Thousand Hills State Park
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Thousand Hills State Park is a public recreation area covering over Script error: No such module "convert". Script error: No such module "convert". west of Kirksville in Adair County, Missouri. The state park features Native American petroglyphs and Script error: No such module "convert". Forest Lake with fishing, swimming and boating.[1]
History
By the late 1940s, the nearby city of Kirksville was in need of a larger and more reliable water supply than the Chariton River could provide. In October 1948, the family of local physician George Laughlin donated Script error: No such module "convert". to the city. The city of Kirksville matched the donation by purchasing an additional Script error: No such module "convert".. Following voter passage of a special bond issue, land was acquired to construct a dam across Big Creek, a tributary of the Chariton. Upon its completion in summer 1952, the new reservoir was known as "Lake Kirksville" but by September that year the Kirksville city council, through ordinance, officially designed the reservoir "Forest Lake" (with one "r") so named for the surrounding woodlands. The lands, but not the lake itself (owned by the city of Kirksville), were presented to the state of Missouri free of charge in return for the promise of establishing a state park and protecting the land around the water reservoir. It was named Thousand Hills State Park, in honor of Doctor Laughlin's Thousand Hills Farm that had formerly occupied part of the land. Missouri Governor Forrest Smith, who attended the 1953 ceremony, has been erroneously linked to several historical accounts that claim Forest Lake was named in his honor.[2][3]
Petroglyphs
A series of Native American rock carvings, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, are protected in an enclosed observation and interpretation center. The carvings are estimated to date back at least 1,500 years.[1]
Activities and amenities
The park's lake is used for fishing, swimming, and both motorized and non-motorized boating. A marina offers boat and equipment rentals. Two campgrounds provide a total of 57 campsites. Overnight accommodations are also offered at seven duplex cabins. Trails are available for hiking and bicycling and include the Carolyn Bagley Harding Trail, which is a paved trail being developed in cooperation with the community volunteer organization FLATS (Forest Lake Area Trail System).[4]
Annual events
The park hosts an annual bass tournament in spring.[5]Template:Efn-ua In 2023, the park began hosting an annual Earth Day event in April and Archaeology Day in September.[1]
Notes
References
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- ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ We Would Just Like To Say Thank You by Chris Sieren & David Snyder, The Chariton Collector, Spring 1984.
- ↑ Debi Boughton, "Happy 70th Birthday to Thousand Hills State Park," The Adair Historian, July 2022, vol. 19, no. 6, pp. 4; Blytha Ellis, "Thousand Hills State Park--Full of History and Memories," The Adair Historian, July 2022, vol. 19, no. 6, p. 9.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
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- Thousand Hills State Park Missouri Department of Natural Resources
- Thousand Hills State Park Map Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Template:Protected Areas of Missouri Template:National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
- Pages with script errors
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- Protected areas of Adair County, Missouri
- State parks of Missouri
- National Register of Historic Places in Adair County, Missouri
- Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri
- Petroglyphs in Missouri
- Protected areas established in 1952
- 1952 establishments in Missouri
- Reservoirs in Missouri
- Bodies of water of Adair County, Missouri