Lone Elk Park

After living in St. Louis for the past ten years, I am amazed I had never visited, or really even heard much about, Lone Elk Park.  Not only is it a cool place to check out animals that you otherwise wouldn’t see in St. Louis (elk, bison, and lots of different bird species); it also has an interesting history behind it.

The park was once part of the Tyson Valley Powder Plant, a 2,400 acre tract of land used for ammunition testing and storage during World War II.  After the War ended, the land was turned into a County Park and herds of bison and elk were established in 1948.  However, the land was reclaimed by the Federal Government during the Korean War and all of the wildlife herds were destroyed in 1958.  I hated to learn about this part, but there were several reasons behind it: some of the animals were destroying property, and because they were testing ammunition, a lot of the vegetation had been killed so the animals couldn’t forage.  There wasn’t enough money during war time to feed them, so they harvested them and donated the meat to local food banks.

But years later, one lone bull elk was found to have survived.

Through the years, the County has taken over the land again, acquired more land, and more elk were brought in from Yellowstone National Park in 1969.  Bison were acquired from the St. Louis Zoo in 1973. In 1986, the World Bird Sanctuary set up on 305 acres of land adjacent to the park. 

You can take a short drive through the Park and view deer, bison, turkeys, and elk without ever getting out of your car.  I did this just this past week and saw tons of animals during the 20 minute or so drive through the park.  But, there are a lot more activities available if you have more time to spend there.  You can hike along two different trails, picnic in one of the many shelters, or visit the World Bird Sanctuary.  The Sanctuary is one of the largest facilities in North America for the conservation of birds. There is a hiking trail and more picnic areas within the Sanctuary, as well as educational programs and exhibits of raptors, parrots, reptiles, and more.

And entrance into both places is FREE, so it’s definitely worth it to check them out.   I think it would be absolutely beautiful in the fall, and am planning on visiting again then!  

The History of Mother's Day

President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation on May 9, 1914, asking Americans to give a public expression of reverence to mothers through the celebration of Mother's Day. Carnations have come to represent the day as they were distributed at one of the first commemorations honoring the mother of the founder of Mother’s Day.

Anna Jarvis, a Grafton, West Virginia native, is credited with conceiving and launching the campaign that resulted in the creation of a national day honoring mothers in the United States. Legislative actions and annual Congressional proclamations documented in the Congressional Record praise her tireless efforts to create a lasting commemoration to her mother, Anna Reeves Jarvis, as well as to all mothers, living and deceased.

After her mother’s death on May 9, 1905, Anna Jarvis was determined to fulfill her mother’s hope that a Memorial Mother’s Day be established to recognize the important roles that mothers play in the family, church, and community. Anna Reeves Jarvis embodied the attributes of many nineteenth-century women who believed that mothers, and in fact all women, could be a powerful force in their communities. Mrs. Jarvis acted upon her beliefs and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs that tackled local problems such as poor sanitary conditions and epidemic diseases. When the Civil War came to Grafton, these clubs turned to nursing soldiers on both sides of the conflict and trying to stave off division in the community.

Other women appealed to the organized force of mothers for various causes—for example, Julia Ward Howe, who had worked with the widows and orphans of Civil War soldiers. When the Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870, Mrs. Howe issued her declaration, Appeal to Womanhood throughout the World urging mothers to unite for the cause of peace. Woman suffrage was another important cause of the time. Mothers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Elizabeth Smith Miller, as well as Julia Ward Howe, were pivotal in organizing women to rally for their right to vote.

Anna Jarvis’ efforts to honor her mother’s accomplishments encompassed all of these women, as step by step, from local recognition in Grafton in 1908, to the state of West Virginia’s proclamation in 1910, the national holiday became reality.