Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Starry Campion

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Found in Fred Rose Park. A harmless little flower with a pretty name. I suppose the name is inspired by the blossom — with its five white petals, deeply fringed, its does look a bit like a star.

Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Culver's Root

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A single stem adorned with whorled leaves and topped by one or more spikes of tubular blossoms.



This plant was widely used in 19th-century medicine to purge the bowels. The Chippewas used it for that purpose, and also to stop nosebleeds, according to Jack Sanders. The name, Culver, is generally thought to be that of an early American physician whose exact identity is unknown, but who probably did a lot of purging of his patients.

Found in Fred Rose Park.

Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Sweet-scented Joe-Pye Weed

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Tall plants topped by delicate-looking clusters of pale pink flowers. Also known simply as sweet Joe-Pye weed. It has whorled leaves and cylindrical flowers.



There are various stories about the identity of the Joe Pye for whom the plant is named, but they all agree that he was a Native American medicine man. According to stories, he befriended European settlers in New England in the 17th or 18th century, using the weed that now bears his name to treat typhoid fever. (According to one story related by Jack Sanders, the European settlers responded to his kindness in the usual way — by chasing him off his own land.)

This variety of Joe-Pye weed grows abundantly in Fred Rose Park. I think it was planted there as part of the lakefront stabilization project.

Early Morning Fishing (Random Pointless Photos)

Maya and I went to Fred Rose Park early this morning, before the heat wave. There were already people out in boats on Lake George.


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What's the Point? (Random Old Photo)

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Another recent purchase. I do not know where "The Point" is, or was. My best guess is that the Point is the current location of Fred Rose Park. It's difficult to tell, with no structures in the background to orient oneself, but then the mere absence of structures tells you something, I suppose.

The sender was Louise Foreman, the recipients Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Harms. The 1910 Census shows a 13-year-old Louise Foreman living on her parents' farm in Porter County; that may be our girl. I believe her father, Henry Foreman, married Minnie Harms in 1896. The closest thing I can find to "Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Harms" in Logansport in 1910 is Charles W. and Cora Harms, a married couple in their 40s. I have not been able to connect any of these people with the Ainsworth Foremans or Harmses.

Here is Louise's message.



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[3/7/2014 update] Tim writes in:

Louise is my great-grandmother. She married Lloyd Van De Water. I think he lived in Gary at the time, but his family was from rural areas, I believe.
I know Louise as Grandma Happner. She had re-married Charles Happner after Lloyd died. She was the sweetest grandmother who made us "goodie bags" full of toys and treats. She also had a daschund named Tippy.
She died in the suburbs of Detroit.

And I may be mistaken about Louise's mother's maiden name being Harms.

Louise's first marriage, to "F. Vandewater" or "Water Floyd Van de" as it shows up in the Indiana Marriage Collection, took place in Lake County on January 8, 1916. The young couple lived in East Gary (1920 Census) before moving to Detroit (1930 Census). Beyond that I shall not trace them. Louise had nothing to do with Ainsworth, but she did have a dachshund named Tippy.

Pedestrian Bridge Remnants (Random Pointless Photo)

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I gather that the two parts of Fred Rose Park used to be connected by a pedestrian bridge. Anybody out there remember that? It was gone before I ever saw the park.

Train Crossing Lake George (Random Pointless Photo)

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A westbound train crossing Lake George on the Norfolk Southern (formerly Nickel Plate) tracks, as seen from Fred Rose Park.