Tennessee's State Parks In The 1930s

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If it weren’t for the “New Deal” programs in the 1930s, Tennessee’s State Park system would be unrecognizable and not one of the best in the United States (US). With the assistance of federal money and guidance, Tennessee has been able to create an integrated system of parks that capture the natural beauty and character of Tennessee while providing amazing outdoor public recreation activities. The programs helped establish state parks; influenced Tennessee’s governmental structure to ensure the vision of regional planning and interconnectivity continued; and developed a land planning strategy that is still used today. Visiting any one of the current 56 State Parks will provide an insight to Tennessee’s long history with the federal government. …show more content…

Despite the first state park being established in 1885 only a few state parks existed in the early 1900s. In fact, twenty-nine states, including Tennessee, had none at all. The beginning of Tennessee’s state park movement began in 1919 when Wilbur Nelson, the State Geologist, suggested that the beautiful natural areas of the state should be preserved for generations to come. He made the case that Tennessee was an undeveloped state and large tracts could be protected and made available to the public by the state …show more content…

Tennessee hit economic recession around 1932 as businesses failed, unemployment skyrocketed, and banks closed. Tennessee’s state government did little to aid in economic recovery; however, they welcomed and embraced President Franklin’s New Deal relief programs. The New Deal’s goal was to solve the nation’s depression and help reform the nations’ economy and culture. A major part of these programs was to help the most undeveloped regions in the US with infrastructure improvements that would allow them to increase productivity and hopefully increase economic standing. Prior to the great depression, the seven-state Tennessee Valley region was one of the most disadvantaged areas in the South. Therefore, Tennessee benefitted significantly from the New Deal as federal money poured into the state to develop thousands of miles of new roads, new schools, modern airports, modern electrical production, and thousands of acres of new forests and lakes (Van West