FORT PARKER STATE PARK. Fort Parker State Park is off State Highway 14 six miles south of Mexia in Limestone County. The 1,458.78-acre park, named for the nearby stockade of the Parker family built in 1834 (see FORT PARKER), features a 700-acre lake on the Navasota River. The land was donated to the state by the city of Mexia and three individual property owners in 1935 and 1936. The Civilian Conservation Corpsqv constructed the dam for the lake and the park's other structures during the mid-1930s. Fort Parker State Park also encompasses the historic site of Springfield, the first county seat of Limestone County. Springfield Cemetery in the park stands as the last vestige of the old town. A Texas Historical Marker was erected there in 1969. The heavily wooded area is home to a variety of wildlife, ranging from raccoons and opossums to great blue herons and great egrets. Facilities include a hiking trail, a fishing pier, a dining hall, activity center, screened shelters, barracks, camping and picnicking areas, and playgrounds. Fishing, birdwatching, and canoeing are popular activities.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Fort Parker State Park (http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/fort_parker/), accessed September 10, 2005. Ray Miller, Texas Parks (Houston: Cordovan, 1984).
Christopher Long
