But whether symbols of the past are able to represent themselves in the future remains the work of those who engage historic preservation. The National Register of Historic Places is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation. Authorized under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the register is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate and protect our historic and archeological resources.
Most people are interested in having their property listed because they are proud of it.
The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are more than 70,000 listings on the register. Boone County accounts for 32 of those listings. Mitchell estimates that Missouri applications listed this year are up about 50 percent from 1998. Last year we did 66 of them, and it looks like it's going to be that and more this year.