A National Park Service official says there are still questions that must be resolved as the agency explores that possibility of creating a site to memorialize Springfield’s 1908 Race Riots.
HSHS St. John’s Hospital has already donated a portion of its land where remnants of homes destroyed in the violence were unearthed during work on the railroad relocation project. Tokey Boswell with the National Park Service says the proposed site is “tight” because of all the railroad work, and says it’s still unclear what other amenities and services might be needed there, such as restrooms or parking. The park service held a public meeting this week to discuss options and is still taking comments online.
It will make recommendations to the Department of the Interior and to Congress sometime next year.
