George Washington Carver National Monument
George Washington Carver National Monument
The monument is located in Southwest Missouri approximately 2 miles west of Diamond, MO
George Washington Carver National Monument is a great family vacation idea to teach your children about the life of a man who more than succeeded in life by overcoming incredible odds to become a foremost authority in agriculture. Just after the Civil War, a frail young black boy grew up, eventually earning a doctorate amide prejudice and near poverty. His compelling story makes this one national monument you won’t want to miss. Check below for great George Washington Carver National Monument information.
Uniqueness
George Washington Carver’s boyhood home consists of rolling hills, woodlands, and prairies. The 210 acre park has a 3/4 mile nature trail, museum, and an interactive exhibit area for students. The cultural setting includes the 1881 Historic Moses Carver house and the Carver cemetery.
George Washington Carver was born into slavery during the Civil War, in the midst of bloody guerrilla warfare in Missouri. A tiny, sickly baby, he was soon orphaned, and his very survival beyond infancy was against the laws of nature. That he, a Negro, became the first and greatest chemurgist, almost single-handedly revolutionized Southern agriculture, and received world acclaim for his contributions to agricultural chemistry was against all accepted patterns. But, seen from today’s distance, possibly the most amazing facet of the life of this gentle genius is the manner in which he overcame enormous prejudices and poverty in his struggle from nameless black boy to George Washington Carver, B.S., M.S., D.Sc., Ph.D., Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, London, and Director of Research and Experiment at Tuskegee Institute, Alabama — all without a trace of bitterness, with total indifference to personal fortune, and thought only to make the world, and America in particular, a better place for all mankind. Plan a family vacation to include this unique national monument.
George Washington Carver National Monument Visitor Center is open all year, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Carver Museum and the Carver Science Discovery Center for students is located here. The Nature Trail is partially handicapped accessible and allows for unique bird watching opportunities. The George Washington Carver National Monument was established by an act of Congress in July of 1943. The National Park Service maintains 210 acres of the original 240 acre Moses Carver Farm.
George Washington Carver did not know the exact date of his birth, but he thought it was in January, 1864 (some evidence indicates July, 1861, but not conclusively). He knew it was sometime before slavery was abolished in Missouri, which occurred in January, 1865. (The Emancipation Proclamation freed only those slaves whose masters were “in rebellion against the United States,” which was not the case in Missouri, where slaves were finally freed by state action.)
George grew up on the farmlands of Missouri, reared by his mother until her seizure by a band of raiders; and then by Moses and Susan Carver, his mother’s former owners, who had a homestead near Diamond Grove. Because the frail little boy was not required to help with the heavy farm chores, he had many free daylight hours in which to do exactly as he chose, and he chose to explore the wonders of nature. He tended the roses, sweet peas, and geraniums around the Carver house, and they flourished so strikingly a visitor asked him what she might do to make her flowers prettier. “Love them” the boy answered. Word spread around Diamond Grove that “Carver’s George” had a magic way with growing things, and people began calling him the Plant Doctor. He made house calls, either prescribing remedies for ailing plants or taking them to his secret garden in the woods where he tenderly nursed them. His “magic” with growing things was largely the result of his patient testing of different combinations of sand, loam and clay as potting soil for various plants, his experimentation with different amounts of sunlight and water, and his tracking down of damaging insects and the like. When the Carver’s finest apple tree began withering, George crawled along its limbs until he found some on which colonies of codling moths had taken up residence. “Saw off those branches,” he told Moses Carver, “and the tree will get well.” And it did.
After this, he worked his way through school, enduring many hardships, as a cook, doing laundry, and working in a telegraph office. He had a painting of his placed in the World’s Fair and won a prize for the best herbarium in crypto gamy while at Ames. He was a gentle, quiet man that gave much of the credit of his success to God.
Summer weather can be hot and humid. Wear light weight clothing and use sunscreen, sunglasses and wide-brimmed hat. Have comfortable walking shoes.
There are no fees for this monument.
There is no camping in this monument.
Fort Scott National Historic Site is 70 miles away. Pea Ridge National Military Park is 105 miles away. Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield is 72 miles away. Roaring River State Park, Chain-O-Lakes, and Table Rock Lake are all fairly close. The Grand Lake of the Cherokees and Twin Bridges State Park are both in Oklahoma about 36 miles away.
By car, it is 2 miles west of Diamond Missouri on Highway V, 1/2 mile south on Carver Road.
Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to George Washington Carver National Monument:
By Car:
Tulsa, OK – 124.35 miles
Springfield, IL – 382.62 miles
Branson, MO – 107.99 miles
Witchta, KS – 300.65 miles
St. Louis, MO – 282.83 miles
Topeka, KS – 219.78 miles
George Washington Carver NM, 5646 Carver Road, Diamond, MO 64840-8314
Headquarters 417-325-4151
By Fax 417-325-4231
