[gentle music]

(Describer) In the early evening, the setting sun glows brightly in the sky above farm buildings and countryside next to a wide river. Small trees with golden leaves sprout up from dried grass. A breeze gently ripples through tall, green grass beneath a blue sky.

[gentle music continues]

(narrator) A hundred years is not a long time for a forest or prairie. A mere blink of an eye for a river or a mountain. But for human beings, centuries are huge, spanning generations. Time enough for towns to grow into cities, roads widen into highways, and fields and woods make way for suburbs and industry.

(Describer) A river winds through trees.

[birds chirping]

One hundred years ago, the people of Missouri decided to create a state park system to preserve the natural wilderness of one of the most ecologically diverse states in America. And today, that system consists of more than 90 parks and historic sites.

(Describer) People swim in a waterfall.

And though it would not be possible to visit all of them in a half hour, we can get a sense of the breadth of landscapes and terrains, rivers and lakes, and historic sites that have been set aside to preserve natural Missouri while offering us places to relax, enjoy, share, and create memories.

[gentle music]

These places belong to you.

(Describer) Title: Wish You Were Here! Missouri. A Century of Missouri State Parks. An archival photo shows men on horseback passing onlookers as they ride through a city street.

[horses trotting]

Our story begins in 1917, a year when the major concern of most Americans was the nation's inevitable entry into the First World War. From our perspective today, those times seem simpler and slower, but in the early years of the 20th century, there was a widespread sense that traditional rural America was being replaced by a new fast-paced society of cities and machines, that the country was losing touch with the natural world that played so great a part in the shaping of the American spirit.

[gentle music]

(Describer) Women in a factory sit at machines.

Across the country, a movement was growing to set aside some of the untouched land so it could retain its rustic beauty for everyone, particularly those who lived in the country's growing cities.

[gentle music]

So even in the midst of the nation's preparations for war, the Missouri General Assembly passed a measure that would fund what would someday become a system of state parks.

(Describer) Carol Comer.

(speaker) The country as a whole was changing. We were moving away from our agricultural roots. We were moving off the family farm into more urban settings, which took us away from our roots, from where we came from how we defined ourselves. Our country was founded on this ideal of the westward movement and the frontier, and we were losing that as we were becoming more urban. So, as a state and as a nation, actually, we chose to create this system to preserve and protect these lands, but also give us an opportunity to revisit those roots, to return to where we came from.

(narrator) Improvements in urban working conditions were introducing new concepts into Americans' lives, such as the weekend and the vacation.

(Describer) A photo shows an automobile.

And a new invention was catching on, which was making it a lot easier to get out of town.

[upbeat music]

(Describer) Comer.

(Carol) The invention of the automobile was huge. It allowed us to go places, and then suddenly, we're paving roads, we have the highway system, and people are traveling in a way they never even conceived before. Moving to the city, moving to an urban or a manufacturing society, introduced these new concepts of things like the work week. So you're only working five or six days a week, and suddenly you have a weekend. Or you have vacation time, so this idea of leisure is new. And to be able to go someplace is very exciting. And you have the ability to travel, so your life isn't a square mile or a township, it's the entire state, maybe even the entire country, and the state-park system gave people a place to go.

(Describer) A photo shows a family by an outdoor table.

[gentle music]

(narrator) In fact, the state's first historic sites developed from the idea that as more people bought automobiles, they'd be looking for places to visit.

(Describer) A map shows Missouri.

As far back as the 1820s, the village of Arrow Rock took advantage of its location on the Missouri River to serve the growing numbers of European settlers heading west. The Santa Fe Trail originated not far from Arrow Rock, and it was a convenient place for wagon trains to cross the river and join the trail which passed through town. By the 1830s, the Arrow Rock Tavern, which is still in business today, was offering would be pioneers a hot meal and a drink before heading for parts west. In the 1920s, it occurred to a group of local women, long before there was any serious thought of creating a state park system, to advertise the tavern and the town as a destination for a new group of adventurers-- motorists.

