Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1924-12-18
VIRGINIA GETS
NATIONAL PARK
Secretary Work Recommends Site in
the Shenandoah Region-Rugged-
mess and Isolation Barred Smoky
Region.

the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virgin
ia as the site for the first great ma
tional ark of the peast of the east
has been announced by Secretary
Work of the interior department who
proposed that it be established and
named the Shenandoah National Park
The region was declared the most
desirable because of its scenic, his
toric and recreational qualities and
because it is within a days travel
of more than $40,00O,0O0 population.
The choice was named on a report
to the secretary from the Southern
Appalachian National Park Commit
tee headed by Representative H w.
Temple of Pennsylvania, which dur
ing the past eight months has made
an extensive tour of inspection of
many proposed sites. White Sulphur
Springs, West Virginia, and Mammoth
Gave, Kentucky, were among the sites
urged for selection.
While the great Smoky Mountains
of Tennessee North Carolina and
Virginia were described as superior
to the Blue Ridge mountains in alti-
tude and some other features, the
latter's accessibility to populous cen
ters won the committees favor. Hope
was expressed by the committee that
ksthe Shenandoah Park would be es-
and that it ssuccess will
y Encourage congress to create a sec
ond park in the Smoky Mountains
which lie some 800 miles distant to
the southwest. Although effort was
made to estimate the cost of the
Blue Ridge area which embraces 700
square miles in eighty counties be-
tween Front Royal and Waynesboro
The committee expressed belief that
Through constructive cooperation be-
Sgtween Virginia and some large land
;owners, reasonable prices and prob
ably some donations might be expec-
ted. A suggestion was advanced that
Should congress approve the site, a
,committee be appointed to handle the
purchase, solicit contributions and ar
range necessary condemnation pro-
%ceedings.
q Primeval forests, picturesque can
yons and gorges and an animal re-
fuge of national prominence are fea-
lures of the selected location. The
mountains overlook valleys where the
battles of the Revolution were fought
and where several presidents were
born. 1t is traversed by two highways
and the committee pointed out the
possibility of constructing sky line
commanding view of the Piedmont
plain and stretching to Washington.
There are seventeen national parks
in the west and Secretary Work call
ed attention to the need of great
outdoor recreation ground in the east
appointed the committee and reques-
ted that the site chosen should cover
not less than 500 square miles and
contain scenery typical of the region
1.-The committee has been impress
ed with the amount of interest man.
ifested in all sections of the east in
the proposed park" its representa-
tive stated that this interest has re-
suited in numerous requests that the
committee inspect various areas.
Many of these requests pertain to To-
calities that have abundant scenic fea
lures but which are not Of sufficient
size to warrant their being consider
ed for a national park.
We found many areas which could
well be chosen but the committee was
charged with the responsibility Of
selecting the best, all things consider
ed. Of these sevral possible sites the
great Smoky Mountains because of
the heighth of the mountains, depth
Of the valleys, ruggedness of the area
and the unexampled variety of trees
shrubs and plants, was very impress
i've. The Smoky Mountains however
had some handicaps which would
make the development Of them into
a national park delay; their very
ruggedness and height make road and
other park developments serious un-
dertaking as to time and expenses.
1T will surprise the American peo
pie to learn that national park such
as the suggested Shenandoah park,
with fine scenic and recreational quail
tiles can be found within three hour
ride of our national capital and with
in days ride of forty million of our
inhabitants. 1t has many canyons and
gorges, with beautiful cascading
streams. The greatest single feature
however is a possible skyline drive
along the mountain top following a
continuous ridge and looking down