June 24nd, 2016 brings us 62-days away from the National Park Service Centennial. In this edition of the #CentennialCountdown we go back 62-years to 1954 and the creation of a national historic park, a park and a memorial.
This photo is actually from April 9th, 1965 when Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House and effectively ended the American Civil War. It was established as a National Historic Park in 1954.
Originally constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Works Progress Administration these were designed to be provide recreational camps for federal employees. One of them became Camp David, the Presidential retreat. The rest of the park area was transferred to the National Park Service on July 12th, 1954.
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial includes the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and is supposed to commemorate westward expansion in the land that Thomas Jefferson bought as part of the Louisiana Purchase.