In February 2025, Missouri Conservation Corps was honored to receive the 2025 Conservation Medal from the Columbia Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The medal was presented during the February meeting of the DAR, and the framed medal and certificate now hang in the Missouri Conservation Corps office. Missouri Conservation Corps has organized three volunteer work events in the historic village of Arrow Rock, and the Columbia chapter of the DAR has been a strong and willing partner during these events.
Established in 1829, the village of Arrow Rock was well situated for early river trade and for travelers heading west. Located on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, Arrow Rock served as an early ferry crossing on the river. During the years preceding the Civil War, Arrow Rock was a thriving river port and also served as the starting point for the Santa Fe Trail, and briefly as the county seat of Saline County. With the decline of riverboat traffic came the decline of Arrow Rock’s population. As railroads became the dominant mode of transportation, Arrow Rock began to shrink, and the once active town began to fall into neglect. In 1912, The Daughters of the American Revolution intervened by raising awareness of the historical importance of Arrow Rock and of the J. Huston Tavern. Because of the involvement of the DAR, and because of their efforts to lobby for the historic preservation of Arrow Rock, the J. Huston Tavern in Arrow Rock was the first building in Missouri preserved with public funds, and in 1923, Arrow Rock became Missouri’s first designated State Historic Site in the State Park System.
In 2024, Missouri Conservation Corps partnered with the Missouri River Bird Observatory and Arrow Rock State Historic Site to put together a volunteer work event on Arrow Rock’s Pierre A Fleche hiking trail. Since 2024, Missouri Conservation Corps and Columbia’s DAR Chapter have partnered on two of these volunteer events in Arrow Rock, leveraging more than 170 volunteer hours to remove invasive privet on Arrow Rock’s Pierre A Fleche trail. Thanks to the energy and commitment of Columbia’s Daughters of the American Revolution, this scenic woodland trail in Arrow Rock is now a little more scenic, a little more native, and a lot more enjoyable to hike.