(Describer) Mike Dickey, Arrow Rock State Historic Site.

(speaker) The Daughters of the American Revolution took an interest in this community, and specifically in the tavern, because of its association with the Santa Fe Trail. They developed in 1912 a national road society. In other words, they were gonna convert all the old pioneer trails into a coast to coast highway because of the advent of the automobile. Automobile traffic started coming in and actually is kind of the birthplace of historic preservation and heritage tourism both.

[gentle music]

(narrator) In the early '20s, the state acquired surrounding land, and today, the Arrow Rock State Historic Site is a charming blend of a park and a town, a time capsule of Antebellum Missouri. Its name refers to the earliest Native American residents who chiseled flint for tools and weapons from a nearby bluff. It was the home of 19th century painter George Caleb Bingham and the renowned Lyceum Repertory Theater. Southern in character, it was occupied by the Union Army during the Civil War, and was an important center of 19th century African-American culture.

(Describer) Fred Hicks.

There was an African- American population here, a sizable one. They had a school house, they had an AME Church. They helped build it. As time went on, they went on to other larger towns, moving mostly to Kansas City. But still, it's a place that African Americans still can come back to and go, "We had a place here, we have roots here." Now that's why I just love, you know, when we say "Missouri State Parks," it's your park too. It is everyone's park. We all had something to do with building this town. We all had something to do with the park.

(Describer) Dickey.

We not only preserve and interpret history, we're very much a cultural activity center. But we do have recreational facilities, we've got a campground, we've got a fishing lake, we've got hiking trails.

[gentle music]

So there's a wide variety of activities that we do here in this community and in our state park facility.

(Describer) Adults and children pass a three story brick building with a large smokestack poking out of it.

[upbeat music]

(narrator) Another very different kind of state park and historic site lies on the edge of the prairie just north of Kansas City-- Watkins Woolen Mill. A visit to the mill and the surrounding property is a trip back to the early days of Missouri's steam and animal- powered industry.

(Describer) Mike Beckett.

(Mike) I think what makes Watkins Woolen Mill State Park and State Historic Site unique is the fact that we have really the only 19th-century textile mill in North America that you can see with all the original machinery.

(narrator) The site is the former farm and mill of Walters Watkins, who moved here in 1839 and began farming the rich prairie soil. He built a large house from lumber he cut from nearby woods and bricks which he made himself. He constructed the mill in 1861, and from over 50 machines, produced shawls, blankets, quality fabrics, and yarns. During the Civil War, the mill was kept busy, producing material for the Union Army.

(Mike) Well, it's phenomenal to walk through. I think it is like stepping back in time. That's a cliche, but I think you see it right here. You're walking into a 19th-century building, as much as it would've been, as you would've seen it at that time, with all the machinery here,

(narrator) The mill closed in 1898. When the area became a park and historic site in the 1960s, it was restored as it would've been in the 1870s. The machinery is still in working condition.

(Describer) Beckett.

(Mike) What I always enjoy is seeing people who walk in the door, 'cause they don't know what to expect. Many times they've never been in a factory, let alone a 19th- century textile factory. And then there's that, "Oh, wow," moment, as I call it. They walk in, they see the first floor of the machinery, and then they go to the upper floors and there's more machinery. And then the interpreter will tell the story, how the machinery is utilized, what's the process? We have tours of small school children that come through. We have enthusiasts that are involved in spinning and weaving that will come through. They kind of want to see how it was done 100 years ago. If you're interested in history, it's an ideal place to come.

(Describer) Daytime. Light shines down through forest trees.

[upbeat music]

(narrator) Roaring River State Park in the far southwestern corner of the state is 4,200 acres of rugged and mountainous terrain carved out by the White River. More than half of the park is maintained in its original wild state. And its isolated location is home to more than 600 species of plant life, many of which cannot be found in any other region of the state. From Roaring River spring, originating in a deep gorge behind a cliff, gush 20 million gallons of water a day.

(Describer) Kerry Hays.

