Tuesday May 1, 2001 How's The Park Service
Administriation Doing?
By The Yosemite News Staff Researchers
YOSEMITE -- The NPS administrative record of managing the public trust is excellent.
Narional Parks provide a valuable public service in the conservation and management of natural resources and
documentation of economic, ecological, and aesthetic dimensions of public lands. The National Parks interpret the national philosophy of nature and wilderness, the economic interests involved in the setting aside
and development of public lands, and ways Americans experience nature
and wilderness in shifting patterns of tourism and recreation.
The NPS also preserves the historical and cultural memory we as a nation have felt worthy of preservation.
NPS historic sites illuminate a variety of cultural symbols and
processes of historical and cultural change. They show how we have
sought to commemorate the past and establish or reaffirm aspects
of a national identity. They also provide direct, tangible evidence
about the past that can challenge visitors and scholars to seek
new ways of understanding human activities and interests, prehistoric
and historic.
Park managers bear significant responsibilities
for decisions about park resources that affect how future generations
will see this multifaceted natural and cultural heritage. Administrative
histories inform them about the decision-making of their predecessors
in the NPS, and about how NPS decisions have reflected and reflect
broader social, economic, cultural, and political trends and interests.
Research possibilities abound in park-related aspects
of the history of ideas about nature and culture, and the sometimes-contending
interests of people who have influenced and implemented federal
programs for the National Park System. We are seeking partnerships,
advice, and assistance from park-goers, scholars, and others with
interests in parks, conservation and preservation. As of February
1996, only about 60 of the 369 parks administered by the NPS had
current administrative histories. NPS national programs for archeology,
concessions, land acquisition, and recreation also present research
opportunities.
To learn more about NPS administrative histories,
contact the NPS bureau historian, at the National Park Service,
P.O. Box 37127, Washington, D.C. 20013-7127, (202) 343-8169, or
at Bureau_Historian@nps.gov.
If you want to see which parks have administrative histories, view
the list of parks below.
| Brief Park Histories & Bibliographies |
The following is a list of reports, articles, and
books constituting or including administrative histories, partial
administrative histories, or significant administrative history
data for particular parks. Most of those without publication data
are National Park Service studies reproduced in limited quantity
for internal distribution.
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Abraham Lincoln
Birthplace National Historic Site
Peterson, Gloria. An Administrative History of Abraham Lincoln
Birthplace National Historic Site. 107 p., 1969.
Chronological treatment to final chapter, "The Birthplace Cabin
Question," which criticizes the Service's lack of candor in interpreting
the cabin. Appendixes transcribe park legislation.
Acadia National
Park
Dorr, George B. Acadia National Park: Its Origin and Background.
Bangor: Burr Printing Co., 1942. 76 p.
Dorr, George B. Acadia National Park: Its Growth and Development.
Bangor: Burr Printing Co., 1948. 46 p.
The park's leading patron and first superintendent recounts his
intimate involvement in private land acquisition and donation, the
initial national monument proclamation, and later park legislation.
Fascinating account of personal influence by and interaction among
the social elite to create and promote a national park. Little on
administration beyond establishment and enlargement.
Ernst, Joseph W., ed. Worthwhile Places: Correspondence of John
D. Rockefeller, Jr., and Horace M. Albright. New York: Rockefeller
Archive Center, 1991. 354 p.
Includes many letters regarding Rockefeller's road-building and
other activities at Acadia.
Adams National
Historic Site
Freiberg, Malcolm. From Family to Nation: The Old House Becomes
the Adams National Historic Site. 34 p., 1986.
Paper presented by emeritus editor of publications, Massachusetts
Historical Society, at Adams lecture series. Excellent short account
of the Adams Memorial Society's management of the property, its
decision to donate it to the United States, and early NPS custody.
Agate Fossil
Beds National Monument
Cockrell, Ron. Bones of Agate: An Administrative History of
Agate Fossil Beds National Monument, Nebraska. 311 p., 1986.
Clear and candid presentation of fossil discoveries and excavations,
the role of the Cooks, and problems with monument establishment,
land acquisition, development, and collections. Appendix includes
photos, maps, legislation, personnel, visitation statistics.
Andrew Johnson
National Historic Site
Lawing, Hugh. Administrative History: Andrew Johnson National
Historic Site. 108 p., 1971.
First third adapted from uncritical biographies of Johnson. The
years 19421954 are covered by unsynthesized random excerpts
from superintendents' monthly reports. Appendix contains visitation
statistics, personnel roster, recollections of Johnson's great-granddaughter.
Aniakchak
National Monument and National Preserve
See Kamai National Park and National Preserve
Antietam National
Battlefield
Snell, Charles W., and Sharon A. Brown. Antietam National Battlefield
and National Cemetery, Sharpsburg, Maryland: An Administrative History.
571 p., 1986.
Highly detailed account of establishment and administration, covering
planning, research, development, interpretation, key personnel,
maintenance, expenditures, and virtually all other aspects of park
management. Topically organized within chronological periods.
Apostle Islands
National Seashore
Jordahl, Harold C., Jr. A Unique Collection of Islands: The
Influence of History, Politics, Policy and Planning on the Establishment
of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. 863 p., 1994.
An extensive account of the establishment and enlargement of the
lakeshore by a Wisconsin conservationist actively involved with
the events described. Activities at the state level receive substantial
coverage. Laws and other documents are appended. Indexed.
Appalachian
National Scenic Trail
Foster, Charles H. W. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail:
A Time to Be Bold. Harpers Ferry, WV: Appalachian Trail Conference,
1987. 232 p.
Traces the history of the trail from its conception by Benton MacKaye
through its "volunteer" status to the era of governmental involvement.
Much attention to cooperative federal-state-private sector relationships
in trail routing, land protection, administration. Thoroughly researched,
skillfully written, attractively packagedan exemplary administrative
history.
Arkansas Post
National Memorial
Carrara, Gregorio S.A. Arkansas Post National Memorial Administrative
History. 37 p., 1988.
First 19 pages written 1975; the final chapter covering events
through 1987 was added without revising the original portion. Chapters
are chronological with little topical organization. Physical development
and personnel receive greatest emphasis. Undocumented.
Assateague
Island National Seashore
Mackintosh, Barry. Assateague Island National Seashore: An Administrative
History. 210 p. plus illustrations, 1982.
Initial chapter traces events leading to seashore establishment;
subsequent topical chapters address land acquisition, planning,
relations with other agencies, physical development, resources management,
and public use. Appendix includes legislation, personnel roster,
visitation statistics.
Aztec Ruins
National Monument
Lister, Robert H., and Florence C. Lister. Aztec
Ruins National Monument: Administrative History of an Archeological
Preserve. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional
Papers no. 24. 313 p., 1990.
Extensive coverage of excavation, reconstruction, stabilization,
and development at the site both before and after NPS involvement,
emphasizing the roles of Earl Morris and other personalities. Excellent
analysis of problems posed by archeological excavation and display
of remains. Appendixes reproduce proclamations, legislation, and
other important documents; list superintendents and visitation statistics;
and record stabilization work in detail. An outstanding contract
history by a former NPS archeologist.
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Badlands National
Park
Mattison, Ray H., and Robert A. Grom. History of Badlands National
Monument and The White River (Big) Badlands of South Dakota.
Ed. by Joanne W. Stockert. Interior, SD: Badlands Natural History
Assn., 1968. 78 p.
Mostly chronological account of early exploration and settlement
of area, park movement, and highlights of park development and administration.
List of superintendents and visitation figures in appendix. Well
documented, attractively presented with illustrations.
