Nov. 28: Alspaugh Park’s history & cemeteries
Mark these upcoming events on your calendar:
At 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28, Bruce Alspaugh will talk about the unique features of John W. Alspaugh Park, a 201-acre park named for his father. Bruce’s mother Carol Ann donated the land in January 2023, after his father’s death on March 29, 2022. The gift is the largest land donation to Columbia Parks and Recreation, according to a Jan. 20, 2023, KOMU report. The meeting will be in the Columbia Public Library. All CoMo Preservation meetings are free and open to the public.
— Also at this meeting, in celebration of Giving Tuesday, CoMo Preservation will hold a raffle with the names of everyone who joined CoMo Preservation by this date. A two-book bundle will be raffled. The books are Iconic Restaurants of Columbia, Missouri and Historic Movie Theaters of Columbia, Missouri. Sign up for membership here. Membership is $20. Anyone who signs up for membership prior to Dec. 31, 2023, will be acknowledged as a Founding Member.
— On Tuesday, Dec. 19, CoMo Preservation will meet INSIDE the Broadway Diner. Starting at 7 p.m. owner Dave Johnson will talk about the history of the diner. Holiday treats will be provided.
— At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 23, Chris Cady will share about the history of the Orr Street area. NOTE: Starting in 2024, CoMo Preservation’s meetings will begin at 6 p.m.
More information on Alspaugh Park: The park on Mexico Gravel Road and Vandiver Drive is already open to the public, although with a limited gravel parking lot. You may already know this park as the land includes the Hinkson Creek Tree Farm where in the past families would buy their holiday trees. When Carol Ann Alspaugh donated the land, she stipulated it must be maintained as a natural, green space with an eye toward wildlife preservation.
Bruce will talk about the park’s origins and share the history of the land and information on the two little-known cemeteries that remain – and will remain – as a part of the park. The two cemeteries are the Antioch and Hinkson Creek cemeteries. The cemeteries are the resting place for some of the earliest settlers in the area including enslaved people.
The markers in the older cemetery, Hinkson Creek Cemetery, were vandalized and moved prior to his father’s ownership Bruce said. With the property as a city park, he hopes genealogists, African Americans, and historians will come together to research and renew the cemeteries.
Bruce is a Columbia native, a Mizzou graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in electrical engineering and has a doctorate in electrical engineering from Iowas State University in Ames, Iowa. He works as a software developer.
His father, John W. Alspaugh, was a long-time MU statistics professor and began buying up the land in the area in the 1970s. He used part of the property as a “play farm,” where he hoped to recreate farming practices he’d seen in place in West Germany during his military service there during the Cold War, according to a Feb. 2, 2023 Columbia Missourian article. He had plans for community gardens and other developments to serve the community.
CoMo Preservation is devoted to helping homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated, but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. The preservation of historic places and spaces gives people a sense of place and boosts Columbia’s economy. You can get involved by volunteering, signing up for our mailing list, attending an event, or donating funds.
Questions? Suggestions for speakers or events? Email CoMoPreservation@gmail.com.
