- Weldon Springs State Recreation Area
Infobox_protected_area | name = Weldon Springs State Recreation Area, Illinois, USA
iucn_category = V
caption = Map of theU.S. state ofIllinois showing the location of Weldon Springs State Recreation Area
locator_x = 171
locator_y = 169
location = DeWitt County,Illinois , USA
nearest_city =Clinton, Illinois 400714N 0885525W
lat_degrees = 40
lat_minutes = 07
lat_seconds = 14
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 88
long_minutes = 55
long_seconds = 25
long_direction = W
area = convert|550|acre|km2|2|lk=on
established =
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body =Illinois Department of Natural Resources Weldon Springs State Recreation Area is a convert|550|acre|km2|2|adj=on
state park located nearClinton, Illinois . It centers on Salt Creek and the impoundment of a tributary, Weldon Springs, to form Weldon Spring Lake, areservoir . It is supervised by theIllinois Department of Natural Resources .Geology and ecology
Weldon Springs is an unusual spring in the relatively flat "Grande Prairie" of central Illinois. The spring is a local reminder of the former presence of an immense buried river valley, the
Teays River , once as large as theMississippi River .Glacial till left behind during theIce Age buried the valley and its bedrock bluffs below the current earth surface, but much later flows ofgroundwater were forced by this buried geological feature to the surface. Weldon Springs became awetland with some of the northernmostbald cypress trees in Illinois.History
In the 1800s, Weldon Springs was the fishing camp of a leading local citizen, Judge Lawrence Weldon. In 1900, Judge Weldon leased the springs to the "Weldon Springs Company", which raised $7,500 to redevelop the springs as a
Chautauqua . From 1901 until 1921, Weldon Springs - which was served by a branch line of theIllinois Central Railroad - was a recognized stop on the Chautauqua circuit; for ten days annually, inspirational speakers and entertainers took top billing on the spring garden's outdooramphitheatre s. National leaders who appeared at Weldon Springs includedWilliam Jennings Bryan ,Helen Keller ,Carrie Nation , the Rev.Billy Sunday , and PresidentWilliam Howard Taft .With the increasing availability of personal
motor vehicle s and distribution ofmovie s, the Chautauqua circuit collapsed in the early 1920s. The Weldon family donated the springs to the county seat of Clinton in 1936, and the parcel moved to state ownership in 1948. It is the heart of what is now Weldon Springs State Recreation Area.Today
When nearby
Logan County, Illinois built its first-generation pioneerpublic school s in the 1860s, one of the one-room schools was named the "Union School" (1865). The name signifies the side Illinois took during theAmerican Civil War at the time. After the Union School was consolidated about 1950, the building was moved to Weldon Springs and restored as the state park museum and visitor center.From the Union School and parking lot, more than 7 miles (11 km) of trails fan out. Local hikers will find the largest trees in the Salt Creek bottoms, including the largest tree in the park, a
silver maple . The 1.3-mile (2.1 km) Schoolhouse Trail accesses a restoredtallgrass prairie which provides habitat for more than 30 different species ofbutterflies . More than 80birdhouse s are maintained to provide homes forbluebird s.The spring-fed Weldon Spring Lake is managed for
largemouth bass andchannel catfish , withpanfish also present. There is a power limit on the lake, with gasoline-powered motors not allowed.The campgrounds and amphitheatres used during the spring complex's Chautauqua days continue in readiness for use.
Current status
In response to state budget cuts, the state of Illinois announced plans in August 2008 to close Weldon Springs State Recreation Area indefinitely on November 1, 2008. [http://www.clintondailyjournal.com/V2_news_articles.php?heading=0&page=72&story_id=2183]
External links
* [http://dnr.state.il.us/lands/landmgt/PARKS/R3/Weldonra.htm IDNR - Welson Springs State Recreation Area]
*accessdate|2008-05-05
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