| Marker Text |
Formed in 1901, the Confederate Veterans and Old Settlers Association of Hill County acquired 73 acres of wooded land as a site for its summer reunion. The 3-5 day encampment, held annually from 1902 to 1924, was an important social and recreational event in this locality. Many families traveled by wagon and camped at the site. Special trains from Hillsboro brought other visitors, and a gravel auto road was completed in 1909. The reunion usually attracted a crowd of several thousand persons. Activities included speeches, musical programs, baseball games, and, on one occasion, a carnival midway show. Located on the grounds were a spring-fed lake, large pavilion, and baseball park. Some families leased their camp lots and built summer cottages. The fraternal picnic association's July 4th picnic, 1908-14, and other meetings and social events were also held here. With the reopening (1916) of the Hill County Fair and a decrease in numbers of veterans and old settlers, reunion attendance dropped sharply at the end of World War I (1918). The association deeded its property to the state in 1924 to be developed as Jefferson Davis State Park, but those plans were never realized. |
