Illinois, Hardin County, Rosiclare

river mile 891

The research team was delighted to find this pleasant park, the Rosiclare City Park: Riverwalk and Campground in a relatively prosperous town. It is home to the American Fluorite Museum. The gazebo just outside the levee, and the City of Rosiclare’s excellent website explain the history of the town: discoveries of first lead, and then fluorspar in the 1830’s led to a century and a half of prosperity.  Fluorite, or fluorspar, as it is known  in industry and commerce, has a variety of industrial uses including  in making Teflon for cookware. The Wikipedia article provides the best description of its properties.  It also has a following among the users of crystals.

Inside the levee is an excellent long narrow park with all of the amenities: picnic shelter, picnic tables, playground. The park includes a campground of sites with electric hookups  in a row located on the first bench above the river. Rosiclare also large enough to have a supermarket. On this early summer afternoon there were lots of older men and women, singly, in their SUV’s and pickup trucks, come by to eat sandwiches and watch the wrack on the swollen river speed by. They chat.

Bicyclists and paddlers would find Rosiclare a pleasant place to camp, and take a rest from their arduous journeys.

Next park:  Rauchfass Hill State Recreation Area

Field research June 2018