Podcast – Lesko Park and Dearborn Trail – Dearborn County, Indiana

Lesko Park and Dearborn Trail – Dearborn County, Indiana
Greetings, today we visit southern Dearborn County and the towns of Aurora and Lawrenceburg.
From the Book
Southeast Indiana Day Trips

Transcript:

Lesko Park and Dearborn Trail – Dearborn County, Indiana
Greetings, today we visit southern Dearborn County and the towns of Aurora and Lawrenceburg.

Before getting started, I would encourage you to subscribe to the Mossy Feet Books You Tube channel for more great content. If you like my videos, please hit the “Like,” button. The more likes I get the more You Tube will show it to other people, allowing me to grow the channel. I also entreat you to visit my website, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. There you will find sample chapters, podcasts, a slew of content and links to where you can buy my books. While visiting the web site you can subscribe to it and receive email notifications of when I publish a new book or other content, like this video and podcast. This episode is based on my book, Southwest Indiana Road Trips.

Aurora is home to the Historic Hillforest Mansion.
Situated on ten acres of land overlooking the Ohio River, Gaff lived in the home until his death in 1884. The Gaff family retained ownership of the home until furniture manufacturer Will Stark purchased the home in 1924. The local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars owned the home, using it as a meeting place, until a group of local citizens purchased the home in 1955. Organizing as the Hillforest Historical Foundation, the group restored the home and opened it for public tours in 1956. The National Historic Landmark Program listed it as a National Historic Landmark in 1992. The restored home is open for tours from April 1 until December 30. The home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Hillforest Historic Mansion
213 Fifth St
Aurora, Indiana
812-926-0087

After visiting the mansion you can relax at beautiful Lesko Park, located along the Ohio River.

Lesko Park occupies a grassy, landscaped strip along the Ohio River waterfront. There are three parking areas strung along Indiana State Road 56 just west of downtown Aurora. River access for boats is nearby using the Aurora Landing just off Judiciary Street. The park derives its name from Aurora Clerk-Treasurer Tony Lesko.
Lesko Ohio River Park features a wide, asphalt walkway which is about a mile long. The walkway provides a great way to get a bit of exercise after a picnic lunch. It is an easy hike along the river. Visitors will find restrooms, playgrounds, picnic shelters and a wonderful vista of the Ohio River. The park provides access to the ten mile long Dearborn Trail that hugs the Ohio River shoreline, connecting Aurora with Lawrenceburg.
Great vistas of the Ohio River can be found all along the park’s trail. You can watch barges and boats ply the waters as well as sight waterfowl feeding in the waters.

Lesko Park
Indiana State Road 56

If you feel like a pleasant walk or bicycle ride, you can take the Dearborn Trail, which connects Aurora with Lawrenceburg.

Winner of the Mid America Trails and Greenway Award in 2007, Dearborn Trail spans three river cities waterfronts on the Ohio River. The trail is about 4.5 miles in total length one-way. Most of the trail is paved and is open year round. The trail connects Greendale, Lawrenceburg and Aurora, Indiana. It begins at the intersection of East William and High Street in Greendale. Dearborn Trail ends in Lesko Park in Aurora, Indiana near Indiana State Road 56. For much of its length it overlooks the Ohio River. The trail uses a restored railroad bridge to cross Tanner’s Creek. Hikers and bikers will find benches at various points along the trail. Lesko Park has restrooms, picnic areas and benches. Downtown areas of Greendale, Lawrenceburg and Aurora are a short walk from the trail. An active rail line, the CSX, parallels the trail. The section between Aurora and Lawrenceburg is wooded. Hikers and bikers may see deer, beaver, foxes, waterfowl and shorebirds in this rich wetland area.
The trail crosses Tanners Creek Bridge

The Cincinnati and Southern Ohio River Railway constructed the bridge in 1872. Athens Pennsylvania bridge builder Kellogg & Maurice Bridge Company designed and constructed the bridge. Railroads that have used the bridge include:
Big Four
Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis Railway (CCC&StL)
New York Central Railroad (NYC)
Penn Central Railroad (PC)
The trail provides visitors with lovely vistas of the Ohio River and access to the shops and restaurants in downtown Lawrenceburg. On the river walk you can visit the impressive Clock and Memorial to the Common Man.

Lawrenceburg Riverwalk and Clock
The War Memorial To The Common Man towers over the Ohio River. The seven foot tall bronze statues honor the common man include a rotating carillon. The accompanying clock chimes every hour on the hour. It is the largest memorial of its kind in the United States.

The episode is based upon my book, Southeast Indiana Day Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is the first book in the 9 volume Road Trip Indiana Series. The books include all the historical markers, as of 2022, in Indiana with the text and back story. The books also include a nearly complete listing of virtually every tourism destination in the state. The destinations include parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys, wineries and much, much more. I encourage you to visit the web site and subscribe to it.
You can find my books locally at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.