Narrow-leaved purple coneflower

Purple coneflowers growing along a rural road in southeastern Indiana. Legend has it that native American discovered medicinal purposes for the flower. It’s said to prevent the flu and respiratory diseases. Native Americans learned of the properties of the plant by observing elk seeking out the flower and consuming them when sick or wounded.  Native Americans identified the plants as "elk root"

Moscow, Indiana's rebuilt covered bridge.

On June 3, 2008 an F3 tornado ripped through Moscow, Indiana and the town's historic covered bridge was torn from its piers and thrown into to creek bed of the Big Flatrock River. Volunteers came together to rebuild the bridge at Moscow. This is how the bridge looked in October of 2011.

Central Indiana's Swampy Woodlands

Central Indiana was settled much later than southern Indiana. One of the biggest reasons was the swampy woodlands that dominated the area. For much of the spring and early summer in pre-settlement days this is the way central Indiana looked. In addition to making travel difficult, the stagnant swamps promoted mosquito-born diseases. Today few areas of the swamp woodlands remain. Most areas have been drained over the years by a large network of ditches.

Swampy woodlands dominated central Indiana in pre-settlement days.