Native Americans Petroglyphs Washington State Park

Over 2,000 acres in size, Washington State Park is in east-central Missouri situated on a bluff overlooking the Big River Valley. The park includes hundreds of petroglyphs created by prehistoric Native Americans between 1000 to 1600 C.E. The carvings depict birds, arrows, footprints, human figures, and geometric shapes and patterns created and constitutes the largest group of petroglyphs in the state. The most well-known carving is the Thunderbird petroglyph. The park was developed by the African American workers of Company 1743 which was part of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a federal jobs program that provided work to Americans during the Great Depression. Between 1934-1939, Company 1743 built a number of structures in the park, including Thunderbird Lodge, as well as roads and a 1.5-mile-long staircase of a trail known as the 1,000-Steps Trail. The park and the glyphs are listed separately on the National Register of Historic Places.

Petroglyphs

There are two glyph sites in the park. The main one is located near the north entrance and features a covered shelter and wooded observation deck with interpretive signs. The other, smaller one, is located near the park's interpretive center. The glyphs shed light on the lives and beliefs of the Mississippian people who inhabited the area long ago. Archaeological excavations in 1959 and 2017 examined the petroglyphs and unearthed a variety of artifacts including arrowheads, pottery sherds, and stone tools.

Company 1743

The CCC was established in 1933 and operated for nine years. Its purpose was to provide jobs to young men 18-25 to conserve and develop the country's natural resources. In Missouri, there were 93 CCC companies and four were African American. Company 1743 was created in 1933 and first sent to South Dakota but moved to St. Joseph, Missouri in October. In June 1934 it was sent to Washington State Park. White residents in the nearby town of DeSoto initially objected to the 1743's presence but eventually the company earned their respect. The company became known as the "Thunderbirds". In 1939, the 1743 was sent to Mark Twain State Park, near the town of Florida, Missouri. Knowing the economic benefit the 1743 brought to the community, the town of DeSoto requested that it remain but this effort failed. Residents in Florida wanted a white company instead of the 1743 but was informed that if it opposed the company, no CCC company would be sent to the park. As a result, businessmen from Florida visited Washington State Park to see the work the 1743 did and were impressed. The 1743 arrived in Florida in December 1939 and disbanded in July 1942.

Denny, James M. & Wright, Bonita Marie. "ECW Architecture in Missouri State Parks 1933-1942." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 26, 1985. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63818130/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/64000392.pdf.

"General Information at Washington State Park." Missouri State Parks. Accessed June 20, 2022. https://mostateparks.com/page/55015/general-information.

"The 3760: An African-American Company." Forest History Today, Spring/Fall 2010, p.20-26. https://foresthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/2010_Zaragoza_the-3760.pdf.