LUKE, Della Cade
Source: Crawfordsville Journal Review 6 Jun 1955 p 4
CLIFTY INN - Clifty Falls State Park
For a pleasant week-end trip visit Clifty Inn at Clifty Falls State Park. Enjoy Southern Indiana Hospitality. Meals and Rooms ... reasonable rates.
Chicken Dinners a specialty at the inn - view the scenic spots of Clifton State Park by hiking over the trails. For reservations, write, wire or phone Clifty Inn. (note gives no phone # or address) - Mrs. Della Luke, Mgr Madison, Ind
Spend your Holiday Vacation at the Turkey Run Inn special attention given banquets, dinner parties and all public gatherings. Christmas dinners a specialty. Make reservations by calling or writing Mrs. Della Luke, Mgr Marshall Ind care Turkey Run Inn
Clifty Inn, the new hotel at Clifty Falls State Park, Madison was formally opened to the public Monday and Tuesday. Monday was Madison day and the principal feature of the day's program was the dinner given by Mrs. Della Luke the hostess at the inn to the stockholders of the inn those men and women of Madison who furnished the financial backing that made it possible to erect the large hotel. Tuesday was state day and representatives from the various departments of state were present. Speeches were made by Gov Emmett Branch and Ex Gov James P. Goodrich both of whom praised the Department of Conservation which under the directorship of Richard Lieber has done splendid work in preserving primitive beauty spots of nature for the enjoyment of the masses. WA Guthrie chairman of the Conservation Department was toastmaster at the luncheon Tuesday. He paid tribute to the Madison people for the assistance given the State Department in the development of Clifty Falls as a state park. Visitors were present from many Southern Indiana cities. - Source: Indianapolis News 12 Jan (Tues) 1932 p 7
COVINGTON — Funeral service for Mrs. Della Luke, 85, a pioneer in the development of the Indiana State Park system, who died Saturday at Covington, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Bodine and Shelby Funeral Home at Covington. Burial will be at Mount Hope Cemetery. Born near Covington in Fountain County the daughter of Benton and Margaret Bodine Cade, Mrs. Luke married Rowland Luke who died in 1932. Survivors include a sister, Mrs. O. C. Banta of Covington, a nephew and five nieces. Mrs. Luke was a member of the Covington First Church of Christ, Covington Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and the Covington chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Five years before Turkey Run State Park and McCormick's Creek State Park, were acquired by the state, Mrs. Luke and her husband leased the Turkey Run tract and operated it as a park and recreation center. When Turkey Run became a state park in 1916, Mrs. Luke was named its first superintendent. She also served in a similar capacity at McCormick's Creek. In 1919 the Conservation Department opened the first inn at Turkey Run and Mrs. Luke was appointed manager. Four years later she was named manager of the inn at Clifty Falls State Park. Mrs. Luke retained her connection with Turkey Run until 1929. She was identified with the management of Clifty Falls until 1941. --typed by Walt W
Note: Della was an amazing woman, hard worker and knew her stuff - here's another article about Clifty Falls
Source: Evansville Press Sun 27 Dec 1942 p 12
Madison, Ind Dec 26 - Mrs. Della Luke for 23 years manager of Clifty Inn at Clifty Falls Star Park will retire Dec 31 and ML Carr, superintendent of the park for 10 years will succeed her in addition to his present duties officials of the State Conservation Department announced here today.
Source: Indianapolis Star Sun april 29, 1934 p 45
CLIFTY INN - Clifty Falls State Park
For a pleasant week-end trip visit Clifty Inn at Clifty Falls State Park. Enjoy Southern Indiana Hospitality. Meals and Rooms ... reasonable rates.
Chicken Dinners a specialty at the inn - view the scenic spots of Clifton State Park by hiking over the trails. For reservations, write, wire or phone Clifty Inn. (note gives no phone # or address) - Mrs. Della Luke, Mgr Madison, Ind
Source: Lafayette Journal and Courier Thursday Dec 15, 1921 p 19
Spend your Holiday Vacation at the Turkey Run Inn special attention given banquets, dinner parties and all public gatherings. Christmas dinners a specialty. Make reservations by calling or writing Mrs. Della Luke, Mgr Marshall Ind care Turkey Run Inn
Source: The North Vernon Plain Dealer Thu Aug 28, 1924 p 1
Clifty Inn, the new hotel at Clifty Falls State Park, Madison was formally opened to the public Monday and Tuesday. Monday was Madison day and the principal feature of the day's program was the dinner given by Mrs. Della Luke the hostess at the inn to the stockholders of the inn those men and women of Madison who furnished the financial backing that made it possible to erect the large hotel. Tuesday was state day and representatives from the various departments of state were present. Speeches were made by Gov Emmett Branch and Ex Gov James P. Goodrich both of whom praised the Department of Conservation which under the directorship of Richard Lieber has done splendid work in preserving primitive beauty spots of nature for the enjoyment of the masses. WA Guthrie chairman of the Conservation Department was toastmaster at the luncheon Tuesday. He paid tribute to the Madison people for the assistance given the State Department in the development of Clifty Falls as a state park. Visitors were present from many Southern Indiana cities. - Source: Indianapolis News 12 Jan (Tues) 1932 p 7
Covington, Ind Jan 12 – The body of Roland Peter Luke, age 62 a native of Fountain County and widely-known throughout the state as the first superintendent of Indiana State Parks was brought here today from San Benito, TX where Mr. Luke died unexpectedly Saturday. Mr. and Mrs. Luke at the time of the death were in Texas on an intended two months’ stay looking over orange grove holdings they bought near San Benito a few months ago. Death was due to heart disease. Funeral and burial arrangements have not bee announced. Mr. Luke was born and reared on a farm a few miles east of here. He was an ardent sportsman and frequently made trips to various parts of the country and to Canda and Mexico on hunting and fishing expeditions.
Several years before the state came in control of the Salmon Lusk estate at Turkey Run near Marshall which later became Turkey Run State Park, Mr. and Mrs. Luke operated a fishing camp and outing place near the site of the present Turkey Run Inn. The tract then was known by many persons as Bloomingdale Glens as well as Turkey Run. Mr. Luke was active in the movement to have this area become the property of the state for park purposes. With the purchase of the first Indiana state Park, McCormick’s Creek canyon near Spencer and the subsequent taking over of the Turkey Run tract, Mr. Luke was named as the first superintendent of state parks. He served in that capacity for several years.
Mrs. Luke operated the first hotel at the Turkey Run State Park and later opened the first hotel at Clifty Falls State Park near Madison operating both hotels for several years but later giving up the TR hotel. She still operates the Clifty Falls Hotel. Only in the last year she and Mr. Luke disposed of all their real estate holdings and built a home at Covington. Mr. Luke is survived by the widow, Della Luke, his mother, Mrs. Miranda Luke; a brother, Dr. Frank Luke, a dentist and a sister, Mrs. Julian Spinning all of this city and a sister, Mrs. AV Simmerman of Veedersburg. Mrs. Luke’s brother, John Cade a prominent Indianapolis druggist died only a few years ago. – kbz