(speaker) The spring pool at the park is where Roaring River begins, and it's a gorgeous part of the park. Several years ago, a team of divers decided to find out how deep the spring really was, and by the time they were done, they found that the spring was 224 feet deep. That water that's coming up is pure water. When it shows up, it looks a deep blue. It gives it almost a Caribbean look when you go to the spring area.

(Describer) Fish swim in the clear water.

We have ten miles of trails at Roaring River State Park, and the trail that is probably visited the most is the Devil's Kitchen Trail. And you go through a variety of different ecosystems as you go through there; and there's several caves that you can visit. Devil's Kitchen is a formation of rocks that, through the centuries, have fallen down on top of each other and give you this sense of incredible awe.

(narrator) And for those who love to fish, Roaring River, with its hatcheries and waterways, has been a popular destination since the early 1900s.

[gentle music]

History and architecture buffs enjoy visiting the many facilities constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was created by the federal government in 1933 at the height of the Great Depression to employ young men between the ages of 18 and 25 in national and state parks, building dining lodges, picnic shelters, cabins, and campgrounds.

(Kerry) We're very proud of our Civilian Conservation Corps presence at Roaring River State Park. They built several parts of the park that are still used and viable today. You are living and walking through history when you walk through the park.

(Describer) An archival photo shows a young man sitting on top of a stone wall holding a hammer. Other men behind him work on the wall. Gentle mist floats above serene water.

[bright music]

(narrator) Another of the state's outstanding spots for fishing, particularly for trout, is Bennett Spring State Park, which was established in 1924. The spring has been the site of several mills since the 1830s. In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps made a number of improvements in the park, including a stone bridge, which, according to legend, was built so that its three arches spelled out a sideways "CCC."

(Describer) Men fish.

Just upstream from the bridge, a dam allows control of the water level of the stream, so it's always constant, and just right for fishing, which typically begins at the crack of dawn.

(Describer) People standing in knee deep stream water fish. Foxtail grass sways in the breeze.

[gentle music]

Missouri is blessed with an unusual diversity of natural ecosystems. Just north of the low mountains and thick forests of the Ozarks is Prairie State Park, a striking contrast to the land that surrounds it. At one time, a third of Missouri was covered with tall grass prairie. And today, there is less than 1% remaining, and majority of that tall grass landscape is right here at Prairie State Park. So, it is a unique and historical landscape.

(Describer) Laura Hendrickson.

We have approximately 100 head of bison, and we have about 25 head of elk that roam throughout the area. The bison are a huge attraction here to the park. Bulls can weigh up to 2,000 pounds or a ton. They're very quick. Bison, as a species, can run about 35 miles an hour. Prairie State Park is just shy of 4,000 acres, and many of those acres within that are true remnants. The ground has never been turned by a plow. It's a unique landscape that you just don't see, in its vastness. But it's an experience that's unlike any other because it's so remote, and just the sense of openness. I think it can transport you back in time to some degree. I have a tendency to think

it's a little romantic. [chuckles]

I always bring myself to think, "What would it have been like to cross this in the late 1800s?"

(Describer) In slow motion, clear water drifts downstream.

[water trickling]

(narrator) Missouri is not just diverse in terms of its landscape, but in its cultures as well. Part urban, part rural, with flavors of both the north and the south.

[gentle music]

But the creation and success of Missouri State Parks over the past century is grounded in a widespread popular commitment to preserving the best of our natural world. When state and federal funding for the system was threatened in the 1980s, voters approved a 1/10 of one cent sales tax to support the parks and the state soil conservation program. Which is why there is no entrance fee into the state parks system. Anybody can come and enjoy the state parks with no cost, and that's very unusual around the country in which there usually is an entrance fee. Missouri is a very special place in that regard, that its citizens have always valued our natural resources, have always valued those special and unique places.

