Lee Sherrard Park (Conservation Club)
The Conservation Club
The Lee Sherrard Park, also known as the Linton Conservation Club, is located on Park Road, just north of Linton. The Civilian Conservation Corporation (CCC) built the park in 1930. This group was also responsible for building Shakamak State Park near Jasonville, Indiana. The CCC was a government program designed to furnish housing, food, and employment for young males following the Great Depression.
Lee Sherrard Park is operated by the city of Linton. The park was redeveloped in the summer of 1982, with 300 campsites now available to the public. The park does not charge for camping or fishing.
The park has a total of fourteen lakes that have been stocked by the Department of Natural Resources. Three lakes are set up for children and handicap fishing. The sign identifying the front entrance to the park is marked "Conservation Club". A community building, known as the clubhouse, is available and may be rented through Linton City Hall. Archery experts and square dancers meet at the clubhouse regularly. Occasionally, bluegrass musicians gather at the clubhouse as well.
Located in the park is the 1930 Center of Population Marker. This spot was the exact center of population in the United States as determined by the Census Bureau. The stone monument may be viewed anytime as the park is open all year.
Throughout the years interested in the park began to decline as other recreational facilities were developed in the Linton area. However, the popularity of the park has been steadily increasing through the efforts of Jay Gainey. Within Lee Sherrard Park, Gainey was instrumental in creating a facility known as Mountain Bike Park that has drawn biking enthusiasts from all over Indiana and other states. It has been called one of the best trail systems in the state. The eight-mile mountain bike trail is opened year-round and free to the public.
The trail originated in 1993 when Gainey learned the Linton City Council was looking for something to do with some of the old strip-mined land at the Conservation Club. He talked with friend and then-business partner Mike Murphy about the possibility of building a mountain bike park. In prior years, the two men had ridden their bikes on the trails at Shakamak State Park, until park officials stopped them. They then approached Linton Mayor Jimmie K. Wright and the Linton City Council about the badly weed-infested Conservation Club land with an offer to clean up the area, haul away the trash, cut some trails, and maintain the area--if mountain biking were allowed. They struck a deal. Gainey and Murphy spent months chopping, clearing and planning future trails. Once, they got some help from the County Corrections Work Program, which provided some manpower.
In February 1998 Linton formed a Park Board with the goal of bettering the 660 acres of park area owned by the city. Lee Sherrard Park was included in this project to increase the usage of parks in the Linton area by promoting the family-friendly system to tourists and residents of Greene County. Jay Gainey was appointed as a member to this board. His goal is to eventually have 25 miles of off-road bicycling routes, and one day linking all the separate park areas together.
This information was used with permission from the Linton-Stockton School Corporation.
Pictures can be found in our photogallery.
