LARGEST -- Lake Murray State Park nr Ardmore OK
N 34° 04.293 W 097° 06.078
14S E 675205 N 3771716
Lake Murray State Park is the first state park created in Oklahoma, and the largest.
Waymark Code: WMFMXF
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 11/05/2012
Views: 4
Lake Murray State Park near Ardmore OK is the first state park constructed in Oklahoma, and also the largest.
From www.wikipedia.org:
"Lake Murray State Park is Oklahoma's oldest and largest state park, located on the shores of Lake Murray. Fishing, boating and all water sports are found at Lake Murray. Lake Murray Lodge offers guest rooms and suites, cabins, meeting space, The Apple Bin restaurant, and the Parlor. Other activities include boating, swimming, fishing, golfing, picnics, camping, horseback riding, hayrides, hiking, biking, rollerblading, swimming, miniature golf and paddle boating. Sports facilities include an 18-hole golf course with a pro shop, tennis courts, softball fields, baseball diamond, horseshoe pits, badminton and volleyball nets.
Lake Murray State Park offers an ATV area for 3/4 wheelers, motorcycles and dirt bikes. Other facilities found in the park include an airstrip, bait and tackle shop, marina with rentals, swimming pool with a changing house, swimming beach, riding stable, remote control air field for hobbyists, miniature golf course and Frisbee golf. Nine RV campgrounds with over 300 RV sites and unlimited tent sites are located throughout Lake Murray State Park with full hookups, restrooms and showers."[end] Source: Wikipedia
From the website www.americasstateparks.org:
Oklahoma State Parks-Rich in Beauty and History
by Keli Clark
"In Oklahoma, there are so many wonderful things in our state parks that make them attractive. Countless numbers of shade trees along unspoiled lands, refreshing lakes, comfortable cabins, miles of hiking trails and breathtaking views-what's not to enjoy?
We're so busy enjoying the great perks that we never stop to think about the rich history behind some of Oklahoma's state parks. Behind the beauty of the terrain is a past that includes economic despair, unemployment, soil erosion and declining forest lands. Believe it or not, all of these ingredients helped develop the land and the parks we take pleasure in today.
To understand the meaning behind the mix, you'll have to go back 70 years to a time when the United States was reeling in the effects of the Great Depression. Following his inauguration in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt followed up on a campaign pledge to start a program to rebuild our economy and fight the erosion of our natural resources-the New Deal.
One of the foundation programs of the New Deal was the formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which recruited thousands of unmarried and unemployed young men and taught them meaningful job skills including reforestation, construction, and bridge and dam building. The main goal of the CCC was to revitalize our valuable land by creating national and state parks to be enjoyed by the public. Oklahoma was one of many states chosen to benefit from the program. With recruits housed in dozens of camps throughout the state from 1933-1941, Oklahoma reaped the rewards of the hard workers. These young men, along with the highly skilled design team led by nationally acclaimed landscape architect Herbert Maier, set in motion the formation of Oklahoma's state park system.
Members of the CCC constructed 10 state parks in Oklahoma, beginning with Lake Murray State Park, the first and largest of the original parks. Recruits began construction on park structures in 1935, two years after the inception of the CCC. Following a plan already in place at many of the national parks, architects who designed the outbuildings at Lake Murray incorporated the same look, described as "naturalistic architecture," stressing the use of the plentiful supply of existing native materials. Massive oak logs from the abundance of trees in the park were cut to form roof rafters; uncut native stones were handled with much care so the colors and shapes remained unscathed. These stones formed the foundation and walls of the park administrative offices and homes, group camp buildings, cabins and a picnic pavilion. Even today, the style and general appearance of the buildings present themselves as if they have always been a part of the surroundings and were formed within the backdrop of the land.
Although the detailed work on the buildings in the park are the most visible reminders of the work accomplished by the CCC; some of the finer points of thorough craftsmanship exists on culvert bridges and foot-bridges at Lake Murray State Park. The bridges were built with limestone rock that was quarried from the area and placed in an arrangement known as a "keystone" formation. The rocks were shaped to curve in a manner that forms a natural arch and serves as support for the architecturally beautiful bridges. Even though the bridgework is hidden from sight since they are below the roads that go through the park, the spectacular and methodical work on the bridges is there to admire.
Meticulously built rock structures, still standing in the park, were once the foundations for large water towers. Natural rock steps that appear as if they have always been a part of the ecosystem lead visitors through the park and on trails leading to Lake Murray's remarkable treasures.
The whole plan behind President Roosevelt's New Deal program was to provide recreational opportunities for all Americans. As part of this mission, cabins and bunkhouses were built to provide shelter for those to enjoy their leisure time. Small, wooden cabins with fireplaces made from the same rock that shaped the park homes were constructed throughout the park. Bunkhouses were built to accommodate larger families and, similar to the main park buildings, large boulders and native stone provide rustic appeal as well as sturdy foundations, walls and fireplaces. One of the park's most elaborate cabins once served as a large concession pavilion. This building has been enclosed and renovated to what is now the largest cabin, the popular retreat called the Colston Cabin.
Recreational opportunities at Lake Murray State Park also include group camps which accommodate adult and youth groups. Like the other structures, the cabins and recreation halls in the group camps are made of native materials including logs and uncut stone, allowing them to blend into the surroundings so as not to intrude on the beauty of the native land.
Because of the abundant number of historical structures at Lake Murray State Park, it is one of two state parks listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton.
"The citizens of Oklahoma are fortunate to have the large number of National Park Service-designed CCC structures and park landscapes that remain at Lake Murray State Park," according to Tourism Conservation and Planning Director Kris Marek. "Having recognized the national importance of these facilities, our job now must be to do whatever is within our power to preserve them for future generations."
The Civilian Conservation Corps was instrumental in the development of nine other state parks in Oklahoma: Robbers Cave, Beavers Bend, Clayton Lake, Greenleaf, Okmulgee, Osage Hills, Boiling Springs, Roman Nose and Quartz Mountain. Each of these parks have CCC structures that were built to match their own distinctive environment including community buildings, cabins, swimming pools and a variety of picnic shelters.
The toil and skills of the workers who were members of the Civilian Conservation Corps will always have a place in the history of Oklahoma state parks. By continuing to respect what we have now, and maintain these invaluable structures in our parks, we can look ahead to a bright future for these monuments to our state's past." [end]
Source: www.americasstateparks.org, article "Oklahoma State Parks-Rich in Beauty and History" by Keli Clark
Type of documentation of superlative status: OK park history articles, wikipedia
Location of coordinates: Park entrance
Web Site: [Web Link]
|
Visit Instructions:
Post one photo of the waymark that is a different view from the one on the page and describe your visit, including the date. Other information that you may regarding the waymark is encouraged. Neither you nor your GPSr need to appear in any photos!