History behind Vigo County’s Lost Creek
VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) – Pages of a history book – they can only say so much. So instead, why not let the words of experience teach you something new.
If you live in Indiana you’ve seen a farm before and you might have even lived on one.
So when we tell you the story of Dorothy Ross’ farm, you can probably guess it’s nothing new. You’d be right because in fact it’s already been around for about 150 years.
Dorothy Ross, 92, tells the history of Lost Creek.
“They came in covered wagons…” Dorothy said. “They were prosperous people, they wanted things better for themselves.”
When you step on her property you get a tremendous sense of what she’s talking about.
“My mother inherited this land.”
Her prized possession – farmland, originally 20 acres has been in the family for a while.
“Well it’s wonderful, I hope it can stay that way for many years to come. I don’t want to sell it.”
She then showed the deed to that property on Lost Creek. Her family bought it from another family 150 years ago. If you need more proof – even the state honors it.
The farm itself is just the beginning of Dorothy’s treasure trove of history. Pictures, a rare antique piano made in the 1800’ and quilts so old she doesn’t even have an exact date except that it more than 100 years old.
She even has documented records so rare, you wouldn’t even believe your eyes when you see them. It’s a museum of sorts all of her own but she wants to make sure others will have records; which leads us to – the book.
It’s a homemade archive chronicling everything from her family’s lineage in North Carolina to folks today from Lost Creek making a splash.
“It’s not going to be important or helpful if it stays in one place,” Dee Reed, Dorothy’s daughter explained. “So the importance is to really share it.”
For Dorothy, it’s what she knows and what she teaches. She just prays the younger generations are willing to learn.
“I don’t understand some of the people, the way they doing today, But, I want them to look to us, and see that you can live together in peace and harmony. It can be done.”
They come from a woman who has endured it all, just like her farm and just like the Lost Creek community she calls home.WTHI-TV would like to give special thanks to the Vigo County Historical Society who provided several pictures and some of the footage in this story.