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Pilgrim Places: Civil War Battlefields, Historic Preservation, and America’s First National Military Parks, 1863-1900, Part VII

After Vicksburg’s establishment as a military park in 1899, it was not until 1917 that Congress authorized the next Civil War battlefield park at Kennesaw Mountain, northwest of Atlanta, where the Confederates stalled, if only for a while, the Union army’s southward march through Georgia. In the mid-1920s, other famous Civil War battlefields became military parks, including Petersburg and Fredericksburg, in Virginia.

Hurricane Ike Prompts FEMA to Task the National Park Service with a Search and Rescue Mission in Houston

With Hurricane Ike on the way and forecasters warning of potentially serious flooding in Houston-Galveston, FEMA requested National Park Service help. The NPS is supplying 21 two-person boat crews for the urban search and rescue task force. This is the fourth time this year that FEMA has tasked the NPS with a search and rescue mission.

Progress To the North: Canada Has "Extraordinary Year" In Protecting Parks and Wilderness

Imagine if the National Parks Conservation Association, or the Sierra Club, or The Wilderness Society reported that the U.S. government deserved credit for an "extraordinary year" in protecting the National Park System. That would be some news, wouldn't it?

The 9/11 Anniversary Draws Attention to the Flight 93 National Memorial, an Extraordinary Work in Progress

The seventh anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has propelled Pennsylvania’s Flight 93 National Memorial into the national spotlight. This park is a work in progress. The temporary memorial that visitors see there now will be replaced with a permanent one of exceptional quality.

House Subcommittee Considers Bill to Relax ORV Rules for Cape Hatteras National Seashore

Today the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is scheduled to consider HR 6233, a bill that would reinstate the Interim Management Strategy for ORV beach use at Cape Hatteras National Seashore. There are heated arguments on both sides of this issue, which has strong implications for wildlife management, beach access, and tourist spending.

National Park History: “The Spirit of the Civilian Conservation Corps”

The year was 1932, and America was in the midst of the worst economic downturn in history. Unemployment stood at 25 percent; homelessness at two million people. When Americans went to the polls, they overwhelmingly elected Franklin D. Roosevelt president. FDR immediately sought 'relief, recovery, and reform' to rebuild America's tattered economy. FDR was not interested in merely handing out money to people. Instead, he wanted to put them to work.

At Big Thicket National Preserve, a Combative Drug Dealer Changes His Mind When Ranger Stafford Shows Him His Taser

At Big Thicket National Park, a man involved in a drug transaction started to resist arrest. He abruptly changed his mind when ranger Johnny Stafford drew his Taser and displayed the spark. Did the miscreant holler “Don’t taze me, bro!”?

A Historian's Take on the National Park Service

Once a decision is made, it's left to the historians to decide how sound it was. After all, history can speak volumes. It can point to incredibly great decisions, as well as point out some horrendous ones. With that understood, here are some thoughts from Dr. Dwight Pitcaithley, a former chief historian of the National Park Service.