Building the Parks

Harry Hampton with the Bald Cypress tree that was later named for him.

The idea of setting aside green spaces as parks is not a recent idea, but in the second half of the 19th century the idea of creating and protecting some areas of the country as places that could be preserved on a grander scale expanded into something bigger. In the 20th century, the policies and management of these protected areas inspired a nation while at the same time helping to set a foundation for parks around the world.

What started off as a landscape turned into a place where roads, visitor centers, research centers, and other facilities were needed to maintain the integrity of these areas. The creation of the parks was not based just on the physical layout, but the political and managerial aspects as well that were need to decide what land the parks would maintain and how that would be done on such a large scale.