The History of Blackacre

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Amelia; Mary; Theodore, Jr.; Ella; and Theodore Kroeger, Sr., at the gate leading to Tucker Station, ca. 1896. Photograph by John Kroeger. Kroeger family collection.

Preface
To understand the homestead known today as Blackacre State Nature Preserve, it is necessary to examine original documents, artifacts, and old photographs and to have a sense of what was going on in the United States during the late 1700s. While much of history is documented, a large part is passed down by oral tradition. Folklore or stories assist us in filling in the gaps.

This history of Blackacre State Nature Preserve focuses on the initial settlement of the farm from 1790 until the present day. This work draws from several documents about Blackacre State Nature Preserve. If you are interested in more specific information, please see one of the following sources:

The Floyds Fork Management Plan (1981): The Plan gives a good overview of both the natural and cultural history of the Floyds Fork watershed, of which Blackacre is a part.

“The homestead of Moses and Phoebe Tyler, Presley and Jane Tyler, John and Katherine Sweeny, Theodore and Amelia Kroeger, Joseph and Delila Wheeler, William and Elizabeth Woodward, and Macauley and Emilie Smith: Research, Reminiscences, and Recommendations for Its Reuse as Part of Blackacre Nature Preserve” (May 1982) an unpublished paper by Samuel W. Thomas: Dr. Thomas collected many of the original documents that are in this volume as well as interviewed individuals who had lived on the site since 1900.

“The Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form”: The nomination was successful, resulting in 800 acres being declared one of the first national rural historic districts in the United States.

“The Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District: Background and Beginning” in the Filson Club History Quarterly by Joellen Tyler Johnston: Johnston is a Tyler descended from the Tylers who settled Blackacre. The article traces her family’s move from Maryland, in about 1745, through Pennsylvania, ending in Kentucky (at which time it was called Virginia). This article documents the life of the Tylers during the early settlement period.

“The Articles of Dedication” (1978) and “The Blackacre Management Agreement” (1985) are legal papers that establish Blackacre State Nature Preserve as an Environmental Education Center. All documents mentioned above are on file at the Jefferson County Public Schools Center for Environmental Education office.