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In 1883, John Steiner and David Wallace purchased Cataract Falls and much of the adjoining
acreage. John Steiner was a wealthy railroad man and horse racing fan. On his 1,000 acre estate at Cataract, he maintained a half-mile track, which
drew horse racing fans from all over the country. From 1883 to 1952 the falls belonged to the Steiner family. Agnes Wallace Steiner's daughter
Agnes Stuckey operated a resort near the falls from 1916 until 1967. In 1952, she donated the upper falls and 37 acres on both sides of Mill Creek
to the State of Indiana as a memorial to her mother, maintaining a 15 year lease with the state before closing the resort. The US Government
purchased 329 acres in the lower falls area when Cagles Mill Lake was being formed as a giant flood control program in the 1950’s. When the
government began buying property, it was feared that Cataract Falls was doomed. However, the constructions of Cagles Mill Dam, the Reservoir, and
Lieber State Recreation Area have preserved Cataract Falls for public enjoyment.
...Indiana Department of Natural Resources
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