Harmonie State Park: The Magic of Fireflies
Every tree starts with a seed. Something small that, if we're lucky, grows for decades into a life-sustaining, shade-giving, beautiful symbol of patient persistence. In 1865, Elmer Ellsworth Elliott was born. He grew up working in his father's tree nursery and helped plant tree saplings, nourishing them until they flourished into acres of forests. He said, “There will be people after me who will need these trees.” And he was right. Over 150 years later, we still enjoy the trees Elmer planted when we visit Harmonie State Park because his daughters donated his land to the state to become a park. The Elliott family and many others have cherished this land, looking to the area near the Wabash River for a fresh start, a perfect society, and the calm found in nature.
IN the Podcast Episode
I got a tour of the property from the park’s interpretive naturalist who told me about the history of the park and town, all about fireflies, and how the lightning bug became Indiana’s state insect. I interviewed other staff members to learn about their resource management work, why the park is spelled “Harmonie” but the town is spelled “New Harmony,” and their fun events like a falconry program. I also learned about all their Friends group is doing to support the park and community.
Park Features
Harmonie State Park is tucked into the southwest toe of Indiana, across the Wabash River from Illinois. The park has a boat launch into the river, a seasonal nature center, a 2.5-mile day use horse trail, shelters, playgrounds, and miles of biking or hiking through many of those old trees planted by Elmer Elliott.
The campgrounds are also really nice – spacious and shaded. There are 200 electric sites and a youth tent area. The 11 family cabins are what caught my eye. They have everything you’d want from home, including central heat, air, and a wood-burning stove. The cabins sleep 8 with a queen bed, two sets of bunks, and a pullout couch. A few are even handicap accessible. The cabins are spacious, have screened-in back porches, fire rings, and a grill.
The rich history of the area is also a draw. The nearby town of New Harmony is full of innovative architecture, historic advancements, and cautions about our human tendencies. The park and town work together on many events throughout the year that are worth the drive to experience.
The Harmonists & Robert Owen’s Utopian Community
Along with Elmer Elliott, many other groups tried to find solace in the area including the Harmonists, a religious group from Germany, and Robert Owens, who started a utopian commune focused on education and social reform.
The Harmonists were a religious group led by George Rapp. They were originally from Germany and initially settled in Pennsylvania before coming to Indiana in 1814. Their disciplined, communal, and largely celibate lifestyle demanded much of its followers. While the community grew due to new members, they eventually moved back to Pennsylvania after about 10 years. The Indiana State Museum’s New Harmony location provides an in-depth look at the Harmonist history. Several of their community houses still stand today. The museum also continues the story of the town and how it was renamed New Harmony.
Amelia Wildeman, the park’s interpretive naturalist, told me about the second group. She said they didn’t have an official name, but “They were under the direction of Robert Dale Owen and William McClure… They did a more social experiment with hard work and education as a basis.” The goal of their utopian society was to reform the younger generation. In the 1820s, they were one of the first to educate boys and girls together using a Montessori-type system of hands-on, trial-and-error learning. Many other notable adult scientists joined New Harmony, including Thomas Say, an entomologist and conchologist. The Working Man's Institute was also founded at this time. It was, and still is, a library, the oldest continuously operating public library in the state.
However, after only a few years, the utopian community collapsed for reasons most societies like this do. Again, the Indiana State Museum does a wonderful job explaining the factors that led to the end of both of these groups. With all this drama as a backdrop, it's kind of miraculous that the town of New Harmony is here today. Maybe their shared history is a tie that keeps the park in town close.
The Magic of Fireflies
Thomas Say, the entomologist who came to New Harmony when Robert Owen was developing his utopian society, is who we have to thank for our state insect. Thomas Say was already a noted scientist and used his time in Indiana to write books about insects and mollusks. While in New Harmony, he got really into lightning bugs. Or fireflies!
Amelia told me, “Indiana has 43 species of lightning bugs… When Thomas Say lived here in New Harmony, he was a naturalist. He explored the woods and the waters and discovered a lot of new things for Indiana… He wasn't the first one to see them, but the first one to describe them and get them published in a book, so he gets credit for that.” Thomas Say described one species with an amber flash, Pyractomena angulata, and it’s named after him. The best time to see Say’s firefly is in early to mid June. Amelia said, “They flicker like a candle very dimly at the edges of forests. And it really is sort of an amber color and orange-ish color.” Other types of fireflies might have green or yellow flashes, but this variety has that orange glow. Amelia also said with each species, their flash pattern is different.
Indiana is a great place to spot fireflies because of their habitat. They do well in areas that are wet and with humidity. Amelia said an easy way to see them is by “turning your lights off, like turn your big spot lights off around your house, that'll attract more fireflies to the yard, and then they can go back to those wet areas to lay their eggs.” Amelia told me even their eggs glow! She said in order to glow, fireflies use a chemical called luciferin and an enzyme called luciferase. Add in some oxygen and the humidity in the air, and you have lightning bugs. Amelia said that part still maintains a little bit of magic. I'm so glad this is our state insect!
Planning Your Visit
In the last century, New Harmony has continued to develop its identity as a place for innovators, creatives, and idealists. It has some of the most incredible architecture, and you can't turn around without stumbling onto another historic building. In the 1950s, Jane Blaffer Owen commissioned the design of many iconic structures in town: the Roofless Church, the McLeod Barn Abbey, the Cathedral Labyrinth, and she restored the Rapp-Owen Granary. The rich history, inventive architecture, and engaging landscapes are worth days of exploration.
Spending a day discovering the park and town, I realized Harmonie State Park and New Harmony each demonstrate our human desire to build community and our need to have both tangible and spiritual purposes for our lives. We all have an innate desire to leave a positive impact on the world. I hope you'll find your own way to improve what's around you. Go make some of your own memories, and I hope to see you in the parks!