Fox Lake dedicated a new historical marker
By Taylor Drake tdrake@kpcmedia.com, Jun 18, 2022
ANGOLA — Fox Lake has a new historical marker dedicated to local African-American history.
The dedication and reveal of the new marker was made possible by the donations and grants from the Indiana Landmarks African-American Heritage grant, Steuben County Community Foundation and Fox Lake Preservation Foundation.
In 2001, Fox Lake was listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U.S. Department of the Interior due to the rich cultural heritage and historical architecture. This marker is to teach the community about the history of the area and use the past as a learning tool for the future.
Kathryn Hawkins, president of the Fox Lake Preservation Foundation, hosted the dedication and introduced the story of the marker and those who helped get it placed.
“We are thrilled to unveil this state historic marker. We chose this weekend for its cultural significance for the first time ever Juneteenth is a national holiday. The Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in Confederate States. It was not implemented in places under Confederate control. Full freedom did not come until June 19, 1865,” said Hawkins.
The community has been very supportive of this dedication and is looking to expand the good that the Fox Lake Preservation Foundation is implementing.
“We look forward to working with the Fox Lake Preservation Foundation in the coming years to help get the organization better integrated into the other nonprofit community and broader community as a whole,” said Jennifer Danic, Steuben County Community Foundation president and CEO.
During the dedication, a low volume speaker led to the crowd joining together to sing “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James Weldon Johnson. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has labeled this song the Black National Anthem.
The introduction of the marker was given by Fox Lake Preservation Foundation member Robin Newburn.
Newburn spoke of how to look into the past and see what it was like 100 years ago. She made note of the events around the time and some recognizable names from the past.
“I’m going to paint a picture of what Fox Lakers might have been talking about doing in the 1920s in the form of notable names that you may have heard. So you think about what was the music they were listening to? Who were the newsmakers? What were they talking about in pop culture? I’m gonna read through some names that I think do a great job of painting that picture for us and let’s keep in mind in Black America it was the Harlem Renaissance. We know a lot of great people came out of the Harlem Renaissance,” said Newburn. “You may recognize these names: Josephine Baker, Langston Hughes, Augusta Savage, Zora Neale Hurston. James Vander Zee, W.E.B. DuBois, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Marcus Garvey, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway. Bessie Coleman, Paul Robson, Thurgood Marshall, these are people who are alive and thriving during the 1920s in black America.”
The dedication took place at the Fox Lake Public Access site and commenced at the Thompson Lodge where guests could enjoy snacks from the 1920s. They had treats like BabyRuth bars, Popsicles, Hostess Cake and Kool-aid.
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