By Anne Hershewe
news@joplinglobe.com
NEOSHO, Mo. — Despite its rich history, the Neosho National Fish Hatchery on Wednesday was all about the future.
“This is the beginning of the beginning,” said Harry Rogers, president of the local support organization for the hatchery, during a groundbreaking ceremony for a new visitors center. “This is wonderful.”
Thus was the theme of the event at the oldest operating national fish hatchery in the United States.
“It’s not a hatchery of the past,” said Rowan Gould, acting director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “It’s a hatchery of the future. It’s moved from a fish facility to an integral part of a larger landscape. Here we have bigger capability to connect with larger concerns.”
He emphasized how the hatchery has evolved, explaining the hatchery’s current role in conservation and protection of endangered species.
The celebration began with Ivan Crossland, chief executive of Crossland Construction Co., and Carol Fix, project engineer for the hatchery, signing the contract for construction of the new center.
After the remarks, which included those by U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt and Neosho Mayor Jeff Werneke, numerous people donned hard hats and broke the ground.
Blunt congratulated the hatchery and the community on their success.
“So many people have worked so hard to make this happen,” he said. “It’s a wonderful day for Newton County and a wonderful day for Neosho. There are reasons this facility needs to reflect its heritage. (But) this facility is not about the past, but about the future.”
The hatchery has been trying to get this new center built for many years. Blunt and Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond were involved in obtaining about $1 million in federal funding for the project.
The new center, Gould said, will change the impact the hatchery has on people. “What we’re doing here is a large step in making people care about the environment,” he said. “The thing about this facility is that it connects people with nature.”
The funds obtained by Blunt and Bond will pay for but a part of the total $3.75 million cost of the center. It is expected to be completed in one year.
The center will have the capability of serving 100,000 visitors per year, about 60,000 more than the hatchery currently sees.
The hope, officials said, is not only that the center will enrich the community in and around Neosho, but also that it will boost tourism, especially with its proximity to the George Washington Carver National Monument at Diamond.
“It’s going to be good for the community and increase tourism,” said David Hendrix, hatchery manager.
Tee Harrison, a Neosho resident, was at the ceremony with some family members to celebrate the project.
“I’m really excited about this,” she said. “It’s something to do — for kids, adults, everybody.”
Historic hatchery
The Neosho National First Hatchery was established in 1888.
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