Southern Appalachian Digital Collections

Western Carolina University (20) View all

Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

items 83 of 144 items
  • wcu_great_smoky_mtns-2771.jpg
Item
?

Item’s are ‘child’ level descriptions to ‘parent’ objects, (e.g. one page of a whole book).

  • the National Park Service, in 1923, Mather wrote: "I should like to see additional national parks established east of the Mississippi, but just how this can be accomplished is not clear. There should be a typical section of the Appalachian Range established as a national park with its native flora and fauna conserved and made accessible for public use and its development undertaken by Federal funds. As areas in public ownership in the East are at present limited to a number of forest reserves acquired under the provisions of the Weeks Act authorizing the purchase of lands for the protection of forests and the headwaters of streams, it appears that the only practicable way national park areas can be acquired would be by donation of hinds from funds privately donated, as in the case of the Lafayette National Park." Dr. Hubert Work, then Secretary of the Interior, approved wis project. In 1924 he appointed a Southern Appalachian National Park Commission to investigate and recommend suitable areas. He named on this commission the following •Ben: Henry W. Temple, member of Congress from Pennsylvania, chairman; William C. Gregg, of the National Arts Club, New York, vice chairman; Col. Glenn S. Smith, division engineer of the Geological Survey, secretary-treasurer; Major William A. Welch, general manager and chief engineer of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission, New York; and Harlan P. Kelsey, of Salem, Mass., a former president of the Appalachian Mountain Club. In July, 1924, the commission began its inspection of proposed areas in the Southern Appalachians. After months of investigation it reported to Secretary Work in December, 1924, giving its support to two areas: the Shenandoah region of Virginia and the Great Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina and East 'Tennessee. Th Yirginia area, the eommission said, constituted the logical place for the creation of the first national park in the Southern Appalachians. "We nope," the commission stated, "it will be made into a national I'ark and that its success will entourage the Congress to create 83
Object
?

Object’s are ‘parent’ level descriptions to ‘children’ items, (e.g. a book with pages).