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Originating along the Barry-Lawrence County line, south of
Verona, Spring River flows west-northwest across the north part of the
city to its confluence with the North Fork of Spring River. It eventually
meanders southwest into Kansas and empties into the Grand Lake of the
Cherokees in Oklahoma. Major tributaries within the Spring River Basin are
North Fork, Center Creek, Turkey Creek and Shoal Creek. all within Jasper
County.
History of Site:
Kellogg Lake was part of an original land grant by President James K. Polk
on May 26, 1851, and included 260 acres for $60. The Kellogg family
purchased the property in 1880 for $7,325. It remained in the Kellogg
family until it was virtually donated to the Sportsmen’s Protective League
of Carthage in 1953 by Miss Mary Kellogg and Charles Kellogg. The site lay
between the old Route 66 Highway and the newly constructed Highway 96.
Mounting a campaign to raise $9,000, the League’s goal was to have one of
the most beautiful highway entrances in the country as well as a
recreational area open to everyone.
The money was used to build a dam to contain a lake that would be 10 to 12
feet at its deepest point. The League stocked the lake with bass and
bluegill and were cautious about introducing undesirable fish. A network
of roads was constructed, to be maintained by the Carthage Special Road
District. Boy Scouts of Troop 9 planted 200 pine trees and sowed 200
pounds of grass seed on the dam around the lake. An old house was moved,
rebuilt and modernized to serve as a caretaker’s home, a job held many
years by John Maxwell. He and his wife sold live bait and rented boats to
sports lovers.
In 1974, the Sportsmen’s League gave the property to the city with the
provision that it be continued for park purposes. Mayor Kent Neil signed a
contract with the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1983 to properly
manage the fishery of the lake and to provide plans and supervise
construction of a boat launching ramp with a parking area and a fishing
jetty at the southeast corner of the lake. The city in return was to pay
for the improvements.
With the Missouri Department of Conservation encouraging development of
nature conservation in Southwest Missouri, Mayor Ken Johnson in early 2001
appointed an ad hoc committee and charged it with the task of creating a
master plan for the Kellogg Lake area that would meet appropriate needs of
the community, including education, entertainment, cultural, economic and
recreational uses.
Keeping in mind the city’s limited resources, the committee voted to form
a private corporation to accomplish these objectives. By-laws were adopted
and non-profit status was achieved in 2002 for Kellogg Lake Nature Center
and Preserve. Using grants from the Steadley Foundation and the Boylan
Foundation, the first capital improvement, a fishing pavilion on the
southwest corner of the lake, was begun in July. Many other objectives
remain to be realized over the next several years.
Objectives identified by the board:
To provide a clean, safe and well-maintained environment.
To promote conservation education and environmental sensitivity.
To offer a wide array of activities that will enhance residents’ quality
of life.
To implement park improvements in keeping with these objectives.
To partner with Wildcat Glades Conservation and MoDOC to achieve these
goals.
To encourage, throughout the process, involvement of the community by
emphasizing public participation in the planning, implementation and usage
of the site and planned activities.
Priorities identified through public comment:
Clean-up and better maintenance of the park and river areas. Improved public safety through better control of traffic and litter.
Placement of public restrooms.
Establishment of walking and biking trails.
Installation of picnic tables and benches throughout the park.
Master Plan Guidelines – Phase 1
Phase I objectives have been completed or are underway. The board of
Kellogg Lake Nature Center and Preserve organized as a non-profit
organization, held public hearings to understand the public’s interest and
ideas and to learn from conservation experts who spoke at the meetings. A
clean-up campaign is an on-going project, with the help of city park
employees, civic volunteers and community service workers referred by the
courts.
Several grants have been received, including a $10,000 Department of
Conservation T.R.I.M. grant for the planting of 72 new trees and the
removal of a number of hazardous trees. The fishing pavilion on the lake
was constructed with $60,000 plus in grants from the Helen S. Boylan
Foundation, the Kent D. and Mary L. Steadley Trust, H. E. Williams, Inc.
and Infinity Lighting, Inc. An outdoor classroom consisting of a walking
trail around Kellogg Slough has been constructed, signs erected and plans
for classroom seating are in progress. Eight parking lots were constructed
in 2006. A plan to protect the park grassland and maintain access
control through the installation of post and cable is underway, thanks to
a $50,000 grant from the Steadley Trust. Additional lighting was secured
through the Carthage Water & Electric Plant which provides more night-time
security for visitors to the park.
Kid’s Fishing Day has become a popular event on the second weekend in
June, attracting around 600 participants and offering both educational and
recreational opportunities. The board of Kellogg Lake Nature Center and
Preserve has partnered with the Missouri Department of Conservation to
conduct this community activity for the past five years. A Carthage Stream
Team which monitors water quality in Spring River on a regular schedule
has been established under the leadership of board member Wayne Christian
and his high school volunteers. Noted wildlife authority Frank Martinez is
currently conducting flora and fauna studies of the park, with special
attention paid to the natural area around the Kellogg Slough.
An entrance planter was built and landscaped at the northwest entrance to
the park to improve a neglected area. And finally, this website has been
set up to acquaint the community and others with events and information
about Kellogg Lake Park. The site is expected to be a public forum to
receive comments, both constructive criticisms and constructive
suggestions.
Master Plan Guidelines - Phase 2
The Kellogg Lake Nature Center and Preserve board of directors is in the
midst of a three-year strategic plan to complete Phase 2, for which the
Carthage City Council has given preliminary approval. It will involve
application for grant monies totaling $215,000 to complete the following:
An environmental overlook pavilion at Spring River where Old Route 66 ends
(approximate cost - $70,000).
Re-creation of the old Route 66 Historic (1939) Roadside Park, including
tables, benches and ovens (approximate cost - $20,000)
Two substantial park signs (approximate cost - $10,000).
Permanent restrooms (approximate cost - $65,000).
Playground equipment for small children (approximate cost - $50,000).
Master Plan Guidelines – Phase 3
Phase 3, to which no timeline or projected costs have been assigned, would
consist of:
1. Draining and dredging of Kellogg Lake to achieve better fishing
quality.
2. Construction of a walking bridge across Spring River.
3. Erosion control of Spring River, including fishing jetties.
4. Purchase of adjacent property and construction of a river trail. |
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