(narrator) And since its inception in 1917, the system has steadily grown in size and in the range of amenities it offers, as the state has purchased land, and philanthropists, committed to conservation, have donated their own private property for the enjoyment of all. Time and time again, we have been ranked in the top four state park systems in all the nation, and that says something. In the last few years, we have been named "best trail state," "best camping state." Sometimes families think they have to go out of state to a far away destination to really go on a family vacation, but what more and more Missouri families are discovering is that all that they could ever possibly ask for in the way of adventure is right here in the state. Somewhere in the Missouri State Park system, there is an adventure awaiting.

(Describer) A dot on a map of Missouri is labeled 'Johnson's Shut-Ins.'

(narrator) One of the state's most popular and unusual parks is Johnson's Shut-Ins, a unique geological formation of stones and water.

(Describer) Jeff Ayers.

(speaker) About a billion and a half years ago, volcanoes in this area started forming the land, and then throughout the years, it's a shut-in area, which means that the water has to flow within a certain area, and it's formed the rocks that you see behind me.

(Describer) A child jumps from a rock into the water.

(narrator) In December of 2005, a reservoir owned by the utility Ameren UE breached, pouring more than a billion gallons of water into the park. Following a settlement of over $100 million, the shut-ins were restored to their former state.

(Jeff) Our visitation from Memorial Day to Labor Day is probably 250,000, and people love to come down here because it's so unique. You know, you got the natural water slides and the waterfalls, and it's something you can't see anywhere out in the world, just about.

(Describer) Water cascades over smooth rocks. Comer.

(Carol) And of course, the state park system is more than just preservation or protection of our natural resources; it's about having fun. There's so much to do. You can go hiking, you can go biking, you can go kayaking. There's camping, there's these beautiful lodges that entire families spend time together. This becomes part of the tradition of the family.

(Describer) A man in a red kayak paddles past an auburn shore, leaving water rippling in his wake.

[gentle music]

(narrator) And the lake of the Ozark State Park, with its woods, caves, rivers, hills, and of course, miles of shorelines and coves, offers all those recreational opportunities and more.

(Describer) A photo shows a construction site.

The lake itself was created in the 1930s by Union Electric, now Ameren UE. The federal government developed a recreation area on the lake, which was donated to the state after World War II.

(Describer) A deer lifts its head.

The Lake of the Ozarks is a unique place. Nowhere else in the state will visitors find such a collection of springs, caves, interesting geological formations and wildlife, all part of that shared Missouri experience.

(Describer) Children play in the lake water by a sandy shore. Two cyclists bike down a wooded trail.

[gentle music continues]

Missouri also has the distinction of having the longest and skinniest state park in America; 240 miles in length and about 100 feet wide, Katy Trail State Park runs along the bed of the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas, or Katy Railroad, from St. Charles, Missouri, all the way to the town of Clinton, south of Kansas City.

[upbeat music]

(Describer) A man and woman bike the trail.

The Katy Trail attracts bikers and hikers from across America and around the world, passing not just through the geography of the state, but its history as well, through farmland and forests, along the Missouri River, through old railroad and river towns, to larger cities like Boonville and Jefferson City. However visitors travel to Katy, it is a rare journey into places and times that can no longer be found in the big cities, offering glimpses of a past where the pace of life was slower and quieter, and more in tune with the rhythms of the natural world.

(Describer) The setting sun peeks out from behind a tree line, casting an orange glow on the surface of still, river water.

There are numerous state parks and historic sites within an easy drive of metropolitan St. Louis. Among them, Babler, Castlewood, and Confluence State Park, where the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers converge.

[gentle music]

But just on the northern edge of downtown St. Louis is a very different kind of historic site-- the Scott Joplin House, the former home of a great American composer.

(speaker) He moved to St. Louis from Sedalia, Missouri, in about 1901. He lived here about two and a half years to three years. He lived in the apartment upstairs. He wrote significant amounts of work here.

(Describer) Almetta Jordan.

Scott Joplin's very important because of the musical legacy that he leaves.

[upbeat ragtime music]

The introduction of ragtime music as the first popular American music.

(narrator) The Scott Joplin House demonstrates the very wide range of parks and historical sites that make up the park system. No bluffs, streams, or forests here, but a special place in its own way, in an urban center, honoring the achievements of a Missouri artist, interpreting the place and the times in which he lived.

