Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1925-07-03
PARK MEETING
HELD MONDAY
Plans For Financing Movement Are
Discussed-15O Present

One hundred and fifty prominent
business men from all parts OF Vir-
ginia, at a conference in Charlottes-
Vile Monday, launched statewide
movement to .'clinch" the proposed
Southern Appalachian National Park
for the Blue Ridge Mountains in this
section of the state.
The Shenandoah National Park
Board, Inc, composed of men from
every section of the state, was named
to organize a drive for funds with
which to buy the necessary Blu e
Ridge Mountain area and donate it
to the Federal Government as site
for the proposed National Park. This
board, as selected by the conference,
is composed of r d Hull, of Roam
oke; E. F. Shelley, of Lynchburg;
Hollis Rhinehart, of Charlottesville
Lee Long. of Dante; D. P. Wine, of
Harrisonburg; W. A. Ryan, of Win
chester; H. ]. Benchoff, of Wood
stock; Hugh E. Naylor. of From
Royal; ]. Gordon Bohannon, of Pc
tersburg; Thomas S. Southgate, of
Norfolk; Thomas B. McAdams, of
Richmond Julian ]. Williams, of
Alexandria; L. Ferdinand Zerkel, of
Luray; Col. H. L. Opie, of Stanton,
Members of the board, meeting
after the formal conference, selected
Col Opie as temporary chairman
and d. p. Wine, of Harrisonburg, as
temporary secretary. The board will
meet again next Tuesday at Char
lottesville for the purpose of perma.
nently organizing. In addition to
Mr.. Wine, Mr.. Zerkel is under con,
sideration of the Park Board. At this
meeting, committees on permanent
organization and bylaws and or
financial plan will make reports.
DR.. Charles Maphis,' of the Uni
versity of Virginia, presided over the
conference, which was called by the
Shenandoah Valley, Inc, and which
was opened by Col H. j. Benchoff, oil
that organization, reading a report
on procedure, recommending that a
corporation be formed without CAPT.
tai stock for the purpose of receiving
donations of both money and land
to be turned over to the National
Government for park purposes.
A significant feature of the confer.
ence was the short speech of Col
Glenn Smith, secretary of the South.
ern Appalachian National Park Com.
mission, in which he declared the
Secretary of Interior, DIR. Hubert
Work, expected hackers of the pro-
posed Shenandoah National Park to
donate at least 100000 towards
purchasing the, mountain area.
Two plans are under consideration
by the Park Board to raise this fund
First, through voluntary agencies;
and secondly, to employ experts to
solicit funds. A New York banking
agency submitted a plan to the
board, saying it could raise the nee.
essary funds. The meeting XXI
Tuesday will decide whether or not
to retain this agency.
In his address, Representative
Moore said that the raising of money
for the park was an obligation on
all the people of the state and adj
vised the new organization not to GO
ahead with its plans without first
giving serious consideration to every
aspect of the project.
IF developed, the park will not
be for one part of the state nor for
the entire state alone, but will be
available to all the people of this
country" he said in conclusion.
Representative Harrison told of
the passage of the bill in Congress
for the proposed park He said that
1t was very probable that some modi-
fication of the original plan would
be necessary, adding that while 1885,
600 acres are included in the tenta-
tive plan, it was his opinion that
100000 acres would satisfy the gov
eminent. He said the proposed park
laws, as now drawn, would include
one-third of Greene County.
A number of kilograms and mes
sages were received from all parts
OF the state by the meeting, pledging
the support of civic bodies and or
ganization to the association.