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WCU - Great Smoky Mountains - A Park for America

Petition of Appalachian Mountain Club of Boston

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  • Various organizations expressed support of an Appalachian National Park and a bill before Congress authorizing the purchase of four million acres for that purpose. A movement for a national park in the Appalachians was spearheaded by Appalachian National Park Association, formed in 1899. The association raised public awareness of the issue, but disbanded before the formation of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  • [Copy.] To the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America : The Petition of the Appalachian Mountain Club respectfully shows: That your petitioner is an organization of about 1200 members composed principally of residents of Boston, Mass., and New England, with scattering members throughout the Union, organized in January, 1876, and reorganized and chartered as a corporation by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in April, 1878. That its object is to bring together for cooperation all those interested in the Mountains of New England and adjacent regions; * * * To combine the energies of all those who are interested in efforts not only to preserve the present beauty and attractiveness of our Mountain resorts,—and in particular their forests,—but also to render them more attractive by building paths, camps, and other conveniences, constructing and publishing accurate maps, and by collecting all available information concerning the mountain regions. * * * In short, the Club may be considered the representative in this part of the country, of the interests of all lovers of the mountains; in addition to which it has made such substantial contributions to various departments of geography as to gain recognition as a representative of general geographical science. It having come to the knowledge of this Club that there is now on foot a movement for the establishment of a National Forest and Mountain preserve in the Southern Alleghenies, to be known as the National Appalachian Park ; and further that there is now before the Congress a petition from an organization known as the Appalachian National Park Association "praying for such action as will result in causing to be forthwith made such examination and surveys as may be necessary to determine the best possible location and the proper area for a National Park in the Southern Appalachian region, to the end that upon the coming in of the report of the Forester, or of such other reports as the Congress may desire, appropriate steps may be taken to acquire the title to the land to be comprised within the limits of such Park ; or that the Congress will take such other action as it may deem proper." Your petitioners therefore state : That they believe the movement is inaugurated at a most opportune time, being well aware of the increased difficulty that will attend the securing of suitable land for this purpose at a later day, when land values increase and timber and landed interests combine against such a movement; that they are deeply interested in this movement, which, they believe, if carried out, will result in untold health and recreation to future generations, and heartily concur in the above-mentioned petition ; and they respectfully pray that the said petition of the Appalachian National Park Association may receive favorable consideration with the Congress. [Signed] ALBION A. PERRY, President. ROSEWELL B. LAWRENCE, Recording Secretary_ JOHN RITCHIE, JR., Corresponding Secretary.

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Great Smoky Mountains - A Park for America

This digital collection was created to contribute to the public's understanding of the forces and ideas that led to the establishment of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1934. The most vi...

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