商品簡介
Missouri's identity has long been tied to its role as a crossroads, a land-sometimes a battleground-where east met west, and south confronted north. This borderland character has produced extraordinary personalities and enduring human stories. The same crossroads geography also shapes the state's landscapes and environment, from the rich rolling plains of the north and west, through the ancient wooded Ozark hills and hollows to the broad alluvial delta of the deep southeast and along the corridors of the continent’s two mightiest rivers. The state's remarkable diversity of people and resources comes alive in this impressive new edition that explores the cultural and natural history embodied in its superb state park system. Taum Sauk, Onondaga, and the Ha Ha Tonka are here; all about Ozark mountains, caves, springs, and the mystery of the karst- how what happens both above and below the surface shapes the character of the land and waters. Mastodon State Historic Site, saved only by the refusal of four housewives to take ""no"" for an answer, revealed the first proof of humans in contact with mastodons 12,000 years ago, while Watkins Mill tells of two guys in search of a souvenir who wound up saving what is now a National Historic Landmark. Big Lake, Big Oak Tree, and Confluence ponder the lessons of our restless big rivers, while Pershing Park in the north and Prairie in the southwest exhibit fascinating stories of landscapes restored by park staff. More than a score of historic sites honor consequential Missourians- Osage Village and Towosahgy, but also Harry Truman, Mark Twain, and Scott Joplin. Other parks and sites preserve Civil War battlefields, bridges, mills, mines, reservoirs, and trails, each with a powerful story to tell. Essays for each of Missouri's 88 parks and historic sites treat them with insight born of the long familiarity of the authors. This volume will be an irresistible guide to the exploration of this legacy, either on the ground or from the armchair. The story of the system itself is told from its early beginnings through its more recent evolution as one of the finest park systems in the country, thanks to the amazing work and generosity of generations of conservation-minded Missourians. This book makes the case that this same affections, dedication, and enthusiasm sustain the 150,000-acre system to this day. The landmark 1992 edition was widely hailed as setting a new standard for state park literature nationwide. Since then, 11 new parks have been added, and important changes have occurred in the other parks and sites-all of which are treated fully here, along with hundreds of new images to capture the essence of these special places. This book will bring many hours of enjoyment and much useful knowledge and understanding, and it will encourage readers to discover for themselves the wonders of the ""Show-Me State"" through its remarkable park system.
作者簡介
Susan Flader is Professor Emerita of U.S. Western, environmental, and Missouri history at the University of Missouri—Columbia.
John A. Karel is president of the L-A-D Foundation and former Director of State Parks and of Tower Grove Park in St. Louis.
B. H. Rucker devoted his career to state parks as chief of cultural resources and historic preservation.
Oliver Schuchard is a landscape photographer and professor emeritus of artat the University of Missouri— Columbia.
Two co-authors of the first edition are deceased: R. Robert Pryor (1945-1999) was Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, and Charles Callison (1913-1993) was Executive Vice President of the National Audubon Society.
