The Meramec Greenway was established in 1975 to plan and coordinate the recovery of 108 miles of the lower Meramec River after years of abuse and neglect, with the Meramec River Recreation Area Coordinating Committee of governments and citizens leading the restoration. Good water quality has been restored, the river's natural beauty is recovering, and more than 28,000 acres of public parks and conservation areas are available. The name Meramec has uncertain meaning, possibly from Native American origins, and has been interpreted as “waters of bitter springs,” “waters of good fishing,” “waters of ugly fish,” and “waters of death.” The river provided fishing for nomadic Mississippian clans in the valley's early history and for the Osage tribes living there at the end of the 17th century. Near Ferry Street across Gravois was an underground mineral water spring and a spring-fed community swimming pool. Although the river served as a transportation channel and sustained Native American and American pioneer communities with water and food, it also brought destructive floods in 1915, 1927, 1937, 1938, 1945, 1982, and 1993. Because of the river's unpredictability, many clubhouses, inns, and cottages built along both banks in the early 1900s stood on stilts above floodwaters; an out-of-state bakery built them as vacation houses for employees and friends, helping Fenton become known as a vacation destination in the early 20th century. In the 1950s, hourly standing-room-only bus service from St. Louis brought visitors to the summer cottages, and some houses became permanent residences in the mid-20th century, but repeated flooding eventually destroyed most of them. In the 1980s and 1990s, FEMA flood buyouts and City of Fenton clubhouse purchases helped reclaim the riverbanks and repair the scenic corridor. During the Great Flood of 1993, the Mississippi River backed up along the Meramec for many miles, flooding Larkin Williams Road and Fenton City Park for weeks, with nearly the entire 96-acre park under water from July into September. Fenton developed an extensive park system with 350 acres of parkland, adopted the identity “City of Parks” in 1986, expanded park development in the early 1990s, and named a 25-acre linear park the Fenton Meramec Greenway in 1991 and 1992. The park system includes Fenton City Park, Fabick Nature Preserve, Bud Well Park, Westside Park, neighborhood parks, and the RiverChase recreation complex. In 2005, Fenton constructed the Heroes Memorial near the eastern end of Fenton City Park as a tribute to those who died in the September 11th attacks and to firefighters, police officers, and military personnel lost in the line of duty; it originated in 2004 after Mayor Dennis Hancock challenged the Park Board to create a permanent memorial, and it includes a granite globe on water, a wall honoring 9-11 victims, pillars naming local fallen personnel, and engraved brick pavers recognizing everyday heroes.