Expert in cultural heritage and tourism leads 26-county effort

Newswise — As a growing number of people are becoming special interest travelers who rank arts, heritage, and other cultural activities as a top reason to travel, a heritage-based tourism program at a university in Indiana facilitates programs for 26 counties in southern Indiana.

Dr. Darrel Bigham, professor of history at the University of Southern Indiana, leads the heritage-based outreach program Historic Southern Indiana (HSI). He describes HSI as a distinctive program for a public university—linking the university’s resources to the needs and interests of a region, using heritage preservation, enhancement, and promotion as the core value.

HSI has been instrumental in bringing together communities in the Southern Indiana region for mutual benefit. Dr. Bigham said, “In 1986 there was little interest in working beyond the confines of the town or county. Because the university provided a disinterested setting, we could bring people together and facilitate change.”

Research shows that successful cultural tourism projects depend on collaboration, assessment, research marketing, and visitor service. HSI committees address each of these areas.

In its 20-year history, HSI has identified the key historical resources, such as federal and state historic sites, as anchors for regional economic development encouraging tourism in the region.

Two scenic byways are initiatives of the program. The Ohio River Scenic Byway is nationally designated by federal highways and was subsequently extended into Ohio and Illinois.

Indiana’s Historic Pathways is a state-designated route for which HSI is seeking national designation. Portions of the old Buffalo Trace can be found on or south of federal highways connecting the towns of Vincennes and Clarksville.

The Buffalo Trace was developed as a travel route for the massive herds of the now extinct Eastern American Bison. The trace would eventually attract American Indians, who would use the herds as a major source of food. They would also use the already worn path to journey across Indiana to reach the Falls of the Ohio at present day Clarksville/New Albany/Louisville. When the first Europeans entered the area, they used the trace as a natural path to travel between the Falls and the town of Vincennes. As settlement increased, the trace would become the major highway over which settlers and military forces traveled between the two points. Sections of this historic path remain visible from public roads.

Other programs include an institute to promote teaching and learning about Abraham Lincoln and task forces in Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky to plan the observance of Lincoln’s 200th birthday in 2009. Dr. Bigham is a member of the U.S. Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission, appointed by former President Clinton.

Connect with Southern Indiana is an HSI program funded by a Lilly Endowment grant to boost Indiana’s retention of intellectual capital. Participants strengthen critical-thinking skills, and learn about options and opportunities for involvement in community and regional projects. A year’s residence in the area is required for participation. Applications are being accepted through October 9, 2006 for the 2007 program.

HSI is observing its 20th anniversary with a two-day bus tour of southern Indiana in October. A Web site at http://www.usi.edu/hsi/ lists information about historical, natural, and recreational Southern Indiana resources and related information about the region and the program.