Lake Maxinkuckee is the second largest natural
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, covering . The Town of
Culver, Indiana, in southwestern
Marshall County is located on its northwestern edge. Lake Maxinkuckee has a maximum depth of 88 feet (27 m) and an average depth of 24 feet (7 m). Local residents and visitors do many things including
ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longe ...
on the lake.
The first inhabitants of the lake area were
Mound Builders
A number of pre-Columbian cultures are collectively termed "Mound Builders". The term does not refer to a specific people or archaeological culture, but refers to the characteristic mound earthworks erected for an extended period of more than 5 ...
, most likely the
Potawatomi or
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
. Several mounds were built on the banks of the lake, the largest being "Pare Mound," thought to be used as a point of reference for the natives. The first white settlers arrived in 1836.
Henry Harrison Culver, for whom the town is now named, founded the
Culver Military Academy
Culver Academies is a college preparatory boarding school located in Culver, Indiana, which is composed of three entities: Culver Military Academy (CMA) for boys, Culver Girls Academy (CGA), and the Culver Summer Schools and Camps (CSSC). Culver ...
in 1894.
The word Maxinkuckee is derived from the Potawatomi word ''Mog-sin-ke-ki'', which means "big stone country".
References
External links
Historical Lake Maxinkuckee information and genealogical records- Information on Lake Maxinkuckee
Maxinkuckee
Native American history of Indiana
Mounds in Indiana
Potawatomi
Lakes of Marshall County, Indiana
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