Shuler, Jay. A Revelation Called The Badlands: Building a National
Park, 19091939. Interior, SD: Badlands Natural History
Assn., 1989.
An undocumented but well written and illustrated account by the
chief park naturalist of the establishment of Badlands National
Monument, emphasizing the roles of Sen. Peter Norbeck and Ben Millard.
Bandelier
National Monument
Rothman, Hal. Bandelier National Monument: An Administrative
History. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional
Papers no. 14. 167 p., 1988.
Includes coverage of original Forest Service administration of
the monument, efforts then and following its transfer to the NPS
to establish a national park encompassing it, its development by
the CCC, wartime and later threats to its integrity, and natural
and cultural resources management issues. Appendixes for visitation,
superintendents, key events, legislation. A solid contract history.
Bent's Old
Fort National Historic Site
Mattes, Merrill J. "From Ruin to Reconstruction, 19201976."
The Colorado Magazine 54, no. 4 (1977): 57101.
History of Bent's Old Fort from DAR acquisition in 1920 to its
reconstruction for the Bicentenial. Traces period of state ownership,
transfer to NPS, debate over reconstruction, political involvement
in funding reconstruction. Little on site administration beyond
the fort itself.
Big Bend National
Park
Jameson, John R. Big Bend on the Rio Grande: Biography of a
National Park. New York: Peter Lang, 1987. 171 p.
Scholarly study emphasizing establishment, land acquisition, community
relations, and the proposal for an international park. Little on
internal administrative concerns. Appendix includes chronology,
legislation, visitation statistics. Revised and updated from a 1973
Ph.D. dissertation.
Jameson, John R. "From Dude Ranches to Haciendas: Master Planning
at Big Bend National Park, Texas." Forest & Conservation
History 38, no. 3 (July 1994): 10817.
Traces the diverse array of proposals for development and non-development,
the 197278 controversy over wilderness designation, and plans
for the adjoining Big Bend Ranch, acquired as a Texas state park
in 1988.
Big Hole National
Battlefield
Catton, Theodore. Commemoration
and Preservation: An Administrative History of Big Hole National
Battlefield. 187 p. plus appendices. 1999.
Big Thicket
National Preserve
Cazine, James J., Jr. Assault on a Wilderness: The Big Thicket
of East Texas. 334 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1976.
First half deals with botany, Indian habitation, exploration and
settlement, lumbering and oil drilling in area; second half is detailed
treatment of preservation movement and legislative history. Some
discussion of preserve management problems following establishment
in 1974.
Black Canyon
of the Gunnison National Monument
Beidleman, Richard G. Administrative History of the Black Canyon
of the Gunnison National Monument. 234 p., 1965.
Good description of events leading to monument proclamation; topical
coverage of major developments and activities thereafter.
Blue Ridge
Parkway
Jolley, Harley E. The Blue Ridge Parkway: Origins and Early
Development. 305 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1964.
Deals with the planning and construction of the parkway up to its
placement under the NPS in 1936.
Jolley, Harley E. The Blue Ridge Parkway. Knoxville: University
of Tennessee Press, 1969. 172 p.
Explores origin of Blue Ridge Parkway idea; relates competition
between North Carolina and Tennessee for route; discusses land acquisition,
construction, relations with mountain people. Based on author's
dissertation, with some expansion to cover parkway interpretive
and recreational development since road completion. Little else
on administration.
Booker T.
Washington National Monument
Mackintosh, Barry. Booker T. Washington National Monument: An
Administrative History. 160 p. plus illustrations, 1969.
First half is devoted to the site and its private promoters before
monument establishment; second half covers NPS administration. Both
private and public administration undergo critical evaluation. Appendix
includes examination of the birth cabin controversy.
Bryce Canyon
National Park
Scrattish, Nicholas. Historic Resource Study: Bryce Canyon National
Park. 289 p., 1980.
An administrative history as much as a historic resource study,
the report discusses pre-park tourism, railroad involvement in the
park movement, access road building, park establishment, development
for administration and public accommodation, CCC activity, and park
boundary changes.
Buffalo National
River
Compton, Neil. The Battle for the Buffalo River. Fayetteville:
University of Arkansas Press, 1992. 481 p.
A partisan account of the grass-roots campaign to save the Buffalo
from damming and make it a national river, by the president of the
Ozark Society, the group most closely involved. Ends with enactment
of the national river legislation. Letters and other documents are
extensively quoted. More a memoir than a history.
Pitcaithley, Dwight T. Let the River Be: A History of the Ozark's
Buffalo River. 133 p., 1987.
Final chapter contains a short account of initial land acquisition
and staffing. Good reference for a future administrative history.
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Cabrillo National
Monument
Lehmann, Susan C. An Embarrassment of Riches: The Administrative
History of Cabrillo National Monument. San Diego: Cabrillo Historical
Assn., 1987. 157 p.
Thorough, well documented history covering the changing administration,
use, and image of the monument from its inception to the mid-1980s.
Relationships with other agencies and the local community receive
particular attention.
Canyon de
Chelly National Monument
Brugge, David M., and Raymond Wilson. Administrative History:
Canyon de Chelly National Monument. 264 p. plus appendix, 1976.
Thorough examination of the monument's evolution, with extensive
attention to Navajo relations. Appendix has sections on superintendents,
visitation, construction contracts, ethnographic field work, general
chronology, legislation.
Canyonlands
National Park
Richardson, Elmo R. "Federal Park Policy in Utah: The Escalante
National Monument Controversy of 19351940." Utah Historical
Quarterly 33 (Spring 1965): 10933.
Account of a proposed national monument in the area later occupied
by Canyonlands, explaining its defeat by Utah interests concerned
about Interior-NPS territorial ambitions and restrictive land use
policies.
Cape Cod National
Seashore
Burling, Francis P. The Birth of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
Plymouth, MA: Leyden Press, 1978. 67 p.
A solid legislative history, based on congressional documents and
extensive interviews with seashore proponents and opponents, by
an Orleans newspaper editor. Introduction by Elliot Richardson.
Capitol Reef
National Park
Thow, Jonathan S. Capitol Reef: The Forgotten National Park.
170 p. M.S. thesis, 1986.
Discusses establishment of Capitol Reef National Monument in 1937,
its controversial enlargement by Lyndon Johnson in 1969, and its
conversion to a national park in 1971. Focuses on the park's stormy
relationships with local people and tourism, mining, and grazing
interests. Written largely from their perspective, it scores the
frequent insensitivity of the NPS in public relations; yet it is
well balanced. Less an administrative history than a study of the
park's effect on the region.
Carlsbad Caverns
National Park
Gale, Bennett T. Historical Sketch, Carlsbad Caverns National
Park. 50 p., 1952.
Chronologically arranged with few headings to facilitate information
retrieval. No footnotes or bibliography. Well written and useful
nonetheless.
Casa Grande
Ruins National Monument
Clemensen, A. Berle. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Arizona:
A Centennial History of the First Prehistoric Reserve, 18921992.
Denver: National Park Service, 1992. 237 p.
A thorough history of the monument's origins and development, with
particular attention to such topics as the CCC, Mission 66, ruins
preservation efforts, and NPS buildings. Well illustrated with photographs
and maps. Appendix lists all employees, reproduces key documents,
and provides historical data on buildings.
Van Valkenburgh, Sallie. The History of Casa Grande Ruins National
Monument. Southwestern Monuments Association, 1965. 31 p. (Reprinted
from The Kiva 27, no. 3 [February 1962].)
