Focus on America

A blood-stained diary of a Civil War soldier

What do the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and the theater where Abraham Lincoln was shot have in common? They are part of the network of scenic and historic sites safeguarded by the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) so visitors can learn about the people and places that have shaped America.

Some of these landmarks might have been lost without visionaries who believed they should be protected and set aside for everyone’s use, said NPS Director Jonathan B. Jarvis. Since 1916, the Park Service has been “the U.S. government’s steward of its history, telling the quintessential American story” of a sprawling, diverse nation, he explained in an interview.

The stories behind these sites and landmarks are “extraordinarily inspiring and, sometimes, extraordinarily painful,” Jarvis said. “This grand experiment in democracy isn’t perfect, but these stories reveal that we’re willing to discuss our mistakes — that we’re still learning, still growing.”

Many places, including Revolutionary War and Civil War battlefields, “played major roles in the formation of American democracy,” he said. “In these places, we have a responsibility to keep that story alive.”

A MISSION TO PROTECT, EDUCATE

During the settlement of the American West, there was a growing awareness that unspoiled places ought to be preserved for future generations, Jarvis said. President Ulysses S. Grant established Yellowstone Park in 1872 as the first U.S. national park, and later President Woodrow Wilson created the Park Service to oversee the rapidly growing system of recreational parks, preserves, historic monuments, battlefields and other sites of national significance.

Along with such iconic natural attractions as the Grand Canyon, the Park Service helps conserve historic sites such as Ford’s Theatre, where Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, and Ellis Island in New York Harbor, where more than 12 million immigrants entered the United States from 1892 to 1954.

“The democratic principles of this nation are embodied in its historic sites,” Jarvis said. “Whether you’re interested in the Civil War, Route 66, the U.S. civil rights movement, or Hispanic culture in the United States, we have recommended travel routes and itineraries listed on our Web site.”

Some of the richest treasures are much older than the nation itself. Among these are Mesa Verde in Colorado, Canyon de Chelly in Arizona and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico. Mesa Verde is renowned for its Anasazi cliff dwellings that date to about A.D. 1200. Canyon de Chelly, located within Navajo tribal lands, houses ancient ruins while sustaining a living community of Navajo people. Chaco Canyon was a major cultural center for the ancient Pueblos from A.D. 900 to 1150.

Laws forbid the stealing of artifacts from federal lands, Jarvis said; there is a permit process for archeological excavation. One of the jobs of the Park Service is to translate what archeologists learn about the past “into layman’s terms, so the general public can understand what these places mean.”

The NPS has a small office that handles requests from foreign governments seeking to preserve their own historic sites. In India, for example, the NPS provided site-planning expertise for work on the Taj Mahal, and the agency assisted Qatari officials in developing a management framework for Qatar’s first national park. In Cambodia, the NPS provided technical assistance to protect antiquities at Angkor and the Temple of Preah Vihear. The Park Service maintains ties with sister agencies across the globe.

The agency seeks out partnerships with corporate entities so more historic places can be conserved. To create incentives for preservation, Jarvis said, “we provide tax credits for the rehabilitation and re-use of historical structures.”

He cited an example in San Francisco, where the Park Service teamed up with developers to restore a 1905 military base called Fort Baker. Located near the Golden Gate Bridge, the fort “has been completely rehabilitated into a destination resort,” Jarvis said. “The Park Service owns it, but we entered into a long-term lease with the developers so they can recoup their investment. It’s now one of the hottest spots in San Francisco.”

RECENT HISTORY

The agency is currently reviewing new U.S. sites that examine more recent historic and cultural changes. “We have now been authorized to study [the late Mexican-American labor activist] César Chávez and the national farm workers’ movement,” Jarvis said. “That’s an important story that has not been fully told.”

“We are constantly interested in stories that are important to the American experience. We are also constantly re-evaluating the stories we tell and how we interpret them,” he said.

The NPS manages nearly 400 national parks, which are visited by 275 million people annually, and more than 3,000 historic and natural landmarks. Part of the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Park Service also helps sustain threatened and endangered plant and animal species throughout the park system.

For more information, visit the U.S. National Park Service Web site: http://www.nps.gov/index.htm.

By Lauren Monsen

Links:
Civil War: http://cwar.nps.gov/civilwar/
Route66 : http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/route66/learnmore66.html
U.S. civil rights movement: http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/civilrights/
Hispanic culture: http://www.nps.gov/history/NR/feature/hispanic/2001/index.htm