By Tom Latek
Kentucky Today
Big Bone Lick State Historic Site will hold an official National Historic Landmark designation ceremony on May 9 at the site’s Bison Circle Shelter. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and is open to the public.
Last year, in recognition of its historical and geological importance, the National Park Service designated Big Bone Lick State Historic Site as a National Historic Landmark. The state park is one of only 16 properties in the United States to possess both National Historic Landmark and National Natural Landmark status.
“Big Bone Lick is a treasured part of our parks system, and we are proud of this national recognition, giving guests from inside Kentucky and from around the world another reason to visit Big Bone Lick and the many great state parks,” said Kentucky State Parks Commissioner Russ Meyer. “I encourage everyone to come out and join us in celebrating this special occasion.”
For more than 250 years, Big Bone Lick has stood out as a key paleontological resource, often referred to as the “birthplace of American Paleontology.” This site is recognized as the “first major New World fossil locality known to Europeans,” earning global acclaim as a “place of great geological celebrity.”
President Thomas Jefferson recognized the importance of Big Bone Lick as an important paleontological site, commissioning William Clark of Lewis and Clark to collect bones at Big Bone Lick, in what was considered the first organized paleontological expedition in the United States. Clark’s expedition sent more than 300 bones from Big Bone Lick to the White House.
The bones of mammoths, mastodons, ground sloths, bison, stag-moose and of many prehistoric mammals including a forerunner of the modern-day horse have been found at Big Bone Lick.
In 2009, the U.S. Department of the Interior selected Big Bone Lick State Historic Site as one of 582 National Natural Landmarks in the country.
The 512-acre park features a bison herd, campground, museum and gift shop. The park is 22 miles southwest of Covington on Kentucky Highway 338, off U.S. Highway 42-127 and Interstate Highway 71/75.
For additional information on Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, visit parks.ky.gov.