Those who have visited the House Springs pond near the intersection of highways MM and 30 might have noticed that it’s been decorated for the holiday season.
A large, wooden Bigfoot statute and other items recently were installed near the pond.
The decorations and other items have been placed around the pond in an effort to honor the history of the area, said Danny Tuggle, board president of the House Springs Preservation Inc., a nonprofit corporation that owns and oversees the piece of property where the pond is located.
House Springs is named after the House family who settled on the land in the early 1800s, as well as the springs that flowed across the area on its way to Head’s Creek.
After the town was settled, it “continued to grow into a well-known trading post and became a popular location for settlers,” Tuggle said. “As the area flourished and highways were built, the spring area became neglected and was eventually utilized as a retention pond for surrounding businesses.”
In 2008, however, the High Ridge Rotary Club took on the project of enhancing the area, including the pond, which had become filled with sludge and green slime. The group installed a couple of benches and landscaped the area with some native plants and flowers, Tuggle said.
The work continued in 2014, when Jim Terry expanded the landscaping. In 2020, the House Springs Preservation organization was formed and now works to retain the area’s history and make sure the community can enjoy the area. The Northwest Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce also helps with the effort.
A new round of renovations to the property began in 2021, and in recent years, the area has been decorated to celebrate Christmas and other occasions.
“We began decorating the park in 2022. It was very well received by the community,” Tuggle said. “So, we expanded the decorations to include other holidays and seasons. The community has expressed how appreciative they are of the area and the efforts made to make it a visually appealing area.”
While Tuggle heads up the group that maintains, improves and decorates the preservation area, the upkeep is far from a one-man job.
“Jim Lehnhoff, David Marion, Jeff Moody, and Adult Teen Challenge have provided assistance throughout the past couple of years,” Tuggle said. “Over the past four years, there was also a homeless gentleman who would check on a regular basis to see if I needed assistance. His name was Jason Bean. Unfortunately, Mr. Bean passed away,” Tuggle said.
He said the Christmas decorations are added to the pond around Thanksgiving and require daily monitoring until they are taken down in January. Funds for the decorations vary each year. The HSP received an outpouring of donations from the community in 2023 after the area was vandalized. Most of the decorations that are there today were donated or purchased through monetary donations.
Bigfoot statue
“We recently added numerous wooden statues and benches to the area. These were acquired from the Wood Den in Festus. These items were chosen to add a natural feel to the area,” Tuggle said.
One of the statues is a 12-foot-tall, wooden replica of Bigfoot that cost $1,100, Tuggle said.
He said the statue weighs 4,000 pounds and was set in concrete, adding that volunteer Bobby Brooks had to use a crane to install it.
“Bigfoot now guards the pond,” Tuggle said.
Other upgrades have been added.
“A water sprinkling system was installed in the grassy areas this year. There were also upgrades made to the area around the mouth of the pond to improve the look of the area while also providing control of the water flow,” Tuggle said. “The board is always looking for funding from grants and donation sources.”
The long-term goal for House Springs Preservation group is to improve community involvement in the preservation of the area.
“This is truly a community project,” Tuggle said.
He said all the funds the preservation group receives is spent to maintain and improve the pond property.
“There are currently nine circular areas in the landscaping. These areas are available for the community to adopt. Once adopted, they can plant and maintain the area throughout the year,” Tuggle said. “The name(s) of each circle’s sponsor will be displayed.”
To make a donation or for more information about the House Springs Preservation group’s efforts, send an email to Tuggle’s attention to housespringspreservation@gmail.com.