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John D. Rockefeller, Jr. to Horace Marden Albright, October 25, 1934

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  • In a letter to Horace Marden Albright on October 25, 1934, John D. Rockefeller Jr. thanks him for and gives details of the trip Albright planned for him over Shenandoah Park road, into Blowing Rock, to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, and through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park into Gatlinburg.
  • CONFIDENTIAL COPY THE GREENBRIER AND COTTAGES White Sulphur Springs West Virginia. October 2.5, 1934 Mr. Horace Marden Albright, 342 Madison Avenue, New York City. Dear Mr. Albright: The part of our motor trip which you so kindly planned for us has been completed with the greatest success and I am writing to thank you for your kindness In arranging the trip for us. Mr. Cammerer met us at Lurayj and, with two of his assistants, drove over the Shenandoah Park road with us on a perfectly gorgeous day. We all had a picnic lunch together by the stream of the President's Camp on the Rapidan which, as you know, is a marvelously beautiful spot. We were thrilled with the beautiful views in the Park and greatly interested in the work which has been done and planned. Our trip South was made practically as you had suggested. We stayed two or three days at Blowing Rock, viith a friend, and thought that country wonderfully beautiful. After two or three days at Ashevili where we were most comfortable at the Grove Park Inn, we drove over the mountains to Gatlinburg. Fortunately, the day for this trip was a cloudless one. We had our lunch before reaching the summit and arrived at the top just as a meeting of the National Forest Association, which Mr. Cammerer was addressing, came to an end. The drive down on the Tennessee side was unspeakably beautiful although the road is, as yet pretty rough. The streams, rhododendron, the vivid autumn foliage, all combined to make the experience one long to be remembered. Mr. Cammerer spent the following day at Gat&inburg with us; and, with Mr. Eakin and the Cjjief Ranger, took us a beautiful drive to Willie Myers immacuhtely clean little mountain home whence we walked a mile or more out and back into beautiful virgin timber. The next day Mr. Huff took us up the Roaring Forek. We walked a mile and a half up the new mountain trail from where we left the car and again saw wonderful trees and mountain growth. The following day we left, carrying with us the happiest memories of this extraordinarily beautiful mountain are a and we definitely determined to return another year for a longer stay and horseback excursions into the mountains. We are on our way North now and expect to stop a few days in Williamsburg before reaching home. I must not forget to tell you that at Gatlinburg we met Colonel Chapman several times and formed the highest opinion of him. What an important part he has had in making the Big Smokies possible! Again with thanks for your helpfulness in planning this interesting trip, I am JDR/EFB Very sincerely, John D< Rockefeller, Jr.