Can you even imagine a time when Indiana was part of the wild, wild West? While pioneers sought to own land and build communities, Native Americans were trying to preserve their heritage and the land they had known for generations.
For pioneers, the West offered a place to shape their own destiny, but as enterprising pioneers moved in, Native Americans were crowded into an ever-smaller area. Pioneers cut trees, drained wetlands, plowed prairies and even established statehood in 1816. With two sharply different viewpoints, conflict between the two groups was inevitable.
Trace Indiana’s journey toward statehood with this gallery’s artifacts, film, video and interactive elements. See what pioneer life in the late 1700s and early 1800s was like as you tour a re-created log cabin. Discover the challenges of pioneer life—test your endurance with chores such as churning butter, collecting firewood and carrying water. Learn what motivated pioneers to settle in Indiana and how their toil transformed the state.