Is this how low the bar has dropped for inclusion into the National Park System? Is it really so low that a gas station once owned by the beer-swilling brother of President Jimmy Carter should be managed as part of a national historical park by the National Park Service?
Sure, sure, sure, President Carter was the only Georgian to reach the White House as resident, and Billy Carter certainly attracted more than his share of notoriety -- Billy Beer, anyone? But why oh why would anyone want to include Billy's gas station at 216 West Church Street in the heart of downtown Plains, Georgia (Pop. 635) in a national historical park honoring President Carter?
Oh, that's right. While the NPS currently oversees the Jimmy Carter National Historic Site, pending legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Ga., and U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., would transform the "historic site" into a national "historical park." By comparison, Valley Forge is also a national historical park, one without an official gas station to the best of my recollection.
But then, perhaps a gas station does fit well with this site. Already it includes President Carter's boyhood farm, where you can still pick peanuts; his old high school, which is now the historic site's visitor center, and; the old Plains Train Depot that the former president utilized as campaign headquarters in 1976.
The pending legislation also calls for a house, once considered to be haunted, that Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter lived in after he was discharged from the Navy, and the state of Georgia's Visitor Information Center on the edge of town, to be added to the proposed historical park.
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There's a pretty cool historic gas station from 1928 in Kings Canyon National Park. It claims to be the oldest gravity pump in the US. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM3V5B (with photos).
We are most assuredly now on a very steep slippery hill, headed to the ravine below.
One of the legislative missions of the Jimmy Carter site is the interpretation of Plains as a small, southern, 20th century town because the Carter story is imbedded there. These late 19th-early 20th century railroad towns are significant in our settlement history, and I think there is a place for an example in the NPS. There aren't many of them left that have an association that can keep them encapsulated from development or just crumbling away. Given the mandate, the inclusion of the gas station as a vital focal point of the town's social life and automobile transportation history makes sense. Others, like the school and railroad depot were included in the original legislation, while another focal point, the post office, was already under federal ownership and "protection." Furthermore, the gas station's function and appearance have been an issue for many years. This piece of legislation can keep it from being a perpetual eyesore.
That said, I agree with many of the comments that the site doesn't need to grow into a historical park and the preservation of every president's story within the NPS is a bit ridiculous. Furthermore, I'm no fan of Carter's politics, but to be consistent with the original legislative intent, I do believe the acquisition of this historic structure makes sense.
I question two gravity gas pumps as being a "Gas Station" in "Kings Canyon National Park". Billy Carters "Gas Station" in Plains, Ga, is presently a "Museum" which makes more sense in a NP. Also you do not make mention of the Carters world famous "Worm Farm" that used to be advertised in "Popular Mechanics" back in the '50's and 60's. I've been through "Plains, Ga" If you blink, you might miss it. Check it out on "Google Earth".
There seems to be several "gas stations" within the NPS. Check out the following:
Semper Fi
OMAR
Doc, I'll willingly acknowledge that there are more than a few gas pumps scattered throughout the national parks. You can find them in Yellowstone and Yosemite, just to name two. I just can't think of any "gas stations" lying outside a unit of the National Park System that was specifically integrated into a park. It'd make more sense if Jimmy once owned the station, pumped gas, and checked your oil.
Anonymous is right, the old Magnolia Mobil gas station is part of Little Rock Central High School NHS. I assume it was acquired with the rest of the land, but if it wasn't, I believe it would have been a candidate for later inclusion. It is directly across the street from both the new visitor and the high school and, if I recall correctly, served as the central hub for reporter during the events. It's actually a great example of a gas station that plays a meaningful and appropriate role in the National Park System.