Starved Rock Name Change Petition Started Amid Recent Discussions

A group of "concerned citizens" is coming together this week to voice their displeasure over talk of changing Starved Rock State Park's name.

There's just one problem... No one is changing the name of the park according to state officials.

Is Starved Rock State Park Getting A New Name?

Deep in the thick trees of LaSalle County in Central Illinois is Starved Rock State Park. The area is comprised of 18 canyons, sandstone bluffs and more than 13 miles of winding trails.

Thousands visit the area annual to enjoy its waterfalls and hiking opportunities. The popularity has even grown to include winter adventurers who climb the frozen falls.

Starved Rock made headlines earlier this month when the Chicago Sun Times wrote that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources would be "open to discussing a potential name change."

The topic was broached after Starved Rock and other attractions were reportedly "flagged" by Native American groups as names that could be "offensive or painful to some groups."

In the same article, the IDNR was also quoted as saying there are no immediate plans to change the park's name.

That isn't enough to convince a group of locals that more needs to be done to stop any talk of a name change for Starved Rock.

Petition Against Changing Starved Rock's Name

Despite there being no solid talks of changing the state park's name, one group is putting together a petition to voice its displeasure.

Starved Rock draws a significant amount of traffic into the small towns around the state park. Bruce & Ollies in nearby Utica is one of the businesses frequented by tourists entering the region.

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The venue is hosting an event at 6 p.m. April 29 where there will be a petition to sign in opposition to changing Starved Rock's name.

"I want to believe that it won't happen, but I asked myself what I truly trust these days and then I decided it's best to be safe rather than sorry," the Bruce & Ollies Facebook reads.

The petition will be signed and sent to state officials in Springfield at a later date.

The IDNR website provides an extensive history of the park and its name. The Sun Times noted there is no "tangible historical record" to support some of the "lore" surrounding the Starved Rock name.