The National Park Service, the federal agency tasked with protecting many of the nation’s most treasured monuments and sites, is gearing up for their centennial celebration next year.
“The centennial is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the National Park Service to reflect on our accomplishments and to use all of our parks and programs to connect all Americans and visitors from around the world with the natural, cultural and historic treasures in our care,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a news release.
The National Park Service was created by the National Park Service Organic Act. President Woodrow Wilson signed the measure — sponsored by Rep. William Kent, I-Calif., and Sen. Reed Smoot, R-Utah — into law on Aug. 25, 1916.
The National Park Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior that employees more than 20,000, today oversees 407 sites. Of those, 59 are of national parks while the rest are classified as historic sites, national recreation areas or carry other designations.
National parks are “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst,” writer and historian Wallace Stegner once said.
But, national parks pre-date the creation of the National Park Service. Yellowstone National Park was designated as the first national park on March 1, 1872, followed by Sequoia on Sept. 25, 1890, and Yosemite on Oct. 1, 1890.
“Parks are more than places,” Saguaro National Park Superintendent Darla Sidles said in a news release. “They inspire us, give us respite from a fast-paced world, challenge us physically, and protect our precious heritage and natural resources.”
Key Dates
Here is an overview of some of the key and interesting dates in the history of national parks:
- 1872: Yellowstone National Park is established as the first national park
- 1916: National Park Service Organic Act signed into law, creating the National Park Service
- 1924: Statue of Liberty designated a national monument
- 1933: President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933
- 1956: Mission 66 Project launched, a $1 billion project to upgrade national parks for their 50th anniversary
- 1972: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco and the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York are established
- 2004: The National World War II Memorial is dedicated
- 2009: Ken Burns’ documentary, “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea,” is released