After background on prehistory and Euro-American contacts, the
author discusses the reservation of Casa Grande and its administration
under Frank Pinkley. Little coverage of events after Pinkley's death
in 1940.
Castillo de
San Marcos National Monument
Krakow, Jere L. Administrative History of Castillo de San Marcos
National Monument and Fort Matanzas National Monument. 132 p.
plus illustrations, 1985.
Traces early preservation and tourism accommodation under War Department,
operation by Saint Augustine Historical Society, NPS takeover and
administration (by superintendents' tenures). Topical sections on
interpretation, special events, visitors, research, race relations.
Appendixes for key documents, personnel, statistics.
Catoctin Mountain
Park
Kirkconnell, Barbara M. Catoctin Mountain Park: An Administrative
History. 273 p., 1988.
Chapters cover land acquisition, physical development of Catoctin
Recreation Demonstration Area, CCC activity, Shangri-La/Camp David,
Mission 66, Job Corps and YCC activity, interpretation and use,
natural resource management, protection. Legislation, roster of
principal staff, and illustrations are appended.
Cedar Breaks
National Monument
Rothman, Hal. "Shaping the Nature of a Controversy: The Park Service,
the Forest Service, and the Cedar Breaks Proposal." Utah Historical
Quarterly, Summer 1987, pp. 21335.
Uses establishment of Cedar Breaks National Monument to illustrate
the differing philosophies of the Park Service and Forest Service
and the conflicts between the bureaus.
Chaco Culture
National Historical Park
Pierson, Lloyd M. A History of Chaco Canyon National Monument.
120 p. plus appendix, 1956.
Topically organized, with emphasis on history of research at Chaco.
Appendix contains monument proclamation, visitation statistics,
key personnel roster. Many typographical errors mar the good writing.
Channel Islands
National Park
Roberts, Lois J. San Miguel Island: Santa Barbara's Fourth Island
West. Carmel, CA: Cal Rim Books, 1991. 214 p.
Based on the author's 1979 historic resource study of Channel Islands
National Monument and San Miguel Island, both of which were incorporated
in the national park in 1980. Chapter 9, "National Park Management,"
briefly covers the establishment and administration of the national
monument and traces the administration of San Miguel Island by the
Lighthouse Bureau and the Navy.
Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Mackintosh, Barry. C & O Canal: The Making of a Park.
208 p., 1991.
Chapters trace federal acquisition of canal, the parkway proposal,
the national historical park campaign, land acquisition, planning,
management arrangements, development, public use. Appendix includes
legislation, administrative chronology, roster of key officials.
Illustrated and indexed.
Young, April L. Saving the C and O Canal: Citizen Participation
in Historic Preservation. 104 p. M.A. thesis, 1973.
Discusses parkway proposal, Douglas canal hike, national monument
proclamation, dam proposals; concludes with national historical
park authorization. Good analysis of the role of conservation groups
overcoming bureaucratic forces to influence public policy.
Chickamauga
and Chattanooga National Military Park
Paige, John C., and Jerome A. Greene. Administrative History
of Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. 221 p.
plus appendix and illustrations, 1983.
Chapters address park establishment, War Department and NPS administration,
the monuments, military use, special events, increasing recreational
use. Appendix includes list of key officials, legislation, legal
description of park.
Chickasaw
National Recreation Area
Boeger, Palmer H. Oklahoma Oasis: From Platt National Park to
Chickasaw National Recreation Area. Muskogee, OK: Western Heritage
Books, 1987. 215 p.
General, popular park history, anecdotal in nature, emphasizing
visitor use. Covers CCC involvement in some detail. Includes comments
by others on Platt's national park qualifications but eschews evaluation.
Colonial National
Historical Park
Hatch, Charles E., Jr. The Evolution of the Concept of Colonial
National Historical Park: A Chapter in the Story of Historical Conservation.
39 p., 1964.
Discusses early commemoration of Jamestown and Yorktown, various
unsuccessful plans for direct federal involvement, final successful
park movement in collaboration with John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Concludes
with enactment of 1930 national monument legislation.
Colorado National
Monument
Look, Al. John Otto and the Colorado National Monument.
Grand Junction, CO: Sandstone Publishing Co., 1962. 80 p.
Colorful, impressionistic account of the monument's highly individualistic
if not crazy first custodian by one who knew him. Much on Otto's
eccentric correspondence with Washington headquarters. Entertaining
but undocumented and unreliable.
Crater Lake
National Park
Unrau, Harlan D. Administrative
History, Crater Lake National Park. 702 p. (in two volumes),
1988.
A thorough, comprehensive study of the park's origins, establishment,
and administration. Ranger activities, resource management, development,
maintenance, visitation and concessions, and interpretation receive
special attention. Extensive appendixes following each chapter add
to the history's reference value.
Craters of
the Moon National Monument
Louter, David. Craters
of the Moon National Monument: An Administrative History.
389 p., 1992.
A comprehensive and candid history of the monument, with chapters
on land issues and legislation, administration, resource management,
recreation, interpretation, development, and concessions. The text
is supplemented by maps and photographs, a chronology of key events,
copies of proclamations and legislation, a list of key personnel,
visitation statistics, and an index.
Cumberland
Gap National Historical Park
Tinney, Edward E. History of Cumberland Gap National Historical
Park. 75 p. plus illustrations and bibliography, 1965.
More than one-third devoted to pre-park events. Weak on legislative
history; more on land acquisition and development. Personnel and
visitation statistics listed in appendix.
Cuyahoga Valley
National Recreation Area
Cockrell, Ron. Compendium of the Oral History Project for the
Cuyahoga Valley Administrative History. 780 p., 1991.
Contains transcriptions of 37 interviews (including a few written
responses to questionnaires) conducted for Cockrell's administrative
history. Cockrell's probing questions elicited candid and insightful
comments on controversial matters from key players, including Russell
Dickenson, Nathaniel Reed, and John Seiberling.
Cockrell, Ron. A Green Shrouded Miracle: The Administrative
History of Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area, Ohio. 542
p., 1992.
A thorough history of the conception, establishment, and administration
of a controversial park, remarkable for its comprehensiveness and
candid treatment of controversial issues. Land acquisition and community
relations receive particular attention. Numerous maps and photographs,
extensive appended material on legislation, employees, visitation,
and budgets, and an index enhance its reference value.
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Delaware Water
Gap National Recreation Area
Albert, Richard C. Damming the Delaware: The Rise and Fall of
Tocks Island Dam. University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University
Press, 1987. 202 p.
Focuses on the plans for and controversy surrounding the dam, but
also contains significant information on the establishment and role
of the national recreation area. Essential to an understanding of
the recreation area's evolution.
Denali National
Park
Brown, William E. A History of the Denali-Mount McKinley Region,
Alaska. 274 p., 1991.
A historic resource study, but devotes much attention to the park
movement and key issues in the park's planning, development, use,
and enlargement. Exceptionally well written and illustrated; indexed.
Pearson, Grant H. A History of Mount McKinley National Park.
59 p. plus appendix, 1953.
Topical organization, variously strong and weak depending on subject.
The chapter on park establishment is from another account and is
not internally documented. Special attention to climbing expeditions.
Appendix includes friends of park, related legislation, publications.
Devils Tower
National Monument
Daugherty, D. John. Devils Tower National Monument. 69 p.,
1984.
A chronological treatment of establishment and administration,
the latter primarily from superintendents' monthly reports. The
last 15 pages contain a historic structures inventory with recommendations
for National Register nomination.
Dinosaur National
Monument
Beidleman, Richard G. Administrative History: Dinosaur National
Monument. Variously paginated, n.d.
