CLICK ON BARN OR SPRING HOUSE TO SEE NEW Peden Farm Brochure
John McCormick was the original owner of about 1000 acres of the land that is now a part of McCormick's Creek State Park. When he died, the land went to his children, including a daughter, Nancy McCormick Ragsdale.
Nancy married Jesse Peden and they lived on 640 acres; an area located around the present day Nature Center, Redbud Shelter, and Deer Run Shelter. Nancy died of smallpox in 1856. Her son Thomas Alexander Peden and his wife, Sarah, became the next owners of the property.
The Barn
The Peden family is responsible for the naming of our cave, "Wolf Cave." One version of the legend says that Nancy was doing laundry in the creek and walked by the cave on her way home. A pack of wolves emerged from the cave and started to chase her. As she ran away, Nancy periodically dropped pieces of laundry to distract the wolves. Nancy reached the safety of her home just after dropping the last piece of clothing.
An alternate version of the legend claims that Nancy Peden was returning from a trip to Spencer on the ferry (this was possibly the Shirley Ferry, which crossed the White River halfway between Spencer and Gosport). She was chased by gray timber wolves on the way home. A wolf chased her into the old log barn, but Nancy escaped when the wolf was unable to jump over the gate.
The original Peden barn was constructed of logs and burned down in the 1850s. Thomas built its replacement in 1857 using hickory timbers that measured up to 64 feet long, tied together by oak pins. The stonework was completed by a mason, John Mathews, from England using limestone from the area around what would become the Statehouse Quarry. The completed barn may have measured 60 feet by 90 feet, however the masonry remaining was for the 60 by 50 main portion.
A cornerstone bearing the date of the barn's construction, 1857, originally sat on top of one stone pillar. Joe & Joyce Peden recently returned the stone to the Park to be used as a display in the Nature Center.
The main floor of the barn was used for threshing, a process that separates wheat from straw. Twelve to sixteen horses were led in a circle over the wheat. That action shook the grain from the straw.
A pear orchard was located to the south of the barn and a grove of Butternut trees were harvested for their nuts and syrup.
The family also raised cows and chickens. Both Nancy and Sarah made the trip into Spencer to sell butter and eggs, using a sled for travel during the winter months.
The Spring house
Although no definitive date is known, the spring house was probably built around the same time as other structures on the homestead, with stone quarried from the same area as the limestone for the barn.
The spring kept the inside temperature at around 55 degrees F which made it possible to store perishable foods.
The House
The Peden's house was a log cabin that caught fire at some point in the early 1900s and was later torn down in 1951. A stone wall once enclosed the yard surrounding the house, a stone walk and steps led up to the house. An old apple tree, planted by the Pedens next to the stone cellar wall, was observed overhanging the walk in 1964. The cellar wall and steps, as well as portions of the stone wall, are still visible.
The foundations of another small building by the house also remain; the building's purpose is unknown. However, the size of the foundation would be consistent with an outhouse.
One of Thomas and Sarah's sons, Walter, was born on the farm in 1867. The family moved into Spencer, Indiana in 1873. In 1959, Walter was 93 years old and still living with his wife in Spencer. Other descendents of Thomas and Sarah Peden survive today and still come back to the park to visit the home of their ancestors.
Nancy married Jesse Peden and they lived on 640 acres; an area located around the present day Nature Center, Redbud Shelter, and Deer Run Shelter. Nancy died of smallpox in 1856. Her son Thomas Alexander Peden and his wife, Sarah, became the next owners of the property.
The Barn
The Peden family is responsible for the naming of our cave, "Wolf Cave." One version of the legend says that Nancy was doing laundry in the creek and walked by the cave on her way home. A pack of wolves emerged from the cave and started to chase her. As she ran away, Nancy periodically dropped pieces of laundry to distract the wolves. Nancy reached the safety of her home just after dropping the last piece of clothing.
An alternate version of the legend claims that Nancy Peden was returning from a trip to Spencer on the ferry (this was possibly the Shirley Ferry, which crossed the White River halfway between Spencer and Gosport). She was chased by gray timber wolves on the way home. A wolf chased her into the old log barn, but Nancy escaped when the wolf was unable to jump over the gate.
The original Peden barn was constructed of logs and burned down in the 1850s. Thomas built its replacement in 1857 using hickory timbers that measured up to 64 feet long, tied together by oak pins. The stonework was completed by a mason, John Mathews, from England using limestone from the area around what would become the Statehouse Quarry. The completed barn may have measured 60 feet by 90 feet, however the masonry remaining was for the 60 by 50 main portion.
A cornerstone bearing the date of the barn's construction, 1857, originally sat on top of one stone pillar. Joe & Joyce Peden recently returned the stone to the Park to be used as a display in the Nature Center.
The main floor of the barn was used for threshing, a process that separates wheat from straw. Twelve to sixteen horses were led in a circle over the wheat. That action shook the grain from the straw.
A pear orchard was located to the south of the barn and a grove of Butternut trees were harvested for their nuts and syrup.
The family also raised cows and chickens. Both Nancy and Sarah made the trip into Spencer to sell butter and eggs, using a sled for travel during the winter months.
The Spring house
Although no definitive date is known, the spring house was probably built around the same time as other structures on the homestead, with stone quarried from the same area as the limestone for the barn.
The spring kept the inside temperature at around 55 degrees F which made it possible to store perishable foods.
The House
The Peden's house was a log cabin that caught fire at some point in the early 1900s and was later torn down in 1951. A stone wall once enclosed the yard surrounding the house, a stone walk and steps led up to the house. An old apple tree, planted by the Pedens next to the stone cellar wall, was observed overhanging the walk in 1964. The cellar wall and steps, as well as portions of the stone wall, are still visible.
The foundations of another small building by the house also remain; the building's purpose is unknown. However, the size of the foundation would be consistent with an outhouse.
One of Thomas and Sarah's sons, Walter, was born on the farm in 1867. The family moved into Spencer, Indiana in 1873. In 1959, Walter was 93 years old and still living with his wife in Spencer. Other descendents of Thomas and Sarah Peden survive today and still come back to the park to visit the home of their ancestors.
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