Fort Parker State Park
Encyclopedia
Fort Parker State Park is a Texas
state park near Mexia
. The city of Mexia and three local landowners donated the land creating the park in 1935. From 1935 to 1942, Civilian Conservation Corps
Company 3807(C) built roads, recreational facilities, the concession building and a 423 feet (128.9 m) dam of limestone
, concrete
and dirt across the Navasota River
, creating Lake Fort Parker. The park was dedicated by former Texas Governor Pat Neff and opened to the public in May 1941. The CCC Company also rebuilt nearby Old Fort Parker for the Texas Centennial observance in 1936.
Fort Parker State Park has three hike and bike trails; Springfield trail (1.5 mile loop), Navasota River Trail (.5 mile one way) and Baines Creek Trail (2.5 miles one way). The Bur Oak Trail (.5 mile loop) is a nature trail with an interpretive guide pamphlet available.
Trees in the park include Bur Oak, Water Oak, Blackjack Oak, Pecan
, Eastern Red Cedar
. Other plants that can be found are American Beautyberry
, and sumac
.
Inside the park is the Old Springfield Cemetery, all that remains of the once thriving community of Springfield, Texas. Springfield was once the county seat of Limestone County
and thrived during the 1840s and 1850s, but as men left for the Civil War
the town's businesses began to close. After the war, there was racial conflict and lawlessness. The railroad passed Springfield by for the towns of Mexia and Groesbeck
, and the town of Springfield disappeared.
The Fort Parker Nature Center is open every weekend and is a great place for kids to learn about wildlife in the park. Canoe, kayaks and paddleboats are available for rental. Day use, overnight camping, group barracks, an activity center and a picnic pavilion are all available for rent.
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
state park near Mexia
Mexia, Texas
Mexia is a city in Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,552 at the 2008 census.The city's motto, based on the fact that outsiders tend to mispronounce the name , is "A great place, no matter how you pronounce it."...
. The city of Mexia and three local landowners donated the land creating the park in 1935. From 1935 to 1942, Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
Company 3807(C) built roads, recreational facilities, the concession building and a 423 feet (128.9 m) dam of limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
, concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
and dirt across the Navasota River
Navasota River
The Navasota River is a river in east Texas, USA. It is about 125 miles long, beginning near Mount Calm and flowing south into the Brazos River at a point where Brazos County, Grimes County, and Washington County meet.-Name:...
, creating Lake Fort Parker. The park was dedicated by former Texas Governor Pat Neff and opened to the public in May 1941. The CCC Company also rebuilt nearby Old Fort Parker for the Texas Centennial observance in 1936.
Fort Parker State Park has three hike and bike trails; Springfield trail (1.5 mile loop), Navasota River Trail (.5 mile one way) and Baines Creek Trail (2.5 miles one way). The Bur Oak Trail (.5 mile loop) is a nature trail with an interpretive guide pamphlet available.
Trees in the park include Bur Oak, Water Oak, Blackjack Oak, Pecan
Pecan
The pecan , Carya illinoinensis, is a species of hickory, native to south-central North America, in Mexico from Coahuila south to Jalisco and Veracruz, in the United States from southern Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana east to western Kentucky, southwestern Ohio, North Carolina, South...
, Eastern Red Cedar
Juniperus virginiana
Juniperus virginiana is a species of juniper native to eastern North America, from southeastern Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, east of the Great Plains...
. Other plants that can be found are American Beautyberry
Callicarpa americana
American Beautyberry is an open-habit, native shrub of the Southern United States which is often grown as an ornamental in gardens and yards...
, and sumac
Rhus glabra
Rhus glabra is a species of sumac in the family Anacardiaceae, native to North America, from southern Quebec west to southern British Columbia in Canada, and south to northern Florida and Arizona in the United States and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico.One of the easiest shrubs to identify...
.
Inside the park is the Old Springfield Cemetery, all that remains of the once thriving community of Springfield, Texas. Springfield was once the county seat of Limestone County
Limestone County, Texas
Limestone County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 22,051. Its county seat is Groesbeck.-Geography:According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and is water....
and thrived during the 1840s and 1850s, but as men left for the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
the town's businesses began to close. After the war, there was racial conflict and lawlessness. The railroad passed Springfield by for the towns of Mexia and Groesbeck
Groesbeck, Texas
Groesbeck is a city in and the county seat of Limestone County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,291 at the 2000 census. The community is named after a railroad employee.- History :...
, and the town of Springfield disappeared.
The Fort Parker Nature Center is open every weekend and is a great place for kids to learn about wildlife in the park. Canoe, kayaks and paddleboats are available for rental. Day use, overnight camping, group barracks, an activity center and a picnic pavilion are all available for rent.