Topically organized with emphasis on early excavations by Earl
Douglass, abortive efforts to establish an onsite museum in the
1930s, and other interpretive activities. Concludes with reclamation
activities in the area and the beginning of the Echo Park Dam controversy
in 1950. Chapters are well documented and written but are often
disjointed and repetitive.
Harvey, Mark W. T. A Symbol of Wilderness: Echo Park and the
American Conservation Movement. Albuquerque: University of New
Mexico Press, 1994. 368 p.
Bureau of Reclamation plans for a major dam in Dinosaur National
Monument galvanized conservationists and precipitated the greatest
conservation battle of the mid-20th century. As Harvey explains,
the controversy and its outcome marked a significant shift in the
public perception of parks from playgrounds to preserves. A remarkably
fair and balanced account, sympathetically portraying those who
worked with and supported the dam planners as well as those who
opposed them.
Neel, Susan R. "Newton Drury and the Echo Park Dam Controversy."
Forest & Conservation History 38, no. 2 (April 1994):
5666.
Traces Drury's changing positions on dams in Dinosaur National
Monument and related positions on the NPS and national recreation
areas, his inconsistent dealings with superiors, subordinates, and
the Bureau of Reclamation, and the events leading to his resignation.
A hard but fair appraisal.
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Ebey's Landing
National Historical Reserve
McKinley, Laura. An
Unbroken Historical Record: Ebey's Landing National Historical Reserve
Administrative History. 199 p., 1993.
A comprehensive history of this park, previously classed as an
affiliated area for its trust board management. Chapters address
the preservation movement, planning, land acquisition and protection,
general administration, interpretation, and resource management.
Illustrated and indexed.
Effigy Mounds
National Monument
O'Bright, Jill York. The Perpetual March: An Administrative
History of Effigy Mounds National Monument. 279 p., 1989.
Following initial background, chapters address the national park
movement, authorization of the monument, land acquisition, staffing,
development, resource management and research, and interpretation.
Appendixes contain a chronology of events, legislation, land acquisition
summaries, a roster of employees, and a list of studies. Indexed.
An exemplary history.
El Malpais
National Monument
Mangum, Neil C. In the Land of Frozen Fires: A History of Occupation
in El Maplais Country. 101 p., 1990.
El Morro National
Monument
Sievers, Douglas W. El Morro: A Unit History. 20 p., 1970.
Short, entertaining account by a seasonal ranger. Little on monument
establishment and enlargement, but good summary of efforts to preserve
the inscriptions.
Everglades
National Park
Vance, Linda D. "May Mann Jennings and Royal Palm State Park."
Florida Historical Quarterly 55, no. 1 (July 1976): 117.
Traces the efforts of Jennings and other Florida conservationists
to establish a state park and donate it for the establishment of
Everglades National Park. Not a critical history.
Fort Bowie
National Historic Site
Gomez, Phillip J. "Fort Bowie National Historic Site: The Evolution
of a Unique Western Park." The Journal of Arizona History
25, no. 2 (Summer 1984): 17190.
Excellent account of the establishment and non-development of the
ruined post as a national historic site. Covers debate over the
site's treatment and final triumph of the primitive concept, initially
by default but ultimately by design.
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Fort Clatsop
National Memorial
Cannon, Kelly. Administrative
History: Fort Clatsop National Memorial. 210 p., 1995.
A comprehensive history of the site of the memorial, including
its prior development and administration by the Oregon Historical
Society. Although the author states that she has avoided "making
judgments about past or present management practices," she presents
sufficient information to allow readers to form their own opinions
on such controversial matters as the fort reconstruction and the
site's inclusion in the national park system. The history is well
illustrated, and copies of key legislation, visitation statistics,
and a list of permanent park personel are appended.
Fort Davis
National Historic Site
Welsh, Michael. A Special Place, A Sacred Trust: Preserving
the Fort Davis Story. Intermountain Cultural Resource Center
Professional Paper no. 58. 292 p., 1996.
Successfully integrates all facets of park establishment and operations
in chronological chapters. Particular attention is given historic
building treatment decisions, interpretive emphases, staffing, and
community relations. Throughout, the park story is told in the context
of broader political and social events and trends. Well written,
illustrated, indexed.
Fort Donelson
National Military Park
Peterson, Gloria. Administrative History, Fort Donelson National
Military Park. 116 p. plus illustrations, 1968.
Well organized park history, with brief coverage of national cemetery.
Appendixes transcribe park legislation and list lands acquired.
Fort Laramie
National Historic Site
Mattes, Merrill J. Fort Laramie Park History, 18341977.
382 p. plus illustrations, 1980.
Chronologically organized, with NPS period divided into superintendents'
tenures. Much attention to planning, restoration, development proposals
and philosophies. Marked by sometimes caustic personal observations
based on the author's long association with the park. Entertaining
reading.
Fort Matanzas
National Monument
See Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Fort McHenry
National Monument and Historic Shrine
Lessem, Harold I., and David A. Kimball. History of Fort McHenry
as a National Monument and Historic Shrine. 60 p., c. 1955.
A concise account of the fort's administration by the Army to 1933
and thereafter by the NPS. Problems with maintenance, interpretation,
and donated furnishings are noted. Appendixes list donors, superintendents,
attendance figures.
Fort Sumter
National Monument
Comstock, Rock L., Jr. Short History, Fort Sumter. 50 p.
plus appendixes, 1956.
Colorfully written, well documented account emphasizing fort's
role as tourist attraction beginning after the Civil War. Little
on War Department administration. Appendixes contain legislation,
key correspondence, travel statistics.
Fort Union
National Monument
Croy, Douglas. Fort Union National Monument, New Mexico: The
First Twenty-Five Years. 113 p. M.A. thesis, 1984.
Topical chapters address personnel, planning, support facilities,
resource protection, interpretation and visitation, cooperative
relationships from 1956-1980. Appendix lists all monument personnel.
Well researched and written.
Liping Zhu. Fort
Union National Monument: An Administrative History. Southwest
Cultural Resource Center Professional Papers no. 42. 124 p., 1992.
After a chapter summarizing the history of the frontier post, chapters
treat the period between abandonment and national monument establishment,
efforts to preserve the ruins, interpretation and visitation, natural
resource management, and human threats to the park. Appendixes reproduce
legislation, personnel rosters, visitation statistics. Well illustrated,
indexed.
West, B. June. James West Arrott, The Moving Spirit of Fort
Union, Incorporated: Another Chapter in the History of Fort Union,
New Mexico. 43 p. plus appendixes, c. 1966.
Focuses on movement to authorize the monument and purchase the
property led by Fort Union, Inc., in which Arrott was a central
figure. Appendixes include correspondence, financial records, dedication
program. Constant intrusion of source documents in the text and
shifting between past and present tenses make reading burdensome.
Fort Vancouver
National Historic Site
Merritt, Jane T. The
Administrative History of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site.
262 p., 1993.
Chapters address the creation of the national monument and its
redesignation as a national historic site, planning and development,
public relations, cultural resource management, and general administration.
The role of Rep. Julia Butler Hansen and the reconstruction and
Pearson Airpark issues receive particular attention. Well illustrated.
Frederick
Douglass National Historic Site
Harley, Sharon. A Study of the Preservation and Administration
of `Cedar Hill,' The Home of Frederick Douglass. 84 p., 1989.
Focuses on efforts of Helen Pitts Douglass, the Frederick Douglass
Memorial and Historical Association, and the National Association
of Colored Women's Clubs to preserve the property. Covers conflicts
between the organizations, maintenance of the property, ultimate
decision to seek federal ownership. Little coverage after transfer
to NPS.
