Economy hurts historic sites: DNR cuts may halt some local events

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Even when you're more 150 years old, the economy can affect you. The Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site is one of many entities feeling the crunch from the economic downturn and dealing with budget cuts.

Mike Comer, site administrator at Hunter-Dawson and Big Oak Tree State Park, said Department of Natural Resources cutbacks will bring a 15 percent reduction in the operations budget and a 50 percent decrease in funding to hire seasonal workers for the sites.

"Because we are funded by a state sales tax, the economic downturn has really hit us," Comer said. "People don't buy because of the economy, so this takes money out of our budget."

Maintenance staff

The biggest impact will be in the number of seasonal maintenance workers. Currently, Big Oak has one full-time maintenance person while the New Madrid site has been without a maintenance person since January. That position is expected to be filled next week. This year only one seasonal worker will be hired and will work at both sites, Comer said.

The director said the sites will still be well maintained; however, some planned projects may not be started or completed as quickly. "We will just have to make better use of our current maintenance personnel," he said.

The special events budget for the Southern Missouri Historic District, encompassing sites as diverse as Bollinger Mill, Elephant Rocks and the Felix Valle State Historic Site as well as the two area sites, has taken a big hit. According to Comer, the entire district was allotted $4,000 for the year for special events. This money was divided among all the sites.

Open to funding help

The loss of funding could be felt the most in Southeast Missouri. It means this year there may be no Living History Day at Big Oak and no Christmas Candlelight tours at Hunter-Dawson.

Comer said both of these local events are among the most expensive put on in the district and could easily eat up almost all the $4,000. He said the events could continue if a civic group comes forward to help fund them or a "friends" group organizes to assist in fundraising.

But even with the economic doom and gloom, Comer has found some positive notes.

With a smaller maintenance staff, the Hunter-Dawson Site will implement a natural resource management plan. The field adjacent to the house will be allowed to grow up and the area around the house will be mowed less often, making it look much like it did when the antebellum home was built.

Another bonus, Comer predicted, will be an improved environment for the trees, which have taken a beating from wind and ice storms over the past year.

With less funding for big programs, Comer said the staff will try to develop smaller programs of interest to the public, such as the recent 1860s fashion show.

Re-enactments

Also in the works are three long-range projects, which Comer describes as his New Madrid trilogy. The site director is developing plans to re-create the enlistment of residents in the 1860s into the Confederate 1st Missouri Regiment. This event would take place in 2010.

Scheduled for the next year and already drawing interest from re-enactors across the United States and Canada, he said, is the re-enactment of the construction of Fort Thompson at New Madrid by the Missouri State Guard. This would be followed in 2012 with the re-enactment of the federal occupation of New Madrid, marking the 150th anniversary of the event.

Overall, Comer is looking at the turn of events philosophically. He said: "The economy goes in cycles. It will turn around. While we wait, we will still be able to provide visitor services and still provide tours for schools and groups."