Pursuant to the efforts of newspaperman and 10-term Prophetstown mayor George S. Brydia, who also served many terms as a representative in the Illinois General Assembly, the state park was founded in 1947.
The establishment of the state park in 1947 can be attributed to the initiatives taken by George S. Brydia, a prominent newspaperman and 10-term mayor of Prophetstown who also held various positions in the Illinois General Assembly.