One hundred years ago Monday, the Missouri State Park System was born, thanks to a fund created by state lawmakers using revenue from the fish and game department.
Those who brought about the parks systems about probably would find it hard to believe 20 million people come to state parks annually now.
Workers and officials, past and present, gathered in the Capitol Rotunda to mark the occasion with a special ceremony Monday morning.
"The country was growing, and people needed places to recreate and vacation," said David Kelly, deputy director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which took over administering the state park system in 1974. "We now have over 150,000 of land that the public can enjoy."
Today, the state park system includes 91 parks and historic sites preserving homes of famous Missourians, Civil War battlefields, and reminders of yesterday such as gristmills and covered bridges. To help visitors enjoy their stay, the system offers more than 2,000 structures, 3,600 campsites, 194 cabins, almost 2,000 picnic sites, and more than 1,000 miles of trail.
More than 3,000 full-time, part-time and volunteer workers are stationed throughout the parks system, and Lt. Governor Mike Parson said they are owed a debt of gratitude for all they do to keep the system going.
"You don't become successful just because of the lieutenant governor, the director or high-ranking officials; you become successful because of dedicated workers like these," Parson said. "It really matters how you represent yourself as a state, and these folks help us put our best foot forward."
Parson noted the state parks system is a $1 billion tourism industry for Missouri and 44-45 percent of those who come to state parks are Missourians - numbers Parson would like to see increase.
"We have a tendency to look out of state to go on vacation," he said. "We have so much to offer in Missouri, and we need to get our own citizens to take a look at our own natural resources and take their families to enjoy what we have to offer."