Readers share the legacy of the Limberlost

Last week’s column on author Gene Stratton-Porter brought feedback from readers, including a first-hand report from The Tribune’s retired sports editor, Arv Koontz.

Arv said he and his wife, Bonnie, visited Stratton-Porter’s two homes — one at Geneva and the other at Rome City — this summer.

According to a brochure Arv shared with me, Stratton-Porter and her husband built the first home, at Geneva, near the Limberlost Swamp. Although it’s called the Limberlost Cabin, the structure had 14 rooms and was built in the Queen Anne style.

The cabin now is a state historic site featuring original furniture, paintings and photographs. Visitors receive a guided tour of the first floor of the cabin.

Arv also brought back a map showing various segments of land showing nature preserves linked to the Limberlost, which originally encompassed 13,000 acres. Those sites are the Limberlost Swamp Wetland Preserve, Limberlost Park, Munro Nature Preserve, Limberlost Bird Sanctuary and Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve.

According to the brochure, which was from the Limberlost State Historic Site, the 440-acre Loblolly Marsh is maintained by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and is part of the Limberlost Swamp that Stratton-Porter wrote about in her novels.

The swamp is said to take its name from Limber Jim Corbus, who went hunting in the swamp and never returned.
Today, the Indiana Department of Nature Preserves manages 1,500 acres of the original swamp, and 750 acres are being restored to natural wetlands.

The preserve has a handicapped-accessible hiking trail. Parking is available at the Loblolly Marsh Wetland Preserve, a half-mile north of Indiana 18 on Jay County Road 250W.

For an additional cost, guided tours of the Loblolly Marsh and other Limberlost wetland properties are available by appointment, the brochure stated.

For more information about the site, call (260) 368-7428 or e-mail limberlostshs@dnr.in.gov.

To find out more about Stratton-Porter, author of such works as “A Girl of the Limberlost” and “Freckles,” visit www.genestratton-porter.com.

Another reader I heard from was Susan Braun, a freelance writer from Fort Wayne whose mother, Sharon Barnett, lives in Seymour. Braun sent along some pictures of her daughters taken during a visit to the Limberlost area.

Most heartwarming to hear was that, the past two summers, she has read “A Girl of the Limberlost” and “Freckles” to her girls.

When they are grown, I hope they will keep the tradition alive, reading the books to their children.

I hope, too, that by then, there will be more than remnants of the Limberlost remaining, so that readers can both enjoy Stratton-Porter’s books and get at least a small glimpse of the natural world that inspired them.
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Persinger is community editor for The Tribune. She may be reached at (812) 523-7063 or jpersinger@tribtown.com.