Fredericksburg
and Spotsylvania County Battlefields National Military Park
Happel, Ralph. A History of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania
County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park. 79 p. plus
appendixes and illustrations, 1955.
First 22 pages cover antebellum and Civil War history; remainder
of history addresses national cemetery establishment, the park movement,
and park establishment and administration. Entertainingly written.
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Gateway National
Recreation Area
Kelleher, Michael. The Changing Standard of National Significance:
How the New Environmentalism of the 1960s Redefined National Significance
and Led to the Creation of Gateway National Recreation Area, the
First Urban National Park. 77 p, 1995.
Describes events leading to federal involvement in urban recreation
in New York City, a controversial and precedent-setting departure
for the NPS.
General Grant
National Memorial
Pitkin, Thomas M. General Grant National Memorial: Its History
and Possible Development. 86 p. plus illustrations, 1959.
History of the memorial's construction and administration by the
Grant Memorial Association to 1959, when acquired by NPS.
George Rogers
Clark National Historical Park
Rothman, Hal K. Maintaining a Legacy: An Administrative History
of George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. 356 p., 1994.
A comprehensive contract history with excellent coverage of the
Clark Memorial, the controversial visitor center, maintenance, interpretation,
and community relations. Illustrations, a chronology, legislation,
staff rosters, and visitation statistics are appended. Indexed.
George Washington
Carver National Monument
Toogood, Anna Coxe. Historic Resource Study and Administrative
History, George Washington Carver National Monument. 81 p. plus
appendixes and illustrations, 1973.
Administrative history portion brief but well organized and written.
Appendixes cover staff, legislation, visitation, other data.
George Washington
Memorial Parkway
Krakow, Jere L. Historic Resource Study: Rock Creek and Potomac
Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Suitland Parkway, Baltimore-Washington
Parkway. 149 p., 1990.
Section on George Washington Memorial Parkway describes its planning
and construction. General background on parkway history and design
is provided.
Gettysburg
National Military Park
Unrau, Harlan D. Administrative History: Gettysburg National
Military Park and Gettysburg National Cemetery, Pennsylvania.
444 p., 1991.
Extremely detailed, thorough coverage of cemetery and park from
their origins to 1985. Extensive quotation from and appendage of
relevant documents. Useful focus on such issues as the Gettysburg
tower.
Gila Cliff
Dwellings National Monument
Russell, Peter. Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument: An Administrative
History. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers
no. 48. 176 p., 1992.
A thorough contract history of the area's management by the Forest
Service, the Park Service, and again by the Forest Service under
a unique 1975 cooperative agreement. Three chapters cover the history
of archeology and stabilization work. Key executive and administrative
documents are appended. Well written, illustrated, and indexed.
Glacier Bay
National Park
Black, Bruce W. A History of Glacier Bay National Monument,
Alaska. 134 p., 1957.
Topical organization addresses 1936 mining authorization, 1939
boundary extension, 1955 land deletion, long-delayed local administration
and staffing, Indian relations, mountain climbs. First quarter devoted
to description and pre-monument history. Appendix lists superintendents
and reproduces proclamations of 1925, 1939, and 1955. Well written
by park naturalist.
Catton, Theodore. Land
Reborn: A History of Administration and Visitor Use in Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve. 398 p., 1995.
An exceptionally comprehensive, critical, and well-written administrative
history, with special focus on native relations, fishing and other
consumptive uses, cruise ship visitation, and other major management
concerns. Appendixes for legislation, area managers, visitation
statistics, management plans, key research studies, and policy documents.
Well illustrated and indexed.
Glacier National
Park
Diettert, Gerald A. Grinnell's Glacier: George Bird Grinnell
and Glacier National Park. Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Publishing
Co., 1992. 128 p.
Largely devoted to Grinnell's explorations, the book covers his
and his Boone and Crockett Club's roles in the park's establishment
while minimizing the role of the Great Northern Railroad. A well
written and illustrated account based on a master's thesis.
Kauffmann, John M. Glacier National Park, Montana: A History
of Its Establishment and Revision of Its Boundaries. 24 p. plus
map, 1954.
Quotes extensively from correspondence on its subject. More detail
on establishment and boundaries than in Robinson-Bowers.
Robinson, Donald H., and Maynard O. Bowers. Through the Years
in Glacier National Park: An Administrative History. West Glacier,
MT: Glacier Natural History Assn., 1960. 127 p.
First 50 pages cover history predating or unrelated to park movement.
Appendixes for superintendents and interpretive personnel, visitation
statistics. Anecdotal, uncritical, sparsely documented, but readable.
Glen Canyon
National Recreation Area
Martin, Russell. A Story That Stands Like a Dam: Glen Canyon
and the Struggle for the Soul of the West. New York: Henry Holt,
1989. 354 p.
Although giving some attention to the development of the national
recreation area, Martin focuses on the building of Glen Canyon Dam
and the competing forces pro and con. A remarkably fair and balanced
account sympathetically treating both sides of the issue, and a
work of exceptional literary quality.
Grand Canyon
National Park
Hughes, J. Donald. In the House of Stone and Light: A Human
History of the Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon, AZ: Grand Canyon
Natural History Assn., 1978. 137 p.
Revised and updated version of Hughes' previous work. More richly
illustrated but lacks topical headings within chapters. Includes
1975 park enlargement.
Hughes, J. Donald. The Story of Man at Grand Canyon. Grand
Canyon, AZ: Grand Canyon Natural History Assn., 1967. 195 p.
Well-balanced history of area, with attention to early exploration,
tourism, development. Topically organized within broad chronological
chapters, the last three of which deal with monument and park administration.
Largely descriptive rather than analytical.
Grand Portage
National Monument
Cockrell, Ron. Grand Portage National Monument, Minnesota: An
Administrative History. 146 p., 1983.
Good coverage of relations with state and Indians before and during
NPS administration. Reconstructions at the site are discussed and
defended.
Grand Teton
National Park
Jepson, Carl E. A Brief History of Grand Teton National Park.
54 p. plus appendix, 1952.
Legislative history quoted from Diederich compendium on Jackson
Hole National Monument. Appendix lists personnel, friends of park.
Prepared by park naturalist following prescribed "brief history"
format.
Righter, Robert W. Crucible for Conservation: The Story of Grand
Teton National Park. Boulder: Colorado Associated University
Press, 1982. 192 p.
Details original park movement, Jackson Hole acquisition and controversial
establishment as a national monument, ultimate park expansion. Very
brief coverage of subsequent park administrative concerns. A model
study of a park's creation.
Grant-Kohrs
Ranch National Historic Site
McChristian, Douglas C. Ranchers
to Rangers: An Administrative History of Grant-Kohrs Ranch National
Historic Site. 1977.
Great Basin
National Park
Lambert, Darwin. Great Basin Drama. Niwot, CO: Roberts Rinehart
Publishers, 1991. 255 p.
Covers early exploration and settlement, establishment of Lehman
Caves National Monument, and long campaign to establish the national
park. Much attention to roles of local residents and pro- and anti-park
forces. Appendixes reproduce park legislation and identify key players.
A very well written and illustrated book funded by the park cooperating
association.
Trexler, Keith A. Lehman Caves: Its Human Story From the Beginning
Through 1965. 66 p. plus appendixes, 1966.
Account of discovery, exploration, early promotion, national monument
proclamation and takeover by NPS, subsequent administration, interpretation,
Mission 66 development. Appendixes include visitation statistics,
personnel rosters, chronologies. Well written by chief naturalist
of former Lehman Caves National Monument.
