Ouabache State Park

Ouabache
Designation	State Park
Location	Indiana USA
Nearest Cities	Bluffton, Indiana
Coordinates	40°43′N 85°07′W / 40.72°N 85.11°W / 40.72; -85.11
Area	1,104 acres (4.5 km2)
Date of Establishment	1962
Governing Body	Indiana DNR

Ouabache (pronounced "Wabash", though the name is, of course, the French term from which "Wabash" was derived) is a state park in Indiana. It is located 30 miles (48 km) south of Fort Wayne, Indiana. It was originally the Wells County State Forest and Game Preserve, formed in the early 1930s. In 1962 it became the Ouabache State Recreation Area, before finally achieving state park status in 1983.^[1]

The name comes from the French Jesuit spelling for Wabash, as the Wabash River runs through the park. The park provides fishing and nature viewing. A 100-foot (30 m) fire tower offers an excellent view of the park.

Until the 1960s, when the practice was stopped, it was the greatest producer of chicks of pheasants and quails in the United States, making it known as the "Greatest Wildlife Laboratory in the U.S.". Some of the old pens can still be seen.

References

1. ^ http://www.in.gov/dnr/12418.htm Official (Indiana) DNR Historical Timeline

External links

• Indiana Department of Natural Resources' official Web page

Coordinates: 40°43′12″N 85°6′36″W / 40.72°N 85.11°W / 40.72; -85.11