Pershing State Park in northern Missouri spans more than 5,000 acres near Laclede and is named for John J. Pershing, who grew up nearby and knew the Locust Creek landscape as a boy. The land also preserves a far older human story, including Native American hunting grounds, a former village site, and two burial mounds estimated at 1,000 to 2,000 years old. Established after efforts to create a national memorial proved impractical, the park began with state land purchases in 1937 and was dedicated in 1940. Today it is important both as a recreation area and as a rare protection of northern Missouri wetlands and native habitat.