Great Smoky
Mountains National Park
Campbell, Carlos C. Birth of a National Park in the Great Smoky
Mountains. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 1960; rev.
1969, 1978. 154 p.
Describes efforts of North Carolinians and Tennesseeans to have
the park authorized and acquire land with donated funds. Undocumented,
uncritical.
Lix, Henry W. Short History of the Great Smoky Mountains National
Park. 126 p. plus appendixes, 1958.
Occasionally impressionistic rather than research-based, especially
on early park movement. Writing sometimes erratic, with unorthodox
footnoting. Appendixes include key names in park history and summaries
of federal and state legislation.
Pierce, Daniel S. The Great Smokies: From Natural Habitat to Natural
Park. 2000.
Guadalupe
Mountains National Park
Fabry, Judith K. Guadalupe Mountains National Park: An Administrative
History. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers
no. 19. 277 p., 1988.
Chapters address pre-park activities, legislative history, land
acquisition, planning, development, natural and cultural resource
issues, and special events. Appendixes include legislation, superintendents'
biographies, and cooperative agreements. A thoroughly researched,
effectively organized, and well written history.
Guilford Courthouse
National Military Park
Baker, Thomas E. Redeemed from Oblivion: An Administrative History
of Guilford Courthouse National Military Park. 121 p., 1995.
Land acquisition, development, and community relations are emphasized
in this compact, well written history, which is especially commendable
for its candid treatment of park management shortcomings.
Ingram, Oliver B., Jr. The Preservation of Guilford Battleground.
119 p. M.A. thesis plus appendixes, 1972.
Draws distinction between memorialization approach of Guilford
Battle Ground Company and preservation/restoration by NPS. Appendixes
include legislation, biographical sketches of Battle Ground Company
leaders, listing of monuments. Redundant writing style.
Gulf Island
National Seashore
Bowden, Jesse Earl. Gulf Islands: The Sands of All Time - Preserving
America's Largest National Seashore. Eastern National Park and Monument
Association, 143 pp., 1994.
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Haleakala
National Park
Jackson, Frances. An Administrative History of Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park and Haleakala National Park. 272 p. (HAVO) plus
82 p. (HALE), 1972.
Separate park histories jointly bound. Topically organized and
well written, but research limited to park files.
Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park
Castro, Nash. The Land of Pele: A Historical Sketch of Hawaii
National Park. Hilo: Hawaii Natural History Assn., 1953. 76
p.
Anecdotal, undocumented. Less useful for administrative history
than Jackson, which see under Haleakala.
Homestead
National Monument of America
Mattison, Ray H. Homestead National Monument: Its Establishment
and Administration. 35 p., 1961.
Article prepared for Nebraska History includes discussion
of Daniel Freeman's "first homestead" claim. Limited history of
monument following establishment.
Tecklenberg, Robert. Homestead National Monument of America:
An Administrative History, 19621981. 17 p. plus appendixes
and illustrations, 1982.
Updates Mattison history, but continues weak on park administration.
Uncritical of park development and programs. Appendixes for superintendents,
visitation, historiography of Homestead Act.
Hopewell
Culture National Historical Park
Cockrell, Ron. Amidst
Ancient Monuments: The Administrative History of Mound City Group
National Monument / Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, Ohio
378 p. 1999.
Hot Springs
National Park
Benson, Forrest M., and Donald S. Libbey. History of Hot Springs
National Park. 43 p., 1955.
Topically organized coverage of hotels and bathhouses, transportation
facilities, federal registration of physicians, legislation, superintendents.
A compilation of data rather than a narrative.
Scully, Francis J. Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Hot Springs National
Park. Little Rock: privately published, 1966. 446 p.
Highly uncritical, promotional compilation of unsynthesized data.
Numerous historical errors. May be used with caution as reference.
Hubbell Trading
Post National Historic Site
Manchester, Albert, and Ann Manchester. Hubbell Trading Post
National Historic Site: An Administrative History. Southwest
Cultural Resources Center Professional Papers no. 46. 229 p., 1993.
A comprehensive contract history, with particular attention to
the special issues posed by this unique "living history" site, including
relations with the Navajos, the ongoing trading, and the museum
collection. Well illustrated. Legislation, memorandums of agreement,
budgets, visitation statistics appended. Indexed.
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Independence
National Historical Park
Greiff, Constance M. Independence: The Creation of a National
Park. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1987.
281 p.
Excellent account of the establishment, development, and interpretation
of Independence, with due attention to key personalities, preservation
policies and practices, politics, and the Bicentennial. Epilogue
places Independence in broader context of national preservation
movement. Foreword by Charles B. Hosmer, Jr.
Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore
Cockrell, Ron. `A Signature of Time and Eternity': The Administrative
History of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Indiana. 480 p.,
1988.
Thorough account beginning with Stephen T. Mather's 1916 effort
to add Indiana Dunes to the national park system and focusing on
the later challenges of establishing, developing, and protecting
the national seashore. Solid coverage of a complex, controversial
area drawn from documentary and oral sources. Indexed.
Engel, J. Ronald. Sacred Sands: The Struggle for Community in
the Indiana Dunes. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press,
1983. 352 p.
Contends that the dunes preservation campaign "emerged as part
of an insurgent movement in the Midwest to reform the democratic
faith of the nation" by replacing competitive individualism with
a "cooperative commonwealth." Emphasizes artistic and intellectual
backgrounds and philosophies of dunes preservationists. Last chapter
focuses on the politics of achieving the state park and national
lakeshore.
Franklin, Kay, and Norma Schaeffer. Duel for the Dunes: Land
Use Conflict on the Shores of Lake Michigan. Urbana: University
of Illinois Press, 1983. 278 p.
Part I covers efforts of early conservationists, including Stephen
Mather, to establish a national park; Richard Lieber's achievement
of a state park (1923); lakeshore industrialization; battle between
park and port proponents leading to 1966 lakeshore legislation.
Part II focuses on events under NPS administration; portrays NPS
as politicized, reactive to local political interests. Save the
Dunes Council seen as leading force for conservation. Marred by
misunderstanding of federal government branch relationships, erroneous
charges against Watt administration, incorrect citations; but a
valuable account from a non-NPS viewpoint.
Isle Royale
National Park
Little, John J. Island Wilderness: A History of Isle Royale
National Park. 243 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1978.
Excellent topical coverage of park movement, establishment, role
of CCC, forest fires, land acquisition, transportation, concessions,
administrative problems, role of wilderness versus development.
Model specimen of "outside" park administrative history.
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Jean Lafitte
National Historical Park and Preserve
Bres, Edward S. Notes on the Establishment and Development of
Chalmette Historical Park. 24 p. plus appendixes, 1964.
Chronological annotated outline of events from the Battle of New
Orleans to 1964 by the chairman of the Battle of New Orleans Sesquicentennial
Celebration Commission. Lengthy appendixes include much related
correspondence. Valuable administrative history reference for Chalmette
unit.
Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial
Brown, Sharon A. Administrative History, Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial National Historic Site. 187 p. plus appendixes,
1984.
Chronological chapters with topical subheadings narrate from the
inception of the memorial idea in 1933 to 1980. Appendixes include
legislative and executive documents, illustrations, and a chronology.
Moore, Bob. Urban Innovation and Practical Partnerships: An
Administrative History of Jefferson National Expansion Memorial,
19801991. 462 p., 1994.
