Sioux Passage

This week's tour of county parks took us to Sioux Passage park which is in extreme North County at the confluence of Mill Creek (oddly enough the name of our subdivision in Springfield) and the Missouri River.

The confluence of the Missouri River and Mill Creek was a favored campsite for Indians of the late woodland and Mississippian periods. The area featured good hunting and fishing. A source of flint for the manufacture of tools and weapons was readily available. An easily accessible spring provided all-important drinking water. The area provided the needs of the early inhabitants. It is possible that Indians of the Middle Woodland period inhabited the area as early as 100 A.D. The Sioux Passage Park Archaeological Site, listed in the National Register in 1974, is located in the park.

Early explorers passed the present parksite on their treks up the Missouri River to the unknown West. Reference is made in the Journal of Zebulon Pike to camping in an area in close proximity to present day Sioux Passage Park.

During the 1820s and 1830s, side-wheeled, single-engine river boats passed through the chute located north of the park. One such vessel, the Car of Commerce, foundered and sank in this arm of the Missouri River in 1832. Thus, the chute was named.

Emily was bored with the thought of another park, but she had a good time as we hiked down the hillside to the flats along the river. We enjoyed the fall colors, found some interesting rocks, and she put her hand in the Missouri (it was cold). We were also intrigued by the sounds of hunters' shotguns on adjacent Pelican Island which is over-populated with deer (or at least it was last week). UPDATE: Mom astutely notes the irony of "Pelican Island" being over-populated with deer (see Tom Kreidler's pelican sighting in White Lake circa 1983.)

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After looking at the river, we went back into the main area of the park to a playground which we had to ourselves. The kids had a great time. Now to think of a park to go to next week...