: Today In History · Horoscope 45°

Login · Register |  Contact Us · Site Help |  Place an Ad · 

Subscriber Services Home Delivery Gift Subscriptions Mail Subscriptions Bill Pay Address Change Delivery Issues Vacation Stop EZ Pay Single Copies

Park marks milestone

Washington State Park celebrates 75th anniversary

By PAULA BARR
Daily Journal Staff Writer

Monday, September 08, 2008

It started with the donation of 400 acres of land, became a park through the efforts of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and grew to 2,147 acres of outdoor enjoyment.

On Saturday and Sunday, Washington State Park celebrated another milestone — its 75th anniversary.

“We’ve got a great day to honor this park,” State Rep. Belinda Harris, D-Hillsboro, told the crowd. “There are a lot of amazing things here at this park.”

Harris presented a resolution to Jim Newberry, the park manager. He, in turn, gave welcome gifts to Harris and Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Doyle Childers, who told the crowd about the efforts of the CCC in Missouri Parks.

The state is accepting donations for a memorial to CCC Company 1743, the group that built Washington State Park.

The CCC began as a result of the 1933 Emergency Conservation Work Act and initially was established to provide jobs for men ages 17 to 25 who had dependent families on state relief rolls. The program provided hands-on training in skills such as carpentry. From its inception to 1942, the CCC employed more than 3 million men who worked on conservation projects including the creation of parks. The men worked 40 hours a week for a base pay of $30 per month. The government sent $22-$25 of that directly to the men’s families.

When integrated units did not work out, the CCC established separate groups for blacks and whites. One of the African American units, the “Thunderbirds,” built Washington State Park.

Four hundred acres of land had been donated to the state in 1932 for use as a park. One of the treasures on the property is the collection of Indian rock carvings, called petroglyphs. The Thunderbirds incorporated the Indian theme with the thunderbird symbol in some of the buildings in the park.

“The Native American petroglyphs are recognition that for hundreds — or maybe thousands — of years, this was a special place for people,” Childers said.

The Thunderbirds built roads, laid stone for the 1,000 Steps Trail and worked on 14 buildings, including the octagonal lookout shelter. The park also boasts the largest group of petroglyphs, or Indian rock carvings, yet discovered in Missouri, and the CCC group incorporated the Indian theme with the thunderbird symbol in some of the buildings in the park.

During the anniversary celebration, visitors toured the petroglyphs and the historic Murphy's lead furnace. Some learned to canoe, while others visited craftsmen to learn about Missouri’s history.

“This is nice, and it’s informative,” said Carolyn Wright of Hillsboro, who brought her children, Maya, Emily and Sam, to the event. “You can actually talk to people for more information, and the kids can learn.”

Lake Byington, 7, of Farmington, learned how to make a rope the old fashioned way.

“I made this by twisting this one handle,” he said about the contraption that twists several strands together to make a thick rope. “I picked orange and blue ‘cause they look cool.”

Vendors demonstrated the use of a scroll saw, sold native plants and caned chairs. Lorraine Lalk of Hillsboro gently pulled shedding hair from her angora rabbit, Bon Bon, and spun it into yarn.

“Her hair grows constantly,” Lalk said. “If I don’t do this, it quickly gets all matted.”

The Joachim Stream Team from De Soto set up a stream table that demonstrated how water erodes embankments unless trees are planted there. A gentle flow of water meandered back and forth across the table. In places where plastic trees were planted in groves, there was little change throughout the day. In other areas, however, even where large rocks had been placed to try to stabilize the banks, the water ate away at the embankments, eventually causing a bridge and a building to fall into the stream.

“I’ve already rebuilt this several times today,” Dennis Sullivan of the Team told onlookers. “If I turn the water up to create a flood, the damage happens even faster.”

Two booths displayed replicas and authentic arrowheads, spearheads and other rock tools made by Native Americans in the Midwest. Erik Smith showed off a replica of an ancient spear that he made using river cane, turkey feathers and a sharpened stone. He also demonstrated a pump drill made from wood and a small piece of chert. The rudimentary drill left a hold in the rock Smith was drilling.

Fifth-generation stone mason Adam Marty of Potosi was hard at work, chipping away at a large chunk of rock. It eventually would serve as a cornerstone for a wood-fired bread oven Marty is building in his back yard.

Ben, Ryan and Matt Halley watched Debbie Baker spin lanolin-rich wool into yarn for handmade hats, scarves and other items. The boys admitted it looked like a lot of work.

“I thought it was pretty cool,” Matt said.

Deputy Director Dan Paige and Childers explained that the parks department offers similar programs during “milestones” at state parks and historic sites. A statewide celebration will take place in 2017, when the parks system celebrates its 100th anniversary, Paige said.

 

Paula Barr is a reporter for the Daily Journal and can be reached at 573-431-2010, ext. 172 or at pbarr@dailyjournalonline.com.

Top of Page · Archives · Site Map · Home Page · Yellow Pages · Contact Us · RSS Feeds · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use

Copyright © Daily Journal Online. All rights reserved. Certain portions © Lee Enterprises and the Associated Press.