The National Park Service says the site of the 1908 Race Riot in Springfield meets the criteria to be included as part of the National Park System – an important step toward the possible establishment of a national monument here.
The “special resource study” says the archeological 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.
Area members of Congress have been pushing to have the site declared a national monument, and a congressional hearing is set for next week on a bill to make that happen.
