Clark State Forest, just north of Henryville in southern Indiana, became Indiana’s first and oldest state forest when the state bought the tract in 1903 amid concern over timber loss after deforestation. Expanded from 2,028 acres to nearly 24,000, it developed as both a working forest and a research center where seedlings were raised and forestry methods tested, especially under state forester Charles C. Deam. During the Great Depression, Civilian Conservation Corps crews added bridges and small artificial lakes that still shape the landscape. Today it remains a protected, productive woodland with timber management, recreation areas, trails, hunting, camping, a gun range, and nature preserves.