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September 3, 2008
NPS Releases Park Administrative History Document By IRENE NOLAN  The National Park Service has released an interesting report on the early administrative history of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, from the 1930s into the 1960s. It is titled, “The Creation and Establishment of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina.” In 1937, Congress authorized the creation and establishment of Cape Hatteras as America’s first national seashore park. The report is an administrative history of the seashore and spans the time period from the 1930s and the Great Depression through the 1960s when the Herbert C. Bonner Bridge was built, allowing automobile access to Hatteras Island, and the Mission 66 era. Mission 66 refers to an era from 1956 to 1966 when President Dwight Eisenhower and Congress agreed to launch a 10-year plan to upgrade the National Park facilities and ready them for an increasing number of visitors. The plan was to be completed by 1966, the 50th anniversary of the Park Service. The report on the creation and establishment is 278 pages long, but looks to be a treasure trove of information about the early years of the seashore with some terrific historical photos. Chapters cover the origins of the park, the problems and progress and uncertainty with its establishment, supporters and opponents, and establishing and developing the seashore. The appendices also are interesting. There is a very lengthy chronology of selected events, selected executive orders and Congressional and state legislation, and other material, such as the dedication speeches and visitation in the early years. Residents and visitors to the seashore, especially history buffs, will relish reading the report from cover to cover or leafing through it and picking selected sections. Much of it is relevant to the current issue of beach access and how seashore officials can balance their dual, and sometimes conflicting, missions, of protecting resources and serving visitors. This Park Service says the study is part of an ongoing effort to provide comprehensive documentation of the historic resources. Click here to read a copy of the history. Hard-bound copies of the document can be found at Dare Country libraries and The Outer Banks History Center. The Park Service is exploring offering copies of the study for sale in its bookstores, if the price can be made affordable. For more information, contact Doug Stover at 252-473-2111. |
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