Updates the Brown history with emphasis on park operations and
public-private partnerships. Chapters discuss the parking garage,
the 70mm theater, the Veiled Prophet Fair, maintenance, Old Courthouse
rehabilitation, accessibility, entrance fees, the Jefferson National
Expansion Historical Association, interpretation, law enforcement,
creation of the Ulysses S. Grant and Harry S Truman national historic
sites, expansion to East Saint Louis, and special events. Well illustrated;
much appended data. A lively account of a busy urban park.
John Day Fossil
Beds National Monument
Mark, Stephen R. Floating
in the Stream of Time: An Administrative History of John Day Fossil
Beds National Monument. 302 p. 1996.
John F. Kennedy
Center for the Performing Arts
Becker, Ralph E. Miracle on the Potomac: The Kennedy Center
from the Beginning. Silver Spring, MD: Bartleby Press, 1990.
217 p.
A founding trustee and general counsel of the Kennedy Center traces
the original conception, planning, siting, design, construction,
and opening of the facility that was to cost taxpayers nothing but
ultimately cost them millions. As a proponent, the author gives
short shrift to critics' arguments against the site, design, and
costs, but no attempt is made to minimize the challenges and controversies
involved. A well written and illustrated personal account.
Joshua Tree
National Monument
King, Samuel. A History of Joshua Tree National Monument.
40 p. plus appendixes, 1954.
More than half transcribed from the park handbook and a mineral
report, the remainder undocumented and weak. Appendixes list personnel
and friends of the park.
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Katmai National
Park and National Preserve
Hussey, John A. Embattled Katmai: A History of Katmai National
Monument. 457 p. plus illustrations, 1971.
Essentially a historic resource study, but with data on the monument's
proclamation and to a lesser extent on its subsequent administration.
Summarizes archeological research in the area. Horace Albright's
account of events leading to the 1918 proclamation, promoted by
the National Geographic Society, is appended.
Norris, Frank B. Isolated
Paradise: An Administrative History of the Katmai and Aniakchak
National Park Units. 539 p., 1996.
Traces separately the establishment and administration of both
Katmai National Park and National Preserve and the smaller and more
recent Aniakckak National Monument and National Preserve. Resource
management and interpretation receive particular attention; the
author treats concessions activity at Katmai in a separate study
(below). Appendixes cover boundary changes, staff, budgets, visitation.
A comprehensive and well-written history, with excellent illustrations,
maps, and index.
Norris, Frank B. Tourism in Katmai Country: A History of Concessions
Activity in Katmai National Park and Preserve. 200 p., 1992.
After an introduction outlining Katmai's early history, chapters
discuss the several fishing camp concessions and the concessioners'
variable relations with the NPS. Appendixes list concessioners,
concession camp structures, NPS officials, visitor use statistics.
Well researched, written, and illustrated; indexed.
Kennesaw Mountain
National Battlefield Park
Capps, Michael A. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park:
An Administrative History. 92 p., 1994.
A concise account with chapters addressing establishment, development,
interpretation, law enforcement, planning, and management issues.
A chronology, a list of superintendents, visitation statistics,
copies of legislation, and photographs are appended. Indexed.
Kings Canyon
National Park
See Sequoia National Park
Kings Mountain
National Military Park
Massey, Gregory D. Van. An Administrative History of Kings Mountain
National Military Park. 168 p. plus bibliography and illustrations,
1986.
Good coverage of early legislative proposals (opposed by War Department),
park establishment and land acquisition, development through new
visitor center (1976), park administration of Cowpens, the Howser
House problem, and other management issues. Legislation, superintendents'
roster, visitation statistics, maps appended.
Klondike Gold
Rush National Historical Park (Skagway Unit)
Klondike Gold
Rush National Historical Park (Seattle Unit)
Norris, Frank B. Legacy
of the Gold Rush: An Administrative History of Klondike Gold Rush
National Historical Park. 509 p., 1996.
Chronological treatment through 1976 park authorization, followed
by topical chapters on general park administration, building rehabilitation,
community relations, Dyea area administration, Chilkoot Trail management,
the White Pass Trail unit, and the Seattle unit. The coverage of
community relations is especially praiseworthy for its candor. Budget
and visitor figures and staff rosters are appended. A thoroughly
researched, very well written history, with good maps and illustrations;
indexed.
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Lake Chelan
National Recreation Area
See North Cascades National Park
Lincoln Boyhood
National Memorial
O'Bright, Jill York. `There I Grew Up . . .': A History of the
Administration of Abraham Lincoln's Boyhood Home. 266 p., 1987.
Thorough, well documented coverage of early memorialization efforts,
state administration, and establishment, development, and interpretation
of the national memorial. Appendixes include legislation, land acquisition
data, employee rosters. Well illustrated, indexed.
Lincoln Home
National Historic Site
Townsend, Timothy P. "The Site Adrift in the City": The Evolution
of the Lincoln Home Neighborhood. 100 p. M.A. thesis, 1995.
Traces the changing status of and proposals for the neighborhood
surrounding Lincoln's house from the time of Lincoln's death through
the state's ownership of the house to the authorization of the national
historic site in 1971. Good illustrations and maps.
Little Bighorn
Battlefield National Monument
Rickey, Don, Jr. History of Custer Battlefield. Crow Agency,
MT: Custer Battlefield Historical and Museum Assn., 1967. 151 p.
Well organized, written, and illustrated. Appendixes list personnel
and friends of the monument.
Longfellow
National Historic Site
Pitcaithley, Dwight T. Longfellow National Historic Site: A
Preservation History. 7 p., 1986.
A paper delivered to the Organization of American Historians covering
the family ownership and trusteeship of the property from Longfellow's
death in 1882 until its acquisition by the National Park Service
in 1974.
Lowell National
Historical Park
Ryan, Loretta. Lowell in Transition: The Uses of History in
Urban Change. 449 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1987.
Focuses on local initiatives leading to park establishment, led
by Patrick Mogan, with particular attention to changing attitudes
toward Lowell's past.
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Manassas National
Battlefield Park
Zenzen, Joan M. Battling
for Manassas: The Fifty-Year Preservation Struggle at Manassas National
Battlefield Park. 363 p., 1995.
A comprehensive contract history, emphasizing proposed and actual
development in and around the park and the role of NPS officials
in encouraging or opposing it. Projects addressed include Interstate
66, the national cemetery, the Marriott theme park, William Center,
and Disney's America. Controversial park uses, from the reenactment
of First Manassas to active recreational activities including horseback
riding, also receive special attention. Well balanced and well written.
Appendixes include legislation, maps, and a list of superintendents.
Indexed.
Mesa Verde
National Park
Smith, Duane A. Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries.
Lawrence: University Press of Kansas, 1988. 254 p.
Good treatment of establishment emphasizing women's roles, followed
by discussion of development, road construction, concessions, community
relations, and general administration. Appendixes for superintendents
and visitation. Well written, profusely illustrated.
Torres-Reyes, Ricardo. Mesa Verde National Park: An Administrative
History, 1906-1970. 396 p. plus appendixes and illustrations,
1970.
Little discussion of original park legislation, but good coverage
of park administration with topical organization. Appendixes for
legislation, early museum collections, superintendents, visitation.
Montezuma
Castle National Monument
Eason, Nicholas J. History of Montezuma Castle National Monument.
113 p., 1965.
General coverage of establishment, development, and interpretation
by a park ranger. Visitation statistics and lists of monument personnel
and friends of the park are appended.
Moores Creek
National Battlefield
Gibbs, Russell A. A History of Moores Creek National Military
Park. 37 p. plus appendixes and illustrations, 1965.
Limited coverage of park administration. Makes reference to proposed
transfer of park to the state. Appendixes for park officials and
legislation.
Capps, Michael A. and Steven A. Davis. Moores
Creek National Battlefield: An Administrative History. 1999.
