Lake Maxinkuckee Its Intrigue History & Genealogy Culver, Marshall, Indiana

Topographical map of Lake Maxinkuckee - 1900  



Title: Topographical map of Lake Maxinkuckee.
Creator(s): Scovell, J. T.
Date: [1900]
Description 1 map : black & white ; 31X43 cm

This was probably done within conjunction with the Lake Maxinkuckee: A Physical and Biological Survey 2 vols. (1920, Indianapolis Department of Conservation) Dr. Burton W. Evermann and H. W. Clark.

    J. T . Scovell, of Terre Haute, is now drawing a map of Lake Maxiukuckee in the auditor’s office at Plymouth. The map is the result of recent observations made by him at this place. It is designed to take its place in the state geologist’s report for the present year aud locates the different depths in every part of the lake. He has made some two thousaud soundings - Sep 8 1899


1901 Jan 4 Maxinkuckee Map
    An interesting Feature of the State Geologist's Report

    State Geologist Blatchley is preparing, for his next report, a large map of Lake Maxinkuckee, showing the depth of the lake at different parts, its plants at different dephths and its fish and shells.

    He syas he believes the Maxinkuckee feature of thereport willbe of interest to those of Indianapolis people who own or rent coaatges on the shores of the lake, aslo to theIndianapolis boys who attend the CUlver Military Academy there.

    The ddepest point found in the lake, according to the soundings taken for the geologist, was ninety feet. The average depth of the lake is thirty feet.<

    The marl deposit of the lake will also be described in the report

    The map is being prepared by Dr. J. T. Scovell, of Terre Haute. - Indianapolis News


The book was offered on Ebay not to long ago and it said in the description there was a map or set of maps attached in a packet or inside the back cover. This is the map:


This map also appears in: An Early History of Lake Maxinkuckee (1905, Levey Bros. & Co. Indianapolis) Daniel Mc Donald, Maxinkuckee Lake Assoc.

As J. T. Scovell was a part of the Biological survey team - ans he is mentioned throughout; here is a larger.

Even tho this map does not give alot of information on cottage locations around the lake it gives locations of some of them and the lots in existing in 1900 - and is a major asset to this site - one location is pinpointed is the "Roost" or Conzelman cottage on the north side; as well as it shows the buildings of the Arlington Hotel



I have taken and copied the areas around the lake to show the detail starting from the Northeast corner (Culver Military Academy) and going around the lake till end up back at the Lake View Hotel grounds. Below as small images with the area under neath - hust click on the image and it will take you to a phot only:


People's Inlet



Maxinkuckee Pier



Aubbeenaubbee Creek



Indianapolis Pier



Norris Inlet



Sprin & Ditch



Joseph Farrar



Long Point



Ice House



Town Park Area



Indian Trail Area



CMA Campus



Another map of about 1896 (photo only) has surfaced which bears striking resembleance to this map but has other data - It has the Indian trails marked to and from the lake and around it along with many of the same points of interest marked on it. And also the Survey map.

When comparing the 1896-after, the topographical and the Everman's Survey map of 1900 the all bear the same exact landmarks - some detailing may be left out in one - more detailing in another - or different emphasis is placed on detailing.

Map of Maxinkuckee Lake
Culver Citizen July 16, 1903
D. McDonald

The new map of Maxinkuckee Lake issued by the U. S. commission of Fish and Fisheries ha recently been sent out for distribution to those mostly interested in the lake and its fish culture. The map is drawn from surveys and soundings made under the direction of Prof. B. W. Evermann, Ichthyologist, U. S. fish commissioner in 1899 and 1900. The area of the lakes is shown to be 1864 acres. The contour lines of bottom of the lake are from soundings taken on section and half section lines and is the first and only map of the 'bottom of the lake' ever published. The deepest place in the lake is on a line about hald way across between Long Point and Maxinkuckee Landind. At that point it is 88 feet In the immediate ccivinity the depth ranges from 70 to 85 feet in several places. What is deignated as 'Sugar Loaf' is a few hundred feet north of the depest place and the water there is but 10 feet deep. The 'Weed patch' which is only 10 feet deep is a few hundred feet south of the east and west section line being north of section 28, or nearly hald war across the lake from Long Point to Indianapolis Pier on the east side. The 'Kettle hole', 40 feet deep, is a short distance west of col. Farrar's cottage on the south side. The remarkable thing about it is that while it covers only an acre or two the water surrounding it is from 6 to 12 feet deep. There is a tradition that there are some very large fish in the 'Kettle hole' but the experience of the writer is that it is nothing but tradition.

The map is a valuable production, and undoubtedly the most correct one that has yet been made. It is to accompany a full report prepared by Prof. Everman embracing a description of the mumerous varieties of fish found in the lake which is soon to be published.

The naming of the various points of interest about the lake, the inlet, branches, bays, and public roads seems to hace been the result of hearsay evidence, few, if any of the places named appear on any of the legal maps or records of the county.

Aub-bee-naub-bee, whose resevation took in the inlet on the south east end of the lake is disdnated on the map as 'Norris's Inlet'. It the name of the old Indian chief is worth remembering at alll it should be in giving that inlet his name. Aub-bee-naub-bee creek named on the map which runs into the lake at the Halcyon boat house, should have been called Quashqua, as it is entirely on the Indian chief's reservation.,br>
'Aub-bee-naub-bee Bay' just north of the Culver residence, so names on the map, should of been called 'Culver Bay' or better still 'Thompson Bay' in memoruy or Eleazer Thompson, the first white settler on the lake where the Culver residence now stands. He built a log cabin there in 1838 and lived there several years.

The Maxinkuckee road and the Maxinkuckee landing might be changed , it it is desirable to perpetuate Indian names about the lake, to Nees-wau-gee avenue, and Quashqua Landing in honor of the Indian chiefs, whose reservations bordered on either side of the road. The cont_tion of the section line road down to the lake at the south end has already been named 'Pottawattamir avenue' in honor of the tride of Indians that inhabited the lake in the ealry days.

By all means the name of the railroad station should be called Maxinkuckee Lake Station. calling the lake station after the name of the town is confusing to strangers. But the change will probably never be made.