ABOUT THE SAME TIME THAT THIS HOME WAS BEING BUILT, FREDERICK MATH MATHISSON WAS
ENJOYING A VIEW WHICH IS NOW
AVAILABLE TO ALL OF US AS WE
DISCOVERED AT THE PARK THAT
BEARS HIS NAME IN UTICA.
>>.
> A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PARK THAT MUCH BECAUSE IT IS SO CLOSE TO STARVED ROCK.
STARVED ROCK GETS MOST OF THE
VISITORS.
CANYON ITSELF, THE UPPER AND
LOWER COMBINED, ABOUT A MILE
FROM THE LAKE FALLS AREA TO THE
VERMILLION RIVER TES A BEAUTIFUL
SPOT TO COME AND HIKE, WHETHER
YOU WANT TO HIKE IN THE BOTTOM
OR UP AROUND THE RIM OF THE
CANYON.
IT IS REALLY PRETTY.
HEARE REALLY INTERESTING.
THEIN THE PARK, THERE ARE TWO OF
THEM ACTUALLY, THE UPPER AND THE
LOWER DEL.
IT IS JUST ANOTHER NAME FOR DAN
CANYON OR ROCKY BLUFF.
THEY WERE NAMED IN THE LATE 18,
EARLY 1900'S.
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE USED TO CALL
THESE CAN CANYON-LIKE AREAS.
THAT'S WHERE THEY GET THEIR
NAME.
>>
NAME. >> >> THE GEOLOGY IN THE PARK,
CANYONS ARE VERY INTERESTING.
THE CANIANS WERE ALL FORMED AND
MASSAC AND STARVED ROCK FROM THE
MELTING GLACIERS THOUSANDS OF
YEARS AGO.
AS THEY FLOODED THROUGH THE
AREA, THEY CUT INTO THE VERY
SOFT SANDSTONE WHICH IS CALLED
SAINT PETER SANDSTONE AND
CREATED THE SPECTACULAR CANYONS
THROUGHOUT MASSAC AND STATE
PARK.
THE WATERFALLS, ONE OF THE
WATERFALL IS 65 FEET HIGH.
WE CALL IT THE LAKE FALLS.
FREDERICK MATHISSON WAS WEALTHY
INDUSTRIAL WHO DEVELOPED THIS AS
A PARK.
HE AND HIS PARTNER,HEGLER WERE
IN THE PROCESSING OF ZINC.
THEY WANTED TO PUT A LAKE IN,
ABOVE THE BIG WALL YOU SEE IN
FRONT OF U.S.A. LAKE.
AND THE LAKE IS HELD BACK BY
THAT CONCRETE WALL AND STONE
WALL.
WHAT IS INTERESTING, THIS WAS
PUT IN LATE 18, EARLY 1900'S.
THE TOP HALF OF THE WALL IS MADE
OUT OF CONCRETE.
HE HAD THE PEOPLE THAT BUILT
THAT DAM LOOK VERY MUCH LIKE THE
SURROUNDING SANDSTONE.
THE FALLS IS HERE BECAUSE OF THE
DAM, AND THE DAM WAS PUT IN BY
MATHON, THE LAKE WAS IRRIGATED
HIS GOLF COURSE AND PROVIDED REC
RERECREATION FOR THE VISITORS
WHO USED TO COME TO THE PARK.
THE TRAILS AROUND THE TOP OF THE
RIM OFOTHARE WIDE ENOUGH SO
YOU CAN ALMOST DRIVE A VEHICLE
DOWN THEM.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WHEN
FREDERICK MATHISON DEVELOPED IT
IN THE EARLY 1900'S, HE MADE
THEM WIDE ENOUGH TO TAKE HORSE
WITH WAGONS. NOT ONLY DO PEOPLE
COME TO HIKE IN THE PARK, WE
HAVE HORSEBACK RIDING, CAMP
GROUNDS, 11 MILES OF HORSEBACK
RIDING, SIX MILES OF COS TRON
SIX MILES OF CROSS-COUNTRY
TRAILS IN THE WINTER WHEN WE
HAVE ENOUGH SNOW.
SOME OF THE THINGS PEOPLE COME TO SEE ARE THE PLANTS THAT GO ON THE SIDE OF THE ROCK, AND
SOME OF THE PLANTS YOU CAN SEE
ARE LIVER WART WHICH IS
INTERESTING BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK
AT THEM, YOU DON'T NEED A
MICROSCOPE, YOU CAN SEE EACH
INDIVIDUAL CELL ON THE PLANT
WHICH IS VERY, VERY INTERESTING.
THERE ARE OTHER PLANTS THAT GROW
ON THE SIDE OF THE ROCK LIKE
WHITE CEDAR TREES, VERY, VERY
RARE IN ILLINOIS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THERE ARE
ON THE THREATENED SPECIES LIST,
ONLY FOUND TO FOUR OR FIVE
PLACES IN ILLINOIS.
YOU WILL SEE THEM GROWING RIGHT
OUT OF THE SIDE OF THE ROCKS.
THEY GROW VERY VERY SLOW, AND
TREES IN THE PARK COULD BE
ANYWHERE FROM 200 TO 400 YEARS
OLD.
WHEN YOU FIRST COME INTO THE
MAIN PART OF MATHISSON PARK, YOU
WILL SEE A MAIN FORT.
MALGHTS ISSON AND HIS DAUGHTER
DECIDED TO BUILD A FORT SO THE
CHILDREN COULD PLAY IN THE FORT.
IT IS EXPENSIVE AND VERY
INTERESTING, MUCH IN THE FASHION
OF WHAT THE FRENCH FORTS LOOKED
LIKE BACK IN THE 1700'S.
>>
>> CONSIDERING WHEN YOU TAIK WHERE WE ARE AT IN CENTRAL ILLINOIS, WHICH IS PRETTY DARN
FLAT, YOU COME HERE, CLIFFS 70,
80, 90 FEET HIGH, WATERFALLS
90 FEET HIGH, IT IS HARD TO
IMAGINE FINDING A PRETTIER PLACE
IN THE MIDWEST THAN WHERE WE ARE
RIGHT NOW.
>>.
>> THE BEST TIME TO ENJOY THE
WATERFALLS AT MATHISSON STATE
PARK IN EARLY SPRING OR JUST
AFTER A HARD RAIN
FOR DIRECTIONS TO MATHISSON STATE PARK CALL (815)667-4868.