(Almetta) You would see the apartment that he actually lived in, experience a tour with a tour guide that would answer most questions that you could possibly ask about ragtime or to Scott Joplin's time here in Missouri. We honor important people, but we also honor historical achievements and historical perspectives. We're doing that at Scott Joplin House.

(Describer) Keys on a player piano move.

(Describer) A dot on a map of Missouri is labeled 'Echo Bluff.'

[gentle music]

(narrator) One of the more recent additions to the state park system is Echo Bluff, located among the hills and woods of the Missouri Ozarks. Echo Bluff's most outstanding feature is a sheer wall of rock, rising dramatically above a bend in Sinking Creek. The park offers a variety of vacation options, from rustic to comfortable, with the expectations of 21st century park visitors in mind. Some St. Louisans will remember the site as the old Camp Zoe, a children's summer camp.

(Describer) Water rushes through a stream at the foot of the bluff. Sara Pauley. Former director, Department of Natural Resources.

[gentle music continues]

(Sara) Echo Bluff provides something for folks who say, you know, "I'd love to get in the out of doors, "I'd love to go and enjoy nature, but I also like the comforts of home." And so Echo Bluff, with a beautiful lodge, the brand-new cabins, wonderful restaurant, it allows those nicer amenities, but you're in the midst of the Ozarks. You're in the midst of Sinking Creek and the Current River watershed. You're in the midst of nature at its very best. There is something for everyone; you just have to get out there, and you'll fall in love with the state park system for sure.

(Describer) Pink flowers cover a tree branch. Archival photos appear. Three adults and a smiling young boy posing on a cliffside. A man in a hat and young people studying leaves. A man photographing white water rushing over a rock. A couple having a picnic.

[birds chirping]

[gentle music]

[gentle music continues]

(narrator) The idea of providing something for everyone has endured now for over 100 years, and each state park and historic site in every corner of Missouri is a reminder that no matter who we are or where we live, there is much that we share. These are places that belong to all of us, and setting aside the best and most beautiful parts of our state to appreciate and enjoy should never be taken for granted.

(Describer) Comer.

(Carol) This is 100 years. It's our legacy. It's the thing that we share. It's the thing that we preserve. It's the one thing that makes us all family. We have an obligation to preserve and protect and pass it on to the generations after, just like the generations before passed it on to us.

(Describer) A view from a lush hillside shows thick mist settling atop sprawling mountains. Pauley.

[gentle music]

I think in our fast-paced world today, when we have so many electronic gadgets and other things that crowd the mind, we are all looking for those places to settle down, find quiet and peace and tranquility, and reconnect with the very best of us, and most of us find that to some aspect in nature.

(Describer) Brown water flows downstream. Water rushes over green, mossy rocks dotted with colorful leaves. Autumn leaves cover the ground on either side of a wooded path running alongside a river.

[gentle music continues]

♪

(Describer) A wide river flows past young trees with orange leaves. In the winter, snow and ice covers trees and ground on either side of a placid river.

(Describer) A pile of boulders rest atop rocky terrain overlooking forest trees.

[gentle music]

(narrator) All of the richness and beauty, from the Ozark hills to the prairie, the streams and forests, these are the places that hold the very heart of what is most beautiful and valuable in the place we live. And as we enjoy all they have to offer us, we will celebrate those who created and nurtured it for over 100 years, and commit ourselves to the continuation of their good work into the next century.

(Describer) Mist settles atop trees lining the river bank.

[gentle music]

Accessibility provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

(Describer) Titles. Producer/Writer Patrick Murphy. Editor/Colorist Brian Holder. Photography Lauren Torno III. Seth Donnelly. Michelle Whaley. Aerial photography Tony Carosella. Audio Brad Bruggerman. Special thanks Friends of Arrow Rock. Missouri Department of Conservation. Missouri State Parks. All rights reserved. Nine Network of Public Media. Accessibility provided by the US Department of Education.

♪