The last of the 150 challenge coins for the 2025 Challenge was given out on Friday, April 11th. Thank you all for participating!
This Geocache is part of an annual Geocache Challenge put on by the Heritage Program at Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area as part of our outreach to the public, to get people to explore their forest and their history, and to share the unique heritage of the families from Between the Rivers.
This Geocache is part of the “2025 Land Between the Lakes Heritage Geocache Challenge: General Stores Between the Rivers”. There are 7 geocaches placed across Land Between the Lakes related to the history of the Community General Stores between the rivers. If you locate each geocache, and collect a numbered aluminum tree tag from each cache, you can turn them in at the Golden Pond Visitor Center for one of 150 Challenge Coins created for this event.
The Geocache is a 6” x 6” orange watertight plastic box marked “Heritage Geocache” on the top. The geocache is placed in a hole at the base of a tree.
The “2025 Land Between the Lakes Heritage Geocache Challenge: General Stores Between the Rivers” was researched, written, and placed by archaeologist Lacy Risner. Please thank Lacy for her hard work and dedication.
Watkin’s General Store 1924-1967
The store was owned and operated for 43 years by Maura T. and Dora Watkins. Maura used money he had saved from working in the steel mills in Alton Illi-nois to open the first store in the Star Lime Works community. They stocked their store with purchases made from M. Livingston & Co. for a grand total of $234.35. The stock included a vast array of items from household goods, clothing, medicine, grocery items, and farm supplies. Ice was kept in the ice house or sold by #25, #50, and #100 blocks.
You are standing at one of the many locations of the Watkins family homesites. On your way to this geocache you may have noticed old road beds lined with large old trees, frozen in time by decaying wire fences. As the map to the left indicates, there are several homesites along the way that may reveal themselves in foundation stones that are laid out in squares or yucca plants that stay green year round. Cisterns or wells may only be revealed by small depressions.
One of the most fulfilling things that Land Between the Lakes has to offer is its history, which is imbedded in the land-scape. If you pay attention, you may be able to see what it once was. Notice unnaturally flat areas, and the placement of large wolf trees and you may just get a glimpse of the past. You may be able to here children playing, see family members and neighbors walk-ing these roads to visit loved ones, to bring them news, or get goods from Watkin’s store just around the bend. Maybe you can even hear a huckster truck coming down the road.