Fairland Recreation Park

Fairland Recreation Park was a privately operated recreation area and amusement park located in Indiana.

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Fairland Recreation Park was a privately operated recreation area and amusement park located in Indiana.

History

In 1960, Dick Herr and Lowell Haverstick partnered to purchase a borrow pit that had been created by the state highway department during the construction of Interstate 74. ¹ The site was formed when extra dirt was excavated for the highway’s overpass. Lowell, who owned a crane, helped develop the property into Fairland Recreation Park by creating a beach and boat launch area. Early amenities included a concession stand, a beach, and an ice cream truck.

Not long after, Herr bought out Haverstick’s share and began expanding the property. ¹ According to his daughter, Diane, Dick was a tireless worker who managed a postal route early each morning before spending the rest of the day maintaining and improving the park. His wife, Jerry, handled bookkeeping, while his daughters Diane and Dawn worked as lifeguards and assisted with other daily operations.

Over time, the park grew to include campgrounds on its eastern side, miniature golf, batting cages, shaded awnings repurposed from an old Frisch’s restaurant, diving platforms, a party building, and boat carports. Fairland Recreation Park hosted a wide variety of events, including triathlons, jet ski races, polar bear swims, and even winter “turkey shoots.”

In the early 1960s, the Indianapolis Water Ski Club operated at Maywood Lake on the southwest side of Indianapolis. ¹ By the early 1970s, Rusty Carter Sr. and several members relocated the club to Fairland, leasing space there and renaming it the Fairland Ski Club. The club thrived for decades, hosting major tournaments, including the Indiana State Championships in 1973, 1975, 1984, 1992, and 1999. The site also became home to annual Indiana Water Ski Association “Spring Flings” and the Monday Night Ski League, organized by Mark Qualkinbush and MD Boats. On some evenings, as many as 17 skiers would gather for instruction from Bill Roach and other club members.

Fairland’s popularity began to wane in later years, primarily due to the increasing availability of affordable backyard above-ground pools. ¹ Its decline accelerated in 2002, when construction began on the Indiana Grand Casino across the I-74 interchange. The casino project required draining the local water table to create two artificial lakes, which in turn drained Fairland Lake. The park was left a mud field, effectively putting the Fairland Recreation Club out of business. Although lawsuits were filed, a jury awarded only a minimal settlement. Within a few years, the property was auctioned off, its equipment and fixtures sold, and a private investor later purchased the land.

In 2001, after 35 years of ownership, Richard and Jerry Herr put the park up for sale, citing declining crowds and increasing expenses. ² The Fairland Ski Club continued to operate at the site—except for the 2002 season—until 2019. ¹ That year, the property’s owner declined to renew the club’s annual lease, marking the end of an era for organized water skiing at Fairland.

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Gallery

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Sources

1. “Looking Back in Time.” Indiana Water Ski Association, 26 Mar. 2021.
2. “Search Ended After Long-time Local Businessman’s Body Found.” The Addison Times, 17 Dec. 2021.