843 acre tract of LaBarque Hills becomes new state park
UPDATED 12:46 p.m. We’ve added a photo of Mr. Robinson, a link to a KETC video interview and an aerial map to the area.
(Photos from Hilda Young Conservation Area, located nearby in the LaBarque Hills, by Jo Schaper)
Due to the generosity of Don Robinson, the 87th Missouri state park has just become reality.
Photo courtesy Missouri state parks
And it is almost in Jo’s back yard, just a few miles southeast of Pacific. Mr. Robinson, age 84, who became wealthy from a stain removing product he manufactured called “Off”, died in the Pacific Care Center on Monday March 19. With his passing, the property he lived on in the LaBarque Hills in extreme northwest Jefferson County becomes the newest addition to the Missouri state park system, although it will be some time before it is officially opened to the public.
Rocky verdant and secluded areas are common in the Hills
The LaBarque Hills are a unique topographic and geological feature of the northwest Jefferson County/northeast Franklin County area. The landscape is rugged, with knobby hills and steep ridges, featuring the near pristine and species diverse LaBarque Creek which winds its way across the St. Peter sandstone bedrock, carving shallow caves, and small waterfalls, supporting an acidic soil-based ecosystem directly adjacent to the more alkaline limestone topography.
Looking into the Labarque Hills
Despite its nearness to St. Louis, the area is inhabited, but has remained largely undeveloped due to the rugged terrain. LaBarque Creek Conservation Area, Hilda Young Conservation Area, and the Labarque Creek Natural Area are nearby. The new park adjoins the St. Joseph’s Hill Infirmary/Black Madonna Grotto and Shrine, a religious based nursing home serving both laypeople and aged religious run by the Franciscan brothers.
LaBarque Creek is one of the most ecologically rich in eastern Missouri
Robinson’s tract is on the upper part of the watershed, near LaBarque Creek Conservation Area and adjoining the Infirmary property.
Large Tracts in LaBarque Hills. Robinson Tract in red. Image courtesy labarque.org
KETC interview with Mr. Robinson. Link courtesy of www.mostateparks.com
We heard the news Monday, however, STLToday.com provided more details, both on Mr. Robinson and the property transfer.
Another peek at LaBarque Creek
(Jo Note: Though I didn’t realize OFF was a local product until last night, I heard somewhere that Mr. Robinson put his address on his product, I was curious. I actually found a mostly used up tube on my laundry table: here is the visual evidence.)
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When I lived in North St. Louis County I used to venture out far, wide, and close to encounter the outdoors the best I could in the time frames available for me to do such. LaBarque Creek was always one of my favorite (close) loations to head out to. I spent many an hour in the creek, along the creek, and above the creek admiring the beauty that was there to behold. I even first learned to use a fly rod on this very creek. I caught fish by the dozens on this pristine stream though a stringer of such I
never kept. It was, for me , catch and release only especially since no decent sized fish did the stream contain. Not many keeper size, but many to keep a novice fly fisherman enthused.
My prayer is that this fine example of an Ozarkian waterway forever remain as beautiful as it is this day.
I basically grew up out there at The Rock House as we called it. Don welcomed all of us young people out there in the 70’s and we took full advantage of his pool, and the land that surrounded it. He was such a character and a friend that will be dearly missed.