History :

The steam shovel was acquired in 1976 from a stone quarry near Har-risonburg, VA, where it had become a signboard.

In 1989, Loflin could resist no longer his ambition to rescue the deteriorating buildings of a plantation which pioneer Richmond Reid built in the 1940s on land along the banks of the Yadkin River, a few miles from the park in southern Davidson County. He obtained the buildings from Reid's descendants, who welcomed preservation, and he and park employees worked months on preparation and moving.

Recent land acquistion has expanded the park past 100 acres, providing space for additional parking and camping areas and a second entrance which has improved traffic flow.