Horseshoe Lake Hunting and Fishing Club  stock certificate circa 1895  (Illinois)

This rare membership certificate has a fantastic vignette of crossed rod and rifle, retriever with recovered duck, and a stringer of fish.  Smaller certificate measuring 6" by 9". Incorporated in Illinois. Circa 1895.

Incorporated in 1895, the Horseshoe Lake Hunting and Fishing Club was formed for St Louis area sportsmen.   The area was later set aside as state park land.

Horseshoe Lake, a National Natural Landmark, is located in the American Bottom of Illinois within the greater St. Louis metropolitan area, is 2,400 acresin size, and is the second-largest natural lake in Illinois after Lake Michigan. An oxbow lake which is a remnant of a Mississippi River meander, the lake's elevation is 403 feet above sea level. The lake is the site of Horseshoe Lake State Park, which is 2,960 acres in size. The lake is bordered by the towns of Madison and Granite City; it is located within Nameoki Township, about four miles east of St. Louis, Missouri.

The lake is very shallow, about three feet  deep throughout most the lake. There is however one deep spot, about 54.5 feet deep, due to dredging for sand in years past. The lake is annually drained in part to provide shorebird habitat. At least 284 bird species have been found at this lake, which includes most of the species found statewide. Canada geese winter here, as well as bald eagles. Other prominent birds include the mallard duck, snowy egret and little blue heron, and the Eurasian tree sparrow, limited to this region in North America. Fish species include bluegill, sunfish, shortnose gar, spotted gar, crappie, largemouth bass and channel catfish.