Columbia Missourian
State park's missing layers of history
February 29, 2008 | 12:52 p.m. CST
A bustling amusement park complete with a steam-powered carousel once provided entertainment on the land that now makes up Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, and that’s not the only surprising historical tidbit from the area.
In the 1800s, what is now the park was an industrial center with a prosperous distillery and grist mill. Based on what’s still standing and an old map, park officials know an African-American cemetery, a log cabin, a church and two schools also existed near the park, but little else is known. Now the park staff is working to change that with the start of a history preservation project.