Robinson Park

Robinson Park consists of glacial drift hill prairies on steep south facing slopes with Oak woodlands along the ridges and valleys. Some of the prairie wildflowers found here include scurf pea, pale purple coneflower, purple prairie clover, yellow false foxglove, stiff tickseed, golden alexanders, bird’s foot violets, and snow trillium. The woodlands include white oak, red oak, chinquapin oak, shagbark hickory, witch hazel, hazelnut, basswood, maple, and paw paw.

Robinson Park north of Mossville Rd. was willed to the Peoria Park District by Laurence Robinson, a Peoria architect in 1951 and was dedicated in June 1959 to the memory of Laurence Eugene Robinson Jr. who died in World War II. This portion of the park was known as the “Big Horn Farm” and was his boyhood home. At the dedication of Robinson Park in her son’s memory, Mrs. Robinson said, “It is my desire that it’s primitive beauty be retained and that it will forever offer an opportunity for young people to enjoy nature and the great out of doors.” Additional land has been added to Robinson Park on the south side of Mossville Rd. In the spring of 1956 several hundred acres burned south of Mossville Rd. and on October 15, 1956, 40 acres of Robinson Park north of Mossville Rd. burned and the Peoria Park District closed all parks to hiking, picnicking, and any unsupervised activities un

til the record-breaking drought ended.

Over the past 12 years volunteers have worked with Peoria Park District staff on brushcutting, plant monitoring, butterfly monitoring, and prescribed burns. In the fall of 2001 we conducted a prescribed burn on approximatley 80 acres south of Mossville Road. It was an excellent burn resulting in a spectacular display of prairie wildflowers. Join us for a restoration day.

For more information contact Adam Rieger (309) 645-2354 or John Mullen at Forest Park Nature Center (309) 686-3360.