Washington State Park
Encyclopedia
Washington State Park is a Missouri
state park
in the central eastern part of Missouri
containing native American
rock carvings. These carvings, or petroglyphs, carved in dolomite
rock, are believed to have been made around 1000 to 1600 and give clues to the lives of the prehistoric native Americans who once inhabited this part of Missouri. It is also believed that the park served as ceremonial grounds for these Middle Mississippi people who were related to the builders of the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois
.
Because of the severe economic recession in the 1930s
, this park was built by the African-American Civilian Conservation Corps
stonemasons, known as company 1743. It was through their efforts that the park has standing still today, several historical stone hiking shelters, picnic pavilions, and the stones that make up the 1,000 Steps Trail.
Washington State Park is located on Highway 21 about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast of Potosi
, on the eastern edge of the Ozarks. The park covers nearly 1800 acres (7.3 km²) which allows for many activities such as camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and swimming either in the modern swimming pool or the Big River
. The park gets around 300,000 visitors each year including 16,000 campers and 15,000 cabin-goers.
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in the central eastern part of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
containing native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
rock carvings. These carvings, or petroglyphs, carved in dolomite
Dolomite
Dolomite is a carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg2. The term is also used to describe the sedimentary carbonate rock dolostone....
rock, are believed to have been made around 1000 to 1600 and give clues to the lives of the prehistoric native Americans who once inhabited this part of Missouri. It is also believed that the park served as ceremonial grounds for these Middle Mississippi people who were related to the builders of the Cahokia Mounds in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
.
"Most of the carvings are of birds, arrows, footprints, turkey tracks, human figures, and various geometric shapes and patterns. The three petroglyph sites in the park are thought to be all that is left of a more extensive site. They make up almost 75 percent of the known petroglyphs in Missouri and contain over 350 symbols."
Because of the severe economic recession in the 1930s
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, this park was built by the African-American 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...
stonemasons, known as company 1743. It was through their efforts that the park has standing still today, several historical stone hiking shelters, picnic pavilions, and the stones that make up the 1,000 Steps Trail.
"One can only marvel at the effort it must have taken to shape the limestone blocks and then to place them on the hillside.
Washington State Park is located on Highway 21 about 14 miles (22.5 km) northeast of Potosi
Potosi, Missouri
Potosi is a city in Washington County, Missouri, United States. Potosi is about 10 miles north of Belgrade. The estimated population in July 2008 was 2,698. It was 2,662 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
, on the eastern edge of the Ozarks. The park covers nearly 1800 acres (7.3 km²) which allows for many activities such as camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and swimming either in the modern swimming pool or the Big River
Big River (Missouri)
The Big River is a tributary of the Meramec River in east-central Missouri. The river rises in western Iron County, near the summit of Johnson Mountain and the locale of Enough; it flows through Washington County, Saint Francois County, and Jefferson County...
. The park gets around 300,000 visitors each year including 16,000 campers and 15,000 cabin-goers.