Culver Military Academy Culver Homestead  

By Daniel Mc Daniel in "An Early History of Lake Maxinkuckee" (1908):

The Only one of the caravan who settled on the lake was Eleazer Thompson who built a log cabin a year or two later where the residence of Mrs. H. H. Culver is now located on the northeast shore. The old cabin still stands just north of the Culver residence, but has been remodeled, losing thereby some of its primitive beauty. Mr. Thompson was, therefore, the first white settler to take up permenant residence on the banks of the lake. He died a few years later, and the property has changed hands many times since then. The elder Adam Mow lived ther in the early forties, rearing a large family of boys and girls who are well remembered by the surviviors of that early period in the history of the lake.

Henry H. Culver came to Culver in 1883 and retired to the 'Gounder's Home' and also refered to as the 'Founder's cabin'thbey remodeled it andcalled it the 'Farmhouse' and began buying property of the northeast side of the lake; first buying 98 acres [the Hissong farm] in the spring of 1883 [another source says 90 acres] and then 208 (Aubbeenaubbee Bay Farm] in 1884. By 1886 he owned more than 300 acres, had constructed a handsome home - which they had named "Homestead".

He built a home near the "Founders cabin" of Mr. Thompson - this cabin was moved in 1886 just a little was north of the resent residence so it could be built and called it "Homestead". Some have claimed that H. H. Culver built the farmhouse in 1860 but this is impossible as he did not purchase land in this area until 1883 and 1884.
The mound in the front yard of the Culver home was known as Pare Mound. For along time it was to believed to be the burial grounds for Cheif Aubbeenaubbee. It is said to have been a pilot mound and was used by the Indians who were canoeing on Lake Maxinkuckee to navigate by.

The Farm house was used by the superintendents as their residence before World War II. During the war it was used as a Tea Room and afterwards and currently it is used as a guest house for the academies.

On the north-east shore, Mr. A. [H.] H. Culver has two wells, each seventy two feet deep, bored at points eighteen feet above the surface of the lake

The bores show the following strata:

Soil and yellow clay	8 ft.
Sand	ft.
Blue clay	38 ft.
Sand and gravel	12 ft.
Total	72 ft.

These wells will flow to a hight of thirty-one feet above the surface of the lake.

on east side of St. Rd. 117
Lot 4 - H. H. Culver Est. - 6.50

Also known as Aubbeenaubee Park

on east side of St. Rd. 117
Laura M. Culver - 6.50

In 1883 H. H. Culver bought an old farm and home on the east side, and began to improve it. Then the road ran alongside the lake and the house was on the bluff above the lake shore. He removed it a few feet, and built a handsome cottage at a cost of $8,000, on the site. The road was chaged to its present line back of the cottage, and the lovely bluff site was improved until it has been made one of the prettiest parks and summer seats in Indiana...the cottage and park as seen from the middle of the lake.


A heavy stone wall has been constructed along the shore to retain the bank, and a romatic "lover's walk" follows the lake line. On the knoll above the boat pier is the spot where it is supposed, by old settlers, the Great and beloved Indian Chief Aubinaubee is buried. Mr. Culver's farm is well improved. He has now about 300 acres. On the farm in some very fine stock - thorough bred cattle, sheep, hogs and horses. Culver Park adjoins, and was part of it until set apart for park purposes....

The Whale's Jaw Bones.
... At the boat peir in front of Mr. H. H. Culver's cottage on the east side is erected the real jawbones of an Atlantice whale,...Those bones were discovered in New Hampshire, by W. W. Culver, a few years ago as he was driving through a village on the Atlantic coas. The had been taken from the head of an immense whale, that was cast upon the shore by the tide, dead; and had been buried for several months, that they might be handled; after which they were kept in salt water nearly a year. The young man who preserved them had many offers for his prize, on from the Smithsonian Institute. Several museums also tried to buy them. Knowng what a rare curiosity they would be in the west, Mr. Culver made an offer for them with a view of placing them at Maxinkuckee. After considerable correspondence, and at great cost, they were secured by H. H. Culver, and placed in theri present position. They weigh more than a ton, and were difficult to handle. The freight and expense of removal was enormous, but nothing compared to the original cost. They are rare and valuable specimens of the jaw bones of great fish of the ocean. At the base there bones are three and one-half feet in circumference. As they stand over the boat entrance ther are fifteen feet and eight inches in height...

A very early photo as it looked from standing on the Golf course area the back side of the barn that was located on the edge of the golf course



The wagon trail the would be assumed between the Homestead and the Culver Military campus area.