We used Louisville, Kentucky as our home base for the week and we took several day trips into the countryside. Because the drive to Louisville took a toll on us we decided to relax early in the week. Then our first foray focused on Corydon in nearby Indiana, barely a half-hour away.
Something else figured into our equation — July 4th fell on a Sunday this year. A lot of places also closed the following day, Monday, July 5, and that limited our choices. Many of the more convenient Louisville sites wouldn’t open again until Tuesday. Corydon seemed like the next best alternative.
I didn’t take any weird detours or hit any new counties. Instead I focused on a simple out-and-back with a small loop at the endpoint. Take the fastest, most convenient route available using Interstate 64. Ease into things. Keep it simple.
Indiana Caverns
Well, Indiana Caverns didn’t care about the day after the big day. They only closed for Thanksgiving and Christmas. That checked the necessary boxes, sitting close to home and open for business. As a bonus, the whole family loves caves!
Unfortunately so did the rest of Indiana, and they all had the same brilliant idea. We got tickets but the next available tour wouldn’t happen for more than an hour. It was a beastly hot day so we couldn’t wait outside. And I didn’t want to sit around a crowded lobby because of my COVID paranoia in a place where mask and vaccines seemed an afterthought. Variant D was just beginning its upward climb.
However, I had other sites in mind to fill the time. We could make it back in an hour.
Battle of Corydon
So I put my watch into countdown mode and we headed out on our whirlwind tour. First stop, the Battle of Corydon. I know a little something about the Civil War but I’d never heard of this particular battle. The Harrison County Parks website described it as… “listed along side Gettysburg as the only two civil war battle sites on northern soil”. I’m not sure I’d necessarily agree. I think the rather noteworthy Battle of Antietam in Sharpsburg, Maryland fit that definition too.
Nonetheless, this was the only significant Civil War battle in Indiana. It marked the opening phase of Morgan’s Raid, a diversionary tactic designed to draw Union troops away from more active fronts. Gen. John H. Morgan crossed the Ohio River and a small militia of the Indiana Legion moved to stop him. The Legion attempted to mount defenses south of Corydon where the battle took place. Vastly outnumbered, they soon surrendered. However, the Union army later defeated the incursion. Those militia forces at Corydon acted as a speed bump, holding up Morgan long enough for his pursuit and capture.
Unfortunately the county closed that little battlefield park for the extended holiday. So I parked our car at the entrance, dashed in like a ninja and took a photo. Shh… don’t tell anybody!
State Capitol
Next we stopped a the Corydon Capitol State Historic Site, a couple of miles away. Corydon served as the Indiana territorial capital and the initial state capital, between 1813 and 1825. Then the capital moved to a more central location — Indianapolis — where it remains today. Some of the government buildings from the era still exist though. That included the original capitol building on the county courthouse grounds, right in the middle of town.
You guessed it, the Corydon Capitol also closed for July 5. But at least I knew that ahead of time.
Constitution Elm
No worries though, we could always visit the tree stump. Nobody closes a tree stump! This one had some actual historical significance too. Why else would they cover it?
Back in 1816, the territorial capital remained in Corydon as Indiana stood at the cusp of statehood. The territory called a convention and delegates descended upon the town to draft a constitution. Unfortunately, Corydon was still under construction and it didn’t have a suitable building for such an occasion. Delegates had to meet in a cramped, unfinished log cabin instead.
The stifling summer heat and humidity forced them outdoors much of the time, into the shade of an old elm tree. They drafted much of the original Indiana state constitution there. The tree died in 1925 and now only a stump remains of the so-called Constitution Elm.
Back to Indiana Caverns
We made it back to Indiana Caverns with plenty of time to spare. I probably could have squeezed-in a short visit to Butt Drugs now that I think about it. That wonderfully named pharmacy sits in the same downtown cluster with the capitol and the elm. Oh well, maybe next time.
So we got to go into the cave for real this time. This whole area of Indiana and adjacent Kentucky is riddled with Karst topography. Caves are everywhere. Even so, spelunkers didn’t discovery Indiana Caverns until the current century and it’s been open to the public only since 2013.
The formations were fair-to-middling compared with many other caverns I’ve visited over the years. Nothing spectacular but not a waste of time either. Even so, it did have two unusual elements that made the visit worthwhile. First, ice age animals sometimes fell into the cave so we saw a lot of interesting bones. Second, it contained an underground river and they floated boats down it for a portion of the tour. I’ve taken only one other underground boat trip, in New Zealand, so that certainly added to the novelty.
Articles in the Ohio River Series
- Orientation
- Portsmouth
- Onward Towards Louisville
- Exploring Louisville
- Brewery Cluster
- The Big Four
- Corydon Loop
- Ark Loop
- Evansville Loop
- Heading Back Upstream
- Marietta
See Also: The Complete Photo Album on Flickr
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