Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-08-28
BUY AN ACRE,
GET THE PARK
This County On First List OF Fund
Getting Campaign

That part of Virginia, which orig
mated and started the first movement
to establish the first Southern Ma
tional Park in the Blue Ridge noun
tains of this State, will be the battle
ground for the first drive to raise
funds to buy the 100000 acres of
mountain area and donate it to raise
the Federal government as the Vir-
ginia-Blue Ridge National Park.
This announcement was made fol-
lowing conference of officials of the
Shenandoah National Park Associa-
ton, Inc, Capt. John Paul, former
member of Congress from Virginia,
was selected as chairman of the
'fund-getting committee" for the
counties of Rockingham, Shenandoah
and Page, where the Virginia Ma
tional Park movement originated, IS
months ago. After his appointment,
Capt. Paul named |. L. Florey of
Elkton as fund-getter chairman for
Shenandoah; Edw. N. Berry, fund
getter for Page, and former Mayor
. John Morrison, fund-getter chairman
for Harrisonburg.
The drive, which will include Vir-
ginia and the states of the East will
start in Rockingham, Page and Shen-
andoah, September 1. After being
finished here it will be transferred
70 oh Wy
where a fund-getting organization
will be set up. From the Winchester
. area it will go to Charlottesville and
the Piedmont, Va, counties, and then
Ito Richmond, Norfolk, Roanoke and
other sections of Virginia. A total
of S2,500,00O will be the objective.
IF the people of Virginia are in
earnest in wanting the first National
Park to be located in the South, y
said Capt. Paul, they may as well
make up their minds to dig down
into their pockets and get the money
with which to buy the site in the
Blue Ridge mountains, which they
have offered the government. That
; is the only way they will get the Ma
) tional Park. l am convinced that
Congress, in view of the strong senti-
ment to hold down appropriations
will not provide funds to furnish the
site. If this rule is once broken, a
flood of parks will be offered the gov
eminent by states.
The question therefore is up to the
Virginia people. If they want the
park, they must furnish the money
to buy the site. If they raised the
$4,000, 600 they will get it There is
no doubt of that fact If they don't
we may not get the park.
The establishment of a National
Park in the Blue Ridge mountains
of Virginia is the greatest oppor-
tunity offered the State in a half
j, century. / know nothing to parallel
it. The park will bring millions of
tourists here to pay homage at our
historical shrines. 1t will bring many
men here with capital to help develop
our State. 1t will mark a new era in
Virginia, and in my judgment it will
be the turning point when Virginia
will begin to realize it has something
to attract capital and visitors. In
other words, l believe an era of de-
velopment in Virginia will follow the
development of this park that will
mean more than many of us now
realize.
Virginians are human They want
magnet to draw people to her bor-
ders, like Florida and California. The
whole world is talking about those
two states. Give us d National Park.
and Virginia will become a summer
mecca for tourists, just as Florida
and California are the winter mecca
for those seeking recreation in the
winter