Mound City
Group National Monument
(See Hopewell Culture National Historical Park)
Mount Rainier
National Park
McIntyre, Robert N. Short History of Mount Rainier National
Park. 361 p., 1952.
First 70 pages treat history before the park or park movement.
More chronicle than synthesis, with much reliance on lengthy quotations
and excerpts from superintendents' annual reports. Topical breakdowns
on transportation, interpretation, concessions, wildlife management.
Appendixes for legislation, regulations, travel statistics.
Martinson, Arthur D. Mountain in the Sky: A History of Mount
Rainier National Park. 174 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1966.
Covers early exploration, climbing activity, tourism promotion,
park movement, park development with emphasis on CCC and Mission
66. Emphasis on concessioner role and facilities. Good attention
to controversies regarding park name and development.
Martinson, Arthur D. Wilderness Above the Sound: The Story of
Mount Rainer National Park. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland Press,
1986. 72 p.
A popular condensation of the author's dissertation, updated to
cover the renovation of Paridise Inn and current threats to park
resources. Well illustrated.
Catton, Theodore Wonderland:
An Administrative History of Mount Rainier National Park.
1996.
Mount Rushmore
National Memorial
Fite, Gilbert C. Mount Rushmore. Norman: University of Oklahoma
Press, 1952. 272 p.
Focuses on conception and creation of sculpture. Thorough, competent
treatment of difficulties with Gutzon Borglum and finances, controversies
involving NPS, Congress, local politicians, and citizens.
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Natchez Trace
Parkway
Phelps, Dawson A. Administrative History of the Natchez Trace
Parkway. Paginated by chapter, 1965, annual updating to 1982.
Interesting discussion of general parkway concept. Research limited
to local sources, and separate updating of each chapter harms overall
unity. Appendixes for all personnel, chronological process of land
acquisition and construction, visitation.
National Capital
Parks
Dowd, Mary-Jane M., comp. Records of the Office of Public Buildings
and Public Parks of the National Capital. Record Group 42, Inventory
No. 16. Washington: National Archives and Records Administration,
1992. 158 p.
Not a history, but a comprehensive and valuable guide to the records
of the Park Service's predecessors administering the National Capital
Parks. The record group includes the records of the various statue
and memorial commissions and the Washington National Monument Society.
Heine, Cornelius W. A History of National Capital Parks.
161 p., 1953.
Traces evolution of NCP broadly from origins in 179091. Undocumented
but well written and illustrated.
National Capital ParksBaltimore-Washington
and Suitland Parkways
Krakow, Jere L. Historic Resource Study: Rock Creek and Potomac
Parkway, George Washington Memorial Parkway, Suitland Parkway, Baltimore-Washington
Parkway. 149 p., 1990.
Describes the planning and construction of the parkways, with general
background on parkway history and design.
National Capital ParksDupont Circle
Olszewski, George J. Dupont Circle. 70 p. plus illustrations,
1967.
Covers early landscaping, original Dupont portrait statue and its
fountain replacement, problems with adverse public use of area.
Landscape plans appended.
National Capital ParksFarragut Square
Olszewski, George J. Farragut Square. 40 p. plus illustrations,
1968.
Includes details of landscaping changes, discussion of Farragut
statue, underground parking garage proposal and its rejection (1961).
Illustrations include plans of square.
National Capital ParksFranklin Delano Roosevelt
Memorial
Mackintosh, Barry. The Making of a Monument: The Franklin Delano
Roosevelt Memorial, 19551972. 48 p. plus illustrations
and appendixes, 1972.
Discusses establishment of FDR Memorial Commission, design competition,
failure of memorial efforts to 1972, FDR stone by National Archives.
Legislation appended.
National Capital ParksFranklin Park
Olszewski, George J. Franklin Park. 50 p. plus illustrations,
1970.
Discussion of landscaping and other development, parking garage
proposal of early 1950s, problems with adverse public use and recent
low character of neighborhood. Landscape plans appended.
National Capital ParksJudiciary Square
Stanley, Joan H. Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C.: A Park
History. 108 p. plus illustrations, 1968.
History of the square since its delineation in the L'Enfant Plan.
Describes former and existing buildings, park development in 1870s,
public use, decline of parklike nature in 20th century.
National Capital ParksLafayette Park
Olszewski, George J. Lafayette Park. 65 p., 1964.
Covers park administration, landscaping, statuary, public use.
Numerous illustrations include landscape plans.
National Capital ParksLincoln Park
Olszewski, George J. Lincoln Park. 55 p. plus illustrations,
1968.
Discussion of landscaping, Lincoln Emancipation Group statue, planning
for Mary McLeod Bethune memorial, public use. Landscape plans included.
National Capital ParksMt. Vernon Square
Olszewski, George J. Mt. Vernon Square. 41 p. plus illustrations,
1970.
Covers administration and development of square, construction of
library, changing character of area, proposed transfer to D.C. Government.
National Capital ParksPresident's Park
South
Olszewski, George J. The President's Park South. 69 p. plus
illustrations, 1970.
Discusses administration and development of Ellipse area, including
landscaping, memorials, wartime construction and use, use for recreation
and demonstrations.
National Mall
Olszewski, George J. History of the Mall. 111 p. plus appendixes,
1970.
Covers original and later planning and development of the Mall
from L'Enfant through Downing and McMillan to Owings. Plans and
photos appended.
Navajo National
Monument
Rothman, Hal K. Navajo National Monument: A Place
and Its People. Southwest Cultural Resources Center Professional
Papers no. 40. 173 p., 1991.
Emphasizes establishment, administration amid challenges of access,
Navajo relationships, archeological activities, threats to the park.
Appendixes include superintendents, legislation, visitation, maps.
Well illustrated, indexed.
Nez Perce
National Historical Park
Catton, Ted. Nez
Perce National Historical Park Administrative History. 176
p. 1996.
Ninety Six
National Historic Site
Rehm, Karen G. The Administrative History of Ninety Six National
Historic Site. 35 p. plus appendixes, 1987.
Traces development of the site by the Star Fort Historical Commission,
efforts to add it to the national park system, and NPS development
and interpretation.
North Cascades
National Park
Sommarstrom, Allen R. Wild Land Preservation Crisis: The North
Cascades Controversy. 169 p. Ph.D. dissertation, 1970.
Louter, David Contested
Terrain: An Administrative History of the North Cascades National
Park Service Complex, Washington. 338 p. plus appendices
and index. 1998.
"This study explores the resources of the area and their administration,
examines the development of the conflict [between NPS and USFS and
local and national interests], reviews . . . three diverse proposals
for the management of the area, traces the path of legislation and
changes made as it moved through Congress, and concludes with an
examination of the outcome of the controversy and its implications
for this and other environmental disputes facing the Nation."
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Ocmulgee National
Monument
Marsh, Alan. Ocmulgee National Monument: An Administrative History.
72 p. M.A. thesis, 1986.
Consise history addresses principal park issues, including development,
interpretation, archeological research, and adjacent highway construction.
Olympic National
Park
Fringer, Guy. Olympic National Park: An Administrative History.
254 p., 1990.
Covers creation of the Olympic Forest Reserve, Mount Olympus National
Monument, wilderness philosophy and the national park, resource
management, concessions, interpretation, external relationships.
Key personnel rosters, visitation statistics, and legislation are
appended.
Lien, Carsten. Olympic Battleground: The Power Politics of Timber
Preservation. 2nd Edition. Seattle: The Mountaineers Books.
447 p.
A bitter attack on the NPS for weak commitment to preservation
and for |