Dixon Springs State Park
Encyclopedia
Dixon Springs State Park is an Illinois state park on 801 acres (324.2 ha) in Pope County, Illinois
, USA, and is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped 200 feet (61 m) along a fault line
that extends northwesterly across Pope County.
The 801 acres (324.2 ha) park is about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Golconda
on Illinois Route 146
near its junction with Illinois Route 145
. The first land acquisition was in 1946.
had been driven from Tennessee
, had settled near the mouth of the Wabash River
. Dixon Springs was one of their favorite camping grounds and was called "Kitchemuske-nee-be" for the Great Medicine Waters.
One of the better known Indian
trails, which the early French called the "Grand Trace," passed to the west of the park and south to Fort Massac
, then branched out into lesser trails. Much of the "Grand Trace" is Illinois Route 145
, one of the most scenic highways in the state, running nearly all of its length south from Harrisburg, Illinois
through the Shawnee National Forest
.
This section of the state was part of an Indian reservation
occupied for a time by about 6,000 Native Americans
. Like the buffalo
, most of the Indians were gone by the early 1830s.
Dixon Springs takes its name from William Dixon, one of the first white settlers to build a home in this section, who obtained a school land warrant in 1848 from Governor Augustus C. French
. His cabin was a landmark for many years as was an old log church on the adjoining knoll.
A small community grew up at Dixon Springs with a general store
, post office
, blacksmith
shop, grist mill, and several churches.
Dixon Springs became a 19th century health spa
which attracted hundreds to the seven springs of mineral-enriched water. A bathhouse
provided mineral or soft water baths, hot or cold, available at any time. The natural beauty of the area and its interesting stone formations helped to give the park valley a more equable temperature in the summer than most of southern Illinois. This made the resort so popular that people came by steamboat
excursions from as far away as Paducah, Kentucky
, Evansville, Indiana
, and Cairo
to Golconda. They then traveled by train to within a couple of miles of the park.
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA, and is one of several state parks in the Illinois Shawnee Hills. The park is on a giant block of rock which was dropped 200 feet (61 m) along a fault line
Fault line
In geology, fault line refers to the surface trace of a fault.Fault line, Fault Line, or faultline may also refer to:* "Faultline", a song from the 2008 studio album Versus by The Haunted...
that extends northwesterly across Pope County.
The 801 acres (324.2 ha) park is about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Golconda
Golconda, Illinois
Golconda is a city in, and the county seat of, Pope County, located along the Ohio River. The population was 726 at the 2000 census. The entire city has been designated a state Historic District.-Geography:Golconda is located at ....
on Illinois Route 146
Illinois Route 146
Illinois Route 146 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. It serves the extreme southern region of the state, commonly called Little Egypt or the Illinois Ozarks. IL-146 is long. An east–west highway, it serves Hardin County, Pope County, Johnson County, and...
near its junction with Illinois Route 145
Illinois Route 145
Illinois Route 145 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois. It splits off from U.S. Route 45 near Metropolis and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in Harrisburg...
. The first land acquisition was in 1946.
History
The area around the park was occupied by various tribes of Algonquins who, after the ShawneeShawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
had been driven from Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, had settled near the mouth of the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
. Dixon Springs was one of their favorite camping grounds and was called "Kitchemuske-nee-be" for the Great Medicine Waters.
One of the better known Indian
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
trails, which the early French called the "Grand Trace," passed to the west of the park and south to Fort Massac
Fort Massac
Fort Massac is a colonial and early National-era fort on the Ohio River in Massac County, Illinois, United States.Legend has it that, as early as 1540, the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his soldiers constructed a primitive fortification here to defend themselves from native attack...
, then branched out into lesser trails. Much of the "Grand Trace" is Illinois Route 145
Illinois Route 145
Illinois Route 145 is a north–south state road in southern Illinois. It splits off from U.S. Route 45 near Metropolis and runs north, rejoining U.S. 45 in Harrisburg...
, one of the most scenic highways in the state, running nearly all of its length south from Harrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg, Illinois
Harrisburg is a city and township in Saline County, Illinois, United States. It is located about southwest of Evansville, Indiana, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri. The 2010 population was 9,017, with a township population of 10,790. It is the county seat of Saline County...
through the Shawnee National Forest
Shawnee National Forest
The Shawnee National Forest, located in the Ozark and Shawnee Hills of Southern Illinois, consists of approximately 280,000 acres of federally managed lands. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of Pope, Jackson, Union, Hardin, Alexander, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, and Massac...
.
This section of the state was part of an Indian reservation
Indian reservation
An American Indian reservation is an area of land managed by a Native American tribe under the United States Department of the Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs...
occupied for a time by about 6,000 Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Like the buffalo
American Bison
The American bison , also commonly known as the American buffalo, is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in massive herds...
, most of the Indians were gone by the early 1830s.
Dixon Springs takes its name from William Dixon, one of the first white settlers to build a home in this section, who obtained a school land warrant in 1848 from Governor Augustus C. French
Augustus C. French
Augustus Chaflin French was the ninth Governor of the U.S. state of Illinois from 1846 until 1853. He is best known for his fiscal policies, which eliminated the state's debt by the end of his administration, and for the lack of scandals during his administration...
. His cabin was a landmark for many years as was an old log church on the adjoining knoll.
A small community grew up at Dixon Springs with a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, grist mill, and several churches.
Dixon Springs became a 19th century health spa
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
which attracted hundreds to the seven springs of mineral-enriched water. A bathhouse
Public bathing
Public baths originated from a communal need for cleanliness. The term public may confuse some people, as some types of public baths are restricted depending on membership, gender, religious affiliation, or other reasons. As societies have changed, public baths have been replaced as private bathing...
provided mineral or soft water baths, hot or cold, available at any time. The natural beauty of the area and its interesting stone formations helped to give the park valley a more equable temperature in the summer than most of southern Illinois. This made the resort so popular that people came by steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
excursions from as far away as Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah is the largest city in Kentucky's Jackson Purchase Region and the county seat of McCracken County, Kentucky, United States. It is located at the confluence of the Tennessee River and the Ohio River, halfway between the metropolitan areas of St. Louis, Missouri, to the west and Nashville,...
, Evansville, Indiana
Evansville, Indiana
Evansville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Indiana and the largest city in Southern Indiana. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 117,429. It is the county seat of Vanderburgh County and the regional hub for both Southwestern Indiana and the...
, and Cairo
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the county seat of Alexander County. Cairo is located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The rivers converge at Fort Defiance State Park, an American Civil War fort that was commanded by General Ulysses S. Grant...
to Golconda. They then traveled by train to within a couple of miles of the park.