Delphi, Carroll County: Bayou of Delphi Interpretive Exhibits | $100,000
- Huntington County: Chief Richardville House Rehabilitation | $41,881
- Huntington County: Rehabilitation of Historic Buildings on Campus of O’Donnell Center at Victory Noll | $38,584
- Attica, Fountain County: Wabash Economic Growth Alliance, Inc. Building Masonry & Storefront Rehabilitation | $100,000
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