Radio Springs Park

Before the area of southwest Missouri was colonized and settled by Europeans, the land was occupied by the Osage Native Americans. Pawhuska was a famous tribal chief of the Osage and was told about the brown water that flowed from the rock in the cliff known as the “Fountain of Youth.” According to a legend, his people found the spring in the area of radio springs, drank its water, and were healed. The fame of the water spread across the area and was passed down by each generation. The area of Radio Springs was bought by two Nevadan businessmen in 1888 and quickly became a place of relaxation and exploration in the outdoors.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Radio Springs became a popular tourist destination for the town of Nevada. The power of the magical healing waters became known across the region, and people came to visit regularly throughout the spring and summer months. It became so popular, that Nevada ran a streetcar from the middle of the town down to the park. Admission cost a nickel each way and would provide visitors with a swift ride to and from the park. In the 1920s, a pavilion for dancing was erected and became the new source of social gatherings for the town. Many college students, young married couples, and the few high schoolers with late curfews were able to enjoy an orchestra that played there most evenings during the summers. 

Over the years, the attractions of the park have come and gone, and continued to change. The park currently has a walking and jogging trail surrounding the main lake that many use for exercise, dog walking, or just spending time in nature. The white gazebo offers visitors a beautiful place to sit and admire Missouri’s natural beauty and listen to the many geese that call the park home. Visitors can still see where the streetcar brought visitors in from town, which is now a railroad that goes through the back of the park. A playground up on the hill is available to entertain children along with a pavilion for picnicking. Many locals love to fish in the lake during the spring and summer, and love to play in the snow on the hills during the winter. 

Throughout the years, Radio Springs has served as a place in nature for everyone to have fun and relax, and continues to be a place to enjoy and explore Missouri in its natural state. Although the park has changed over time, it continues to be a gathering place for members of the Nevada community as well as those visiting southwest Missouri. The rich history surrounding Radio Springs from the Osage legend of the “healing waters,” to the beginnings of the park in the 1880s allows for visitors to experience nature in a historical way and continues to be a site of living history as the years go on.

"Nevada/Vernon County Chamber Of Commerce | History Of Nevada/Vernon County". 2021. Nevada-Mo.Com. Accessed April 29. https://nevada-mo.com/history-of-nevada-vernon-county/.

"Radio Springs Lake (Nevada)". 2021. MDC Discover Nature. Accessed April 29. https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/radio-springs-lake-nevada.

Sterett, Betty, and Donna Logan. 2002. Scenes From The Past (Of Nevada, Missouri). Nevada, Mo.: Vernon County Historical Society/Bushwhacker Museum.