Louisiana Purchase State Park

What’s a trip without at least one historical stop? Our stop of choice for our recent trip to the homeschool convention was the Louisiana Purchase State Park.

We didn’t quite dress for the occasion. It was rather chilly as we took our morning walk through the swamp! I’d love to go back in the warmth of the summer. Since very little sun gets through, I can imagine that even in the humid warmth of the summer, it would be rather pleasant there.

I can also imagine that the wildlife would be fantastic! As it was, there was very little activity going on in the spring chill. We heard birds and tree frogs, but we didn’t see much more than a few little ripples from small fish and some evidence of beavers. I didn’t get a picture of the really awesome stump left by the beavers, but here was a second one.

Maybe next time we’ll get to see a gator! But, the sights were still absolutely beautiful. Are those trees not gorgeous?! Of course, a picture could never do justice to the true beauty, but I tried!

So, what exactly does the park commemorate? Glad you asked! To briefly summarize the history, two survey teams left from two different points to survey the property gained in the Louisiana Purchase. One began due south of this point and headed north. The other began east of here and headed west. This park…and more specifically this stone…marks the spot where the two survey teams crossed paths. Essentially, all of the Louisiana Purchase is marked out from this point in east Arkansas. Pretty cool, huh?!

Here are the kids checking out the stone marker.

If you look at the tree in the center of this picture, you should be able to see that all the trees behind it make a straight line. That line is the “baseline” for the team that went west. If you follow that line due west, you will find yourself on Baseline Road in Little Rock, AR.

I just love history. So glad I have a family that loves it with me!