Robert sterling yard february 1, 1861 may 17, 1945 was an american writer, journalist, and wilderness activist. This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. The mather homestead is a historic home in fairfield county. Stephen tyng mather july 4, 1867 january 22, 1930 was an american industrialist and. Theres a 1951 biography steve mather of the national parks by robert shankland. Aac publications steve mather of the national parks. The mather homestead darien, ct the mather homestead. Through this book you meet the famous and not so famous folks who were committed to preserving wild places. Stephen mather, 1st national park service director mather, a selfmade millionaire, was appointed the first director of the nps after he helped persuade congress to create the nps. Stephen tyng mather was the founding director of the national park service and an early supporter of state parks.
By working together the nation would develop a national system of parks. Robert sterling yard was an american writer, journalist, and wilderness activist. The borax millionaire who helped build the national park. Americas best idea and i have to say i am in love with it. Conservationist john muir and president theodore roosevelt did much to create the parks and the protected lands that led to the formation of the nps in 1916. His first conference of national park superintendents, in 1915, was held on the berkeley campus. Progress in the development of the national parks 1916 stephen t. In the book steve mather of the national parks, robert shankland quoted a contemporary saying that mather combined the zeal of an agitator. He is wellqualified to write it, because he was hired just out of college, back in the 1910s, to be the assistant to the first national parks service director, stephen mather. One of the early biographies on the first director of the national park service, stephen mather.
There are really several books within these covers. Mather took over the directorship of the national parks, there were seventeen national parks and twentyone national monuments. Mather, the first director the national park service, envisioned that the states and the federal government needed to work together to develop a great national system of parks. Stephen mather was the first director of the national park service.
Americas best idea really does express one of our best ideas ever. Prior to his involvement with nps, he was an influential industrialist who had become personally wealthy from his involvement with twenty mule team borax. Filmed over the course of more than six years at some of natures most spectacular locales from acadia to zion the national parks. The years spanning the turn of the century saw vast changes in the countrys demographics, as well as the development of modern forms of transportation and communication, and increased leisure time. He has collaborated on all of ken burnss films for twenty years as a writer, producer, and consultant. National park service and appreciate the good that he has done for us. The visionaries national parks conservation association. Well, thats what youll learn about in creating the national park service. Albright, as much as his boss and mentor stephen mather, was responsible for molding the national parks into a unified system after the creation of the national park service in 1916. Before the summers end, president woodrow wilson signed the organic act of 1916 into law, establishing the national park service. The book of the national parks robert sterling yard. How a pr genius saved the national parks, and you can, too. This memorial commemorates stephen tyng mather, the first director of the national park service, the federal bureau under which americas national parks are managed.
National park roads details the history of a relationship as fragile and monumental as glacier national parks goingtothesun road full of ups and downs, twists and turns, challenges and beauty. Yard worked to promote the national parks as well as educate americans about their use. Shankland, robert, 1916steve mather of the nation al parks. Book of the national parks, the by yard, robert sterling. Built in 1778, the home was raided by tories during the revolutionary war and was later the summer home of stephen tyng mather, founder of the national parks service. Albright was at stephen mather s first nps director side from day one.
How good old american marketing saved the national parks. The paper in this book meets the guidelines for permanence and durability of the. The first printing of the national parks portfolio exceeded a quartermillion books, and mather made sure that a copy found its way to the desk of every member of congress. A line of cars winds through yellowstone national park in 1966. Americas best idea, stephen mather, pictured in 1915, combined a flair for promotion with a deep belief in the value of national parks. Stephen tyng mather 18671930 received the pugsley gold medal in 1928. Lane responded, dear steve, if you dont like the way the parks are being run, come on. In my stephen mather post of july 29, 2012 i said, it is my goal to find the mather memorials in the national parks i visit and pause to remember the father of the u. Charles trowbridge, stephen mather, and horace albright at the dedication of. He was the founding director of the national park service in 1916. If interested in the establishment of the national park service as well as the creation of a sundry of this countrys national parks, then one need look no further than this book.
Steve mather of the national parks by robert shankland. In 1914 stephen mather, a wealthy businessman, wrote the secretary of the interior about the poor condition of parks he had visited that summer in the sierra nevada. Stephen tyng mather led a full active life of 63 years, from 1867 to 1930. Stephen mather and the founding of the national park service. In 1915, he was recruited by his friend stephen mather to help publicize the need for an independent national. His vigorous efforts to build public and political support for the parks helped persuade congress to create the national park service in 1916. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone.
Revisiting the consensus for national parks, which itself was first published by conservative landuse think. Born in haverstraw, new york, yard graduated from princeton university and spent the first twenty years of his career in the editing and publishing business. In 1917, mather was appointed as the first director of the national park service, the. The secretary suggested that mather work to improve the system by joining the department in washington, d. Mather was born in san francisco, california in 1867 and graduated from the university of california in 1887 with a bachelor degree in literature. In our article the importance of railroads in the evolution of national parks myself and four colleagues rebutted issues raised in alfred runtes initial article in national parks traveler npt, stephen mather s ghost. To stephen mather, first director of the national park service, cars were the open sesame to get people into the parks. Americas best idea is a sixepisode television series directed by ken burns and written and coproduced by dayton duncan. The book was written by horace albright and his daughter. The stephen mather memorial plaques national parks traveler. In 1915, he was recruited by his friend stephen mather to help publicize the need for an independent national park agency. I did read somewhere that a new biographyhistory of stephen mather and national parks is in the works, probably from a university press.
In the book steve mather of the national parks, robert shankland quoted a contemporary saying that mather combined the zeal of an agitator with a charm and graciousness ive rarely seen. Mather, a chicago industrialist who made millions out of twentymuleteam borax, complained to the secretary of the interior that the national parks were underfinanced and mismanaged, without decent roads and accommodations, and a disgrace to the federal government,he was answered. As for yosemite national park, his works still live in the paved roads, the bridges, the public buildings, the museum, the water and sanitation systems, the high country. However, after hiking for days through yosemite and sequoia national parks in 1914, the selfmade. I even went back to the library to get the hardbound copy because it is loaded with pictures and quotes i wanted to remember and so i could share it with you on the 102 year anniversary of the national park system. Mather came to washington from chicago in january 1915 as special assistant to secretary of the interior franklin k.
Mather, the first nps director, actively promoted and expanded the bureau and its protected lands. Steve mather of the national parks by robert shankland goodreads. Nearly 100 years ago, the work of best friends stephen mather and robert sterling yard forever endeared the american public to the national parks and gave birth to npca, the organization that would protect them. From 1916 to 1929, mather increased the number of national parks from 16 to 25. He used his wealth and political connections to take the national park idea in important new directions. In 1915, he was recruited by his friend stephen mather to.
The first national parks had just been created, but few knew much about them. Horace albright and marian albright schenck, creating the national park service. I also recommend the excellent across the high lonesome, much of which takes place in kings canyon and sequoia national parks. It was said that he sacrificed his money, his health, his time, his opportunities for wealth, in order that he might promote that which will mean so much to the people of this country in the future.
1452 1318 1173 583 1196 507 1519 1489 776 1257 350 1294 344 185 914 819 1335 187 604 1068 1264 517 421 89 1443 1355 1195 1174 1338 298 713