The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1927-02-17
't49th State" Termed the
Commonwealth of Parks

Many persons may never have
heard of the "49th state of the
Union," which is nearly as large
as the state of Massachusetts,. 1t
is not all in one area, but repre-
sents parcels in 43 other states. 1t
is their gift to the public, and has
been termed the commonwealth of
parks.
If all these tracts were assembled
and fitted together like map puz-
zle, they would comprise block of
land 80 miles on side.
These are the findings of sur
vey recently completed by the Ma
tional Conference on State Parks
and Forests, and were embodied in
a report submitted at a conference
at Hot Springs, Ark.
There has been no stinting on
the commonwealth of parks, the
survey shows. The states have
given their best and most cherished
sites to the public; Niagara Falls,
Lincoln's Birthplace, Riley's "Old
Swimmin' Hole" Starved Rock,
Wisconsin Dells, Lake Itasca, the
California Redwoods, Gene STRAIT
ton Porter's ''Limberlost."
Some of the parks are noted for
their scenic beauty; some saw the
most stirring chapters of American
history, some contain the choicest
natural wonders on the continent.
Famous poets, song writer's, natur-
alists and authors are memorable
ed by the reservations. Striking
dramas of geology are preserved
in some of the parks and the larg-
est do double duty for recreation
and protection of watersheds.
In April, 1924 President Coo
idge issued a proclamation which
laid the foundation for unified en-
enlargement of outdoor recrea-
ton. The President called the Con-
ference on Outdoor Recreation to
draw all agencies together. The
survey of the National Conference
on State Parks is a major contri-
button to the nationwide inquiry
summing up the United States re-
creation resources.
Standing beside the State Parks
Survey will be other reports by
the Playground and Recreation
Association of America, the Amer
lean Forestry association, the Ma
tional Parks association, the United
States Chamber of Commerce and
the Bureau of Public Roads. To
gether they will cover the prob
lens of state parks, national parks,
municipal parks, county parks, fed
eral land policies and highways.
To the individual this will mean
in time that his children will be
guaranteed a neighborhood park
to play in, that there will be city
parks, where he himself can play
or rest at the end of the day, that
there will. be parks within easy
reach for weekend pleasure, that
there will be ga state park every
hundred miles" when he tours, and
finally that there will be state and
national parks available for his
summer vacation.
Vary in Sizes
State parks vary in size from
the 1,850,000 acre recreation ranch
of Adirondack park in New York
to Dart Island State Park, a one
acre sand bar in the Connecticut
river. Adirondack park is second in
size only to Yellowstone National
park. State parks fall roughly in
to two classes; first parks for pure
ly recreational uses which com
prise three-ffths of the 4,313,OOO
acres set aside and, secondly, state
forests which have been opened
for recreation. The survey found
that if all the land now the prop
erty of the states and capable of
being used by the people were op-
ened as state parks, the area total
would Immediately run up to TO-
100000 acres. This acreage is
equal to the combined area of Mas
sachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode
Island.
State parks and forests serve an
important place in inviting the
summer migrations of tourist
campers. Most of such tourists
bring money into a state and add
to the income of all classes. Sea-
sonal conditions invite such tour
lists north in summer, and private
and public provisions for entertain
ing them are increasing every sea-
son. The development of the cab
in camp, with a central eating
pace, surrounded by snug one
I DOM cabins, with bed, stove ana
obker simple necessities, which
grew up first in the West, has now
extended east and is ito be found
in 1"any public preserves as well
as in private enta4 prise.
State parks and forests are now
SO numerous and so we'll distribut-
ed in the states which many of
the important transcontinental mo-
tor highways traverse, that tour
lists, by a little investigation of
opportunities for unusual and
pleasant camping places, may en-
JOY the finest scenery of every
state they pass through. AMI II is
without losing much time in de-
touring, or in risking bad roads,
for highway systems are improv-
ing so much everywhere, that many
good routes north and south, east