River Road Park History

River Road Park overlooks, softball fields, soccer fields, canoe launch, playground, historical exhibit, and open space are situated along the banks of White River at River Road Park.

The 64 acre park was purchased from Kosene and Kosene in 1992. The River Trail, constructed in 1998, is a joint project of Hamilton County Parks and Recreation Department and Carmel Clay Parks and Recreation Department.
Early Archaic History
The history of the area is captured in the park's Journey to Days Past award winning enclosed interpretive exhibit, constructed in 2002, as well as the historical themed play area. This exhibit is about a pre-historic Native American culture which occupied the site about 700 years ago.

This park is located where the Moffitt Village site was located around 8,000 to 6,000 B.C. It was home to the Early Archaic and Early and Late Woodland people and then later occupied by other prehistoric and historic Native Americans.

The Early Archaic transitioned from specialized hunting and limited foraging towards more regionally focused deer and small game hunting. They began to develop sites and had suggested population growth as concluded through artifacts that were found.
The Woodland people were characterized by ceramics, food production and mound building. Hunting became less main stream and the use of plants for food became more popular.
A painting of a young woman sculpting a pot
River Road Park Today
Many aspects of the park are influenced by the Early Archaic and Woodland people. The park serves as a learning experience to gain insight of the Moffitt Village.