The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1940-09-05
Dream Comes True

Inc QeQ1caL1On OF the ITeaC OmOky
Mountains National Park Monday by
President Roosevelt and Governors Hoey
and Cooper climaxed heroic struggle by
men and women of vision extending
and climatic wonderland accessible to the
people of the nation.
The park has been limited one since
1880, when it was accepted by the Fede-
raj Government for protection and admin
istration only, after having been auth
orized by Congress in 1923.
The major difficulty encountered by the
civic leaders of North Carolina and Ten
nessee in their efforts to have the park
completed and developed hinged around
the fact that lands involved did not belong
to the public domain but were owned by
private citizens and were divided into
thousands of separate holdings.
It was tedious task of the years to clear
up land titles, raise funds and purchase
enough of these tracts to assure govern
area Even now all of the land which is to
be embraced in the park has not been &C
quired, but the area yet to be purchased
is relatively small.
It has required thirteen million dollars
to buy the land for this park. For their aid
in helping to raise this huge sum, the whole
nation, as we'll as the states of North Caro-
lima and Tennessee, are eternally indebted
to John D. Rockefeller Jr, and his great
father.
The importance of this new scenic play
ground which will ultimately contain 463,-
600 acres and rank fifth in size among all
the national parks of the United States is
difficult to over-estimate. 1t is already at
tracing far more visitors annually than
many of the other parks, due to its rare
beauty and it's accessibility to people in the
dense1y populated eastern half of America.
With the completion of the Blue Ridge
Parkway now under construction, much
larger stream of tourists will pour into the
region in future years. We are confident
that the Great Smoky Mountain area will
become the outstanding recreational area
of the United States within the decade.
To many persons of foresight, civic spirit
and vision belong the credit for bringing
this fine park dream to its fulfillment No
small part of the honor goes, as we have
already suggested, to the Rockefellers for
their material aid. To friends of the project
in Knoxville and other sections of Tennes-
see much credit belongs.
But when we of North Carolina think of
the great playground and its vast poten-
tialities for national recreation and region
al upbuilding, the name of Mark Squires, of
Lenoir, inevitably comes to mind.
The late Mr.. Squires labored patiently,
perssitently and unselfishly for the recrea-
ton of this park, and it was largely
through his efforts that a split among
North Carolina people over the relative
merits of the Great Smokes section and
the beautiful Grandfather Mountain area
was avoided, thus making it possible for
friends of the park in this state to co-ope-
rate fully with the leaders of the move
ment in Tennessee.
1t was through the statemanlike endea-
vors of men of the Squires type, who put
local claims and selfish personal interests
behind them, that North Carolina and Ten
nessee gained this immense recreational as
set and opened their highways to the tour
lists of continent-The Winston-Salem