Evening star., 1936-07-26
Bv VIII p. Kennedy.

~ ECREATION cabin colonies in
l. the new Shenandoah National
II Park. two to three hours motor
drive from the National Capt.
tai, at elevations of $500 to 1000 feet,
to cost approximately s1,5OO.O00, are
being started by the National Parks
Service of the Interior Department.
Ultimately seven such colonies are to
be built, with seven picnic ground
developments, covering the entire
mountain-top stretch of more than
100 miles along Skyline Drive, from
Front Royal to Jarman Gap, south
east of Waynesboro, where Skyline
Drive joins the Appalachian Park
way, the projected 5O0-mile mountain
highway to the Big Smokes.
Already, with Works Progress
money, some 875 workers from five
c. C. C. camps, are building roads,
water and sewer systems, clearing
away un6erbrush and vistas, and max
ing foot and bride trails to the noun
tain peaks and best scenic points of
vantage.
The first colonies are to be. at Sky
land. where already for years there
has been a privately-operated Sum-
mer colony, at a $500 foot altitude,
an easy 21a-hours' 2 run from Washing
ton, where there is foot trail of
little more than a mile to Stony Man
peak, an elevation of 4.010 feet; and
at Big Meadows, where, on July 8,
President Roosevelt formally accepted
on behalf of the Federal Government,
the gift of the Shenandoah National
Park, some 1000 acres, from the
State of Virginia.
Halfway between Skyland and Big
Meadows is one of the highest peaks
along the drive Hawks Bill Head,
4,049 feet. Just southwest of Big
beyond that Naked Greek Falls, while
little further south is Rapidan
Camp, at an elevation of $500 feet,
established by former President
Hoover, and presented by him to the
Federal Government as a Summer
rest place for Presidents, where Sec
retary Swanson of the Navy Depart
ment is recuperating this Summer.
SECRETARY ICKES would like to
~ have these Shenandoah National
Park recreation colonies operated by
the Government, with Ralph Lassiter,
the park superintendent, in admins
trative charge. but there is as yet no
authority in law for this. However,
legislation may be introduced in the
coming session of Congress. possibly
by Senator Harry F. Byrd of Viz
ginia, who, as Governor, had the first
appropriation of a million dollars
made toward the purchase of the land
for the park, and otherwise cooperated
In the project, and by Representative
A. Willis Robertson, whose district
lies just down the mountain side from
the sites of these colonies.
In the meantime, the National Parks
Service is considering a bid from
private concern to take over as q
concesaonaire the, entire develop
ment of seven cabin colonies and seven
picnic grounds, the Government to
retain the right of approval for all
structures, the operation of the col
onies, prices charged, ETC.. so as to
safeguard the tourist travel and pa
irons of the host houses and cabins.
Charles L. Gable, chief of the park
operators division Of the National
Park Service, who is member Of the
Mammoth Cave Operating Committee
and trustee of the Welfare and Rec
reational Association of the National
Capital Parks, is directly in charge of
the project. The present facilities
for summer visitors at Skyland are
being operated for this season, under
permit, by George Freeman Pollock,
owner of the property before it was
bought for the park-who has been a
mountaineer, living there for more
than 40 years. He and his father
before him developed the property
originally to take care Of copper
miners in that region.
1t is the hope of the parks officials
to have such facilities that Summer
visitors renting cabin will be able
to do some housekeeping" cooking
their own light meals, or to entertain