Arson destroys cabin at Indiana historical site; 36-year-old man charged
CLARKSVILLE, Ind. (WISH) — Police on Friday said they charged a 36-year-old man with arson after a Thursday arson destroyed the re-creation of a cabin at a state historical site.
The fire was reported Thursday evening at the George Rogers Clark Home Site, located in an area known as Clark’s Point that sits near the Falls of the Ohio State Park. That’s across the Ohio River from Louisville, Kentucky.
Only a portion of the cabin’s exterior remained after the fire was extinguished, local authorities said. A WLKY-TV helicopter captured the fire live on Thursday.
Jason Fosse, of Clarksville, was booked into the Clark County jail on a felony charge of arson, said Conservation Officer Jim Hash with Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Clarksville Police Department earlier Friday shared a photo of Fosse on Facebook in attempts to identify and find him. Once identified, police got search warrants for Fosse and his home.
Investigators were trying to determine if Fosse may have set other outdoor fires this week in the Louisville area, Hash told WLKY.
Clark, a Revolutionary War hero, lived in the original cabin from 1803 until 1809, when his health failed; the cabin was destroyed in 1854. The cabin was re-created in 2001 to help the state park tell the story of Clark’s indentured servants. The home site is where Clark’s brother, William, met Meriwether Lewis to begin what’s today known as the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The crossing from St. Louis to Oregon from May 1804-September 1806 explored the newly acquired western portion of the United States after the Louisiana Purchase.
The George Rogers Clark Home Site was set to be open May 31 through Labor Day. He said no historical items were inside the cabin when it caught fire. An outbuilding next to the cabin was not damaged, Hash said.
Anyone with information on the arson was asked to call Detective Kevin Conklin at 812-288-7151, Extension 213, or email k.conklin@clarksvillepolice.com.
