♪ Each year, thousands of tourists flock to one of the most scenic places in Indiana, Turkey Run State Park.

More than a century ago, however, corporate interests threatened to cut down this Parke County paradise, and most likely would have succeeded if it were not for the efforts of an intrepid journalist and environmentalist from Rockville, Juliet Strauss.

>> And Juliet always was very self-reliant.

She was blazing new trails in journalism.

Very outspoken in what she believed in.

Rockville was a small town on the western frontier of Indiana when Juliet was born there in 1863.

>> She had a real talent for writing.

In fact, so much so that other students at school, when they needed help with their essays, would go to Juliet and ask her to spice up their own writing.

♪ >> The wilderness around Rockville was like a second home for Juliet, and she often wrote of the natural beauty that surrounded her in Parke County.

>> Her compositions, came to the knowledge of the editor of the Rockville Tribune Newspaper, John Beadle.

He went to her mother, said that, you know, your daughter has a real talent for writing.

She should be encouraged to do so, and I'd be happy to have her do some compositions for the newspaper, and that's how she got her start.

>> As she began to write for the newspaper, Juliet met Isaac Strauss, the typesetting and press operator.

The two fell in love and married in 1881.

Soon, Juliet was working side by side with her husband, to publish the weekly Rockville Tribune.

>> It really came to fore in 1893, when she started a regular weekly column called "Squibs and Sayings" that she produced for the rest of her life.

It was featured only page one of the Tribune every week.

Later, her work drew the attention of the editors at the Indianapolis News, and they offered her a weekly column in her own right.

>> At the time, the Indianapolis News was one of the most highly respected and widely read newspapers in the state.

Writing under the heading "The Country Contributor," Juliet Strauss became one of the most popular journalists in Indiana.

>> Later on, that column caught the attention of a national editor, Edward Bok of the Ladies' Home Journal, which was the magazine for women in the late 19th, early 20th century and had over 1 million subscribers.

And so her audience broadened to the whole country.

>> By 1915, the very lands that inspired Strauss were under threat from timber companies that wanted to clearcut the forests.

>> From a young age, Juliet loved going out into lush forests that were in Parke County.

And she felt that this spot needed to be preserved, for all time, for future generations to enjoy, as she did from a young age.

>> When Strauss learned that an Indianapolis lumber company was attempting to purchase these lands at auction, she mobilized to save the area.

As a journalist, she had known Indiana Governor Samuel Ralston and sent him letters promoting wildlife conservation.

She also joined forces with a powerful ally, Richard Lieber, who was currently campaigning to create a new state park system.

>> They were both very supportive of saving Turkey Run from these timber companies.

And a commission was established by the state centennial commission to help save Turkey Run.

>> The commission raised more than $30,000 to purchase the land.

But in a sudden move at auction, the timber company outbid Strauss and Lieber by $100.

>> The auctioneer banged his gavel, and it seemed the death knell had sounded for Turkey Run.

But Lieber and Strauss did not give up.

They decided to keep on fighting on behalf of the land.

>> Strauss went to work immediately using her connections with lawmakers and several wealthy donors.

Together with Richard Lieber's influence, Strauss was able to raise an additional $10,000 to buyout the timber companies and save the land.

Today, in the heart of Turkey Run State Park, a statue stands in tribute to Juliet Strauss, for her efforts to preserve this wooded temple to nature.

>> She set in motion a state park that's still being enjoyed by Hoosiers and people from all over the country, who visit it today, enjoy the recreation opportunities of hiking, going through the trails and communing with nature.

>> I think she would be proud of the fact that she left something behind in Turkey Run that generations down the road will enjoy for a long, long time.