Group hopes to resurrect L.O. Trigg's Ozark Tours
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[An idea to preserve information and photographs of southeastern Illinois tourism guru L.O. Trigg has evolved into the resurrection of Trigg's annual Ozark Tours.
A group of history buffs, tourism officials, hikers and U.S. Forest Service employees met Wednesday at the Saline Creek Pioneer Village and Museum to discuss artifacts they have collected over the years and artifacts they wish to find related to Trigg. Before the meeting was over Saline County Tourism Chairman John O'Dell had pen and paper out and the group was discussing which spots to take a bus tour to visit. They are also planning a promotional newsletter in the vein of Trigg's publication "Ozark News."
"Probably the best thing we could do is redo a tour," O'Dell said.
Trigg's first tour was in 1931 and he led 18 prior to his death in 1949, Charles Hammond said. Trigg's tours lasted the course of three days traveling in open trucks and hiking with two nights spent camping in cots under the starts. The new Ozark Tour will not likely be quite as adventurous. Travel will probably be done by bus and likely will be over the course of one long day.
Hammond said if the tour is to retrace Trigg's steps on one of the tours, the first one in 1931 would be the easiest to organize as it involves the fewest stops. Stops along the 1931 tour included Garden of the Gods, Bell Smith Springs, Jackson Hollow, Stoneface and Stonefort.
The group also discussed the possibility of putting the information together into a book form or electronic book.
Hammond said there are only three copies of Trigg's "Ozark News" that remain elusive. "Ozark News" was Trigg's first newspaper before operating newspapers in Creal Springs, Thompsonville, Galatia and finally the "Eldorado Daily Journal." He resurrected "Ozark News" once a year to report on the Ozark Tours. Hammond knows out there somewhere are copies of "Ozark News" from 1938, 1941 and 1945 that he would like to preserve.
Janet Bixler said her interest in Trigg began years ago when she was friends with the sister of Trigg's wife, Inez. She visited the house at Trigg's Resthaven retreat in Leamington, just north of what is now High Knob Recreation Area. That area is now part of the Shawnee National Forest. In recent years she bought two boxes of Trigg materials at an estate sale and donated them to the Saline Creek Pioneer Village and Museum.
Forest Service Archeologist Marie McCorvie said the foundation stones of the Resthaven house are still evident.
"We can go clean it up and make it look like something. The foundation stones are still there," McCorvie said.
She considers Resthaven of importance to the Shawnee National Forest as Trigg's work to promote the region to politicians and prominent businessmen led to support for the creation of the forest.
"Trigg was very instrumental in the founding of the Shawnee Nation Forest. We probably wouldn't have it without him and I'd like to be a booster of his," McCorvie said.
Scott Crist of the Shawnee National Forest fire team said his interest in the Trigg material is photographs of the early stages of the forest.
"I have a personal and professional interest in how the forest has changed," Crist said.
He hopes to find clues on habitat and soil nutrient cycling through photos in Trigg's archives.
"We are hoping to restore some areas to an earlier time frame," Crist said.
Eric Johnson said his interest in Trigg's legacy is preserving the history of the forest and using that history to help promote the forest.
Stan Harris is an avid hiker who enjoys rediscovering lost landmarks on the forest.
Mark Motsinger's chief interest is stone forts and one such fort on the Shawnee National Forest has eluded him: Trigg's Stone Fort that he understands is in the Max Creek area of Johnson County. He believes it may also be known as Cornish Bluff.
The group watched a slide show of photos from Trigg's first Ozark Tour that Hammond compiled and set to music.
The group is planning a second meeting with a date yet to be set.
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DeNeal receives e-mail at bdeneal@yourclearwave.com.</li>
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