Springfield appears to be inching closer to having a new National Park.
Springfield media outlets report that the National Park Service delivered their special resource study to Congress yesterday on the 1908 Springfield Race Riot site.
The “special resource study” says the archaeological site, containing remnants of property destroyed during the violent episode, meets four specific qualifications – national significance, suitability, feasibility, and a need for Park Service management. All four criteria must be met for a site to be eligible for inclusion in the National Park Service.
Current and former area members of Congress have been pushing to have the site declared a national monument for at least the last four years.
WMAY reports that a congressional hearing is set for next week on a bill to make the designation happen.