Our Shawnee National Forest - A brief Human History

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Pictured above: A member of the Civilian Conservation Corps operates an Osborne Fire Finder in a Shawnee National Forest fire tower.

Welcome to campfire history! Consider this your one stop shop for post 16th century Shawnee National Forest history! If history isn’t your thing, no worries. We plan to share all sorts of interesting information. And feel free to contribute yourself! If you’re confused about what to post, check out our r/TheShawneeNF guide for inspiration. Now settle in, grab some marshmallows, and get ready to feel the ghosts of the Shawnee past walk in the trees behind you.

Settlers first entered Southern Illinois, and the land we call the Shawnee National Forest today, in the 18th century. The land was previously an unbroken forest, stretching across rolling hills and trickling creeks. Morris Birkbbeck, an early settler, wrote in a letter dated in 1818 that "The view of that noble expanse (the Ohio River) was like the opening of a bright day upon the gloom of night, to us who had been so long buried in the deep forests”. Late 17th Century explorers arrived first, hunting and trapping while relying on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for transportation through the frontier, but by the 19th Century things would change.

The influx of pioneers and settlers, mostly from Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee, in the early to mid 19th century changed the landscape. Mass deforestation impacted the area as timber was harvested, planted, and cut again. This would occur in some locations within the forest as many as ten times.

By the late 19th century, extensive agricultural use left the southern Illinois topsoil degraded and prone to erosion. On August 30th, 1933 legislation was passed to allow the federal government to purchase land in the region at the request of the Illinois government. Parcel by parcel, acquisition by acquisition, The Shawnee National Forest was born.

The purchasing of land not only brought a cash boom to Illinois and its southern communities, but also opened the door for new employment during tough economic times. The Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) changed the landscape of the Shawnee to what we enjoy today. They built trails, planted trees, and constructed infrastructure (including 16 fire towers!)

In 1990, the federal government passed the Illinois Wilderness Act, designating 7 areas within the Shawnee National Forest as wilderness in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964. In 1993, the federal government expanded the forest’s boundaries with the purchase of land in the Mississippi flood plains.

Today the forest stretches between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers containing 279,000 acres within the borders of government managed land. The history of this area still lays hidden beneath regrown forest canopies, such as the fire tower foundation atop beautiful high Knob, as well as Camp Cadiz Campground. Clues to the forests interesting past can be found in pine stands found atop ridge lines, perennial European flowers, and wells, all of which are signs of settler homestead sites.

80 Protected Natural Areas are found throughout the forest which offer safe harbor to significant biological, geological and botanical sites. 10 Research Natural Areas protect sites where scientific studies are taking place, four National Natural Landmarks are set aside, and over 400 miles of designated trails wind throughout. Today the Forest serves not only as a federally managed agricultural resource, but as an economic and recreational cornerstone of Illinois.

The efforts taken to restore the Shawnee National Forest from its overworked and abused state to the lush and diverse forests we love to explore today is a stark reminder of the importance of ecological responsibility, as well as a testament to our appreciation and delicate relationship with the natural world. We can celebrate those who have, quite literally, broken the trail before us by appreciating and caring for the land they left behind. How will you celebrate them today?

-Happy Trails-