The City of Pacific, Missouri, moved to enter into a contract to buy the Lookout on Jensen’s Point off Route 66, reported the Washington Missourian.
The owner, Wayne Winchester, has set a price of $300,000 for the iconic stone structure of the lookout, 2 1/2 acres and a nearby parking lot. The city hopes to secure most or all of the money through a St. Louis County Municipal Parks grant. The plan ultimately would be to fold the site into Pacific’s parks and recreation department.
Six organizations — including Great Rivers Greenway, Shaw Nature Preserve and Ozark Trail Association — have publicly lauded the city’s planned purchase and have pledged other support as well.
The city should know by early 2015 whether it gets the grant.
According to another story by the Missourian, Jensen’s Point was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The landmark eventually was named after Lars Peter Jensen, the first manager of Shaw’s Garden, aka Missouri Botanical Garden, and president of the Henry Shaw Gardenway Association that designed to beautify Route 66 in that region.
(Old images of Jensen’s Point in Pacific, Missouri, courtesy of 66Postcards.com and Illinois Digital Archives)
I have fond memories of making many stops at Jensen’s Point when I was a boy growing up in Missouri. It was and still remains one my favorite sites on the Mother Road in the Show Me State.