100 YEARS AND COUNTING

100 YEARS AND COUNTING

Submitted by Tisha Holden, Missouri State Parks

2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. It also marks the 100th anniversary of two of their state parks – Bennett Spring near Lebanon, MO, and Mark Twain near Florida, MO. While mentioning the anniversary of these two, don't forget about the J. Huston Tavern at Arrow Rock State Historic Site. In 1917, the Missouri State Parks system was created, but no properties were added to the system until September 1923.

J. Huston Tavern at Arrow Rock State Historic Site

A landmark of hospitality for more than a century, the J. Huston Tavern started with Joseph Huston in 1834. As the owners changed, the tavern went through a progression of names, finally reverting to the J. Huston Tavern that it is known as today. The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) had a keen interest in the tavern because of its location on the Santa Fe Trail. At the urging of the DAR, the state of Missouri purchased the J. Huston Tavern for $5000 and named the DAR as “custodians” of the building.

Promoted as a “motor mecca” for travelers on the new national highway system, not only was the tavern the first building Missouri preserved with public funds, but it was also the first addition to the state parks system and could rightly be called the birthplace of heritage tourism. Now visitors can stop in the museums, take in a show, shop at the stores, hike the trails, and get a taste of history at the tavern.

Bennett Spring State Park

The valley near Lebanon, MO, created a place of peace and recreation that has welcomed generations of anglers year after year. One of Missouri’s earliest parks, Bennett Spring State Park, continues to attract families of fishermen and nature lovers seeking to make new memories.

More than 100 million gallons of cool water gush from Bennett Spring and form a spring branch that is stocked daily with rainbow trout. Bennett Spring and its valley attracted settlers who found the spring-fed streams as ideal locations for their grist and flour mills, and the wilderness around the stream was perfect for hunting.

In 1924, the state purchased the spring and part of the surrounding area, creating one of the first state parks. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps contributed much of the present-day character of the park, which can be seen today in the cabins, shelter house, roads, trails, dining lodge, and the arched bridge across the spring branch.

Come help commemorate the anniversary at a celebration scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 5 at the park, starting at 10 a.m.

Mark Twain State Park

Mark Twain State Park is nestled in the Salt River Hills in north-central Missouri. Through the efforts of Mark Twain Memorial Park Association, the park was created in honor of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, who was born in the nearby village of Florida. The association raised more than $10,000 to purchase 100 acres of land overlooking the Salt River. Additional land was purchased by the state, and Mark Twain State Park was established in 1924. It is the third-oldest state park in Missouri and the first established north of the Missouri River.

With the construction of the Clarence Cannon Dam, the park changed dramatically with the creation of Mark Twain Lake. Construction of the dam began in 1966 and was completed in 1983. The 18,000-acre lake provides for the flood control of the Salt River valley, as well as power generation and recreational opportunities.

Nothing says “Missouri literature” quite like Mark Twain. While visiting Mark Twain State Park, guests should take time to also visit the Mark Twain Birthplace State Historic Site, where the two-room rented cabin where Clemens was born is on display. Guests can also see the handwritten manuscript of “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” The manuscript had been on display since the site received it in 1960, and the team became concerned about the long-term effect that lighting was having on it.

Thanks to the Missouri Secretary of State’s Office, conservators did repairs on this state treasure at no charge. Since the repairs were finished, the manuscript has been returned to the site and is housed in a new temperature, light, and humidity controlled display case to help prolong the manuscript’s life.

Mark Twain State Park plans to hold anniversary celebrations throughout the year. More information can be found at mostateparks.com.