Georgia state park views [Jan. 1961], State park views State parks views

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January, 1981

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DIRECTOR CHARLES A. COLLIER

PREPARED AND EDITED BY BARBARA J. RANKIN -- RECREATION DIRECTOR

As the i're\! Year approaches, let us review our objectives and purposes for operating state parks so that we can plan for the year with renewed vigor and a definite criteria. 1. Areas in the state park system should be of statewide interest and not local significance. 2. They should possess outstanding quality of landscape or features of special significance that make their preservation a matter of statewide concern.
3. State parks should provide recreational use
of natural resources, and outdoor recreation in natural surroundings.
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4. They should portray and interpret plant and animal life, geology,
and other natural features.
5. They should protect and portray
historic and scientific sites wide importance. and protect natural areas of scenic value, not only for the generation, but for generations to

STEPHEN COLLINS FOSTER STATE PARK

Stephen Collins Foster Park is located on Jones Island about fifteen

miles from Fargo, Georgia, on the southwestern edge of the famous

Okefenokee Swamp.

This interesting park is a memorial to Stephen Foster, whose melody

''Old Folks at Home, li made the Suwanee River famous in song throughout

many sections of the world. The Suwanee River is the principal out-

let of the Okefenokee Swamp, and the headwaters are very close to

Fargo and the memorial park.

Few people have been able to describe the beauty of this area, which

is believed to have more spectacular natural scenery than any other

water, and broad vistas of blooming prairies, produce a veritable

wonderland. Water lilies and pitcher plants are there in profusion.

Many flowers found no other place this side of the Atlantic, bloom

here the year-round. This scenery makes an exciting background for

the many animals and birds found in the swamp. Inside the park area

may be found deer, bear, raccoon, many alligators, migratory water-

fowl find a winter haven here, and water birds such as cranes, egrets,

and herons live here the year-round.

The fishermen will be delighted to know about this angler's paradise.

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'' '! , Bass, bream, black crappie, and pike are caught in large quantities

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~ li thin the park area. Small boats are available and boat runs have been cleared through the swamp. If you go into the watery wilderness i ] use guides is essential. . Guides are also available for trips through the swamp. This is an experience N:-lich few parks in the nation have to offer to its visitors.
:.L'he Seminole Indians gave the swamp the name, "E-cun-fi-no-can," or 1'Quivering Earth. 11 The spelling of "Ofekenokee" has been adopted by the Federal government, following a long period of controversy in which more than fifty forms were used. The main body of the swamp, about 330,000 acres , is owned by the United States Department of Interior, and the area where the State Park is located is leased from the federal government.
The ;1old Okefenok," as the natives call it, is believed to have been part of an ancient sea. It is 110 ft. to 130 ft. above present sea level. The water is in constant circulation as it drains away from a series of ridges in the c::;nter of the marsh into district watersheds. The principal outlet, tl: ~ Su~;o.nne River, flows into the Gulf of :r.1exico near Cedar Keys, Florida.
There are countless numbers of islands, some floating isles that :1ave not yet secured a firm grip on tho bottom. Stephen Foster Park is nc ::.r the famous Billy s Island which vvas a final stronghold of the Seminoles and later as the site of Fort \'lalker.
Stephen Foster Park has six overnight cabins with one double deck bed and one single bed. Each has modern bathroom facilities. Located also in the park is a large bunk house with thirteen double deck beds and three single beds. There is a cafe and concession building where meals are served three times daily. For the people who like to cook out, there is a very good

picnic area.
Stephen Foster is reached by U.S. 84 and State Highway 39.
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THE STORY OF THE CALENDAR
The calendar as we use it today was devised in 1582, more than 350 years ago, by Pope Gregory XIII, and is known as the Gregorian Calendar. The Pope perfected a calendar worked out before the birth of Christ by Julius Caesar in 46 B.C.
The Julian Calendar, as Ceasars system was called , counted 12 months in a year of 365 days. He added an extra day every fourth year, making a leap year with 366 days. Actually there are 5 hours, 49 minutes, and 12 seconds left over from the 365 days which make up our year, and that time amounts to about a day in four years.
The Gregorian Calendar provided that, beginning in 1600, the hundredth years, excepting those divisible by 400, should not be observed as leap years.
Long before either Pope Gregory or Julius Caesar was born, people of ancient races had developed calendars of their own. The Syrians, Greeks, Hebrews, and Chinese all had calendar systems and the ancient Egyptians had a plan of measuring time very much like ours of today.
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HOW JANUARY GOT ITS NAME
January was named by the early Romans for one of their most honored gods, the god Janus. This deity was pictured with two faces, one looking into the future, the other back into the past. As the god of all beginnings, he guarded gateways and entrances and gave his name to the opening month of the year.

C, :_/V.CRN'OR STARTS PARK DEVELOPMENT
G~.;vernor Ernest Vandiver (Wednesday, December 28) turned a spade of earth which officially launched the developm.;nt of' Stone Mountain Memorial Park.
The p~rk slated to cost more than Sll,OOO,OOO, will be one of the ~~rg~st and most complete recreation and tourist attractions in the state, according to Matt L. Iolcl:J!!orter, who is chairman; of the Stone Mountain l\1emorial Association.
The brief ceremonies were held at 2:00 p.m.at the dam site, southe2~ st of' the mountain. The groundbreaking began construction of the :rr.s.~.n dam in the recreation area, 2n ::arthen giant which will hold a L~lS e.cr-e recreation lake. The ~~ tl:"uc~ure will be 6l~ feet high and 1,175 feet long, with a 30 foot ~ric~c~ t cp upon which a two-land pc:.\'cd :L""oad will cross. The road ~.-i~. \ '.'.; ::~ :part of a scenic highway, nc:; under construction, which will c l:r>cle the 3,000 acre park. The c:::- .1 ,,;_11 cost an estimated $3,000 -:-: :: ~ ~- r:; sch~d.uled to be completed in
J.o :, i:-'J::..,ri:ing days. It will impound
i-~s - ~~"'. -:2. 111. creek to provide a lake f1o..-:e f5.v8 :riles in length. Plans cc.}.l f o::> the lake to feature a do ~~ cn sar.G. beaches, a marina, and fi ~ hin3 doc:-c, and various amuser.".~ : ' t at-;-;ractions, including an old-~ c f~i-<.>:e (~ Bicsissippi river type c -. c~:: .:;:..on :. .) ~ t.
~~G:t:SATION AND CLEAN WATER
On.:: .'J: the gt>eat social changes of
cur t:L.v3 is the emergence of outdoor rec~~ ~ cion, no longer a luxury, as a m:J jo ~.., feature of American living. T~ic has come about in the post\':a:."" era because of increased inco:.:9, better transportation, and ab0 7 0 all the increase in leisure ti~ :: ~~de possible by the five-day
~rw: -~ ~ ;2ek.
t~-::. :J. ::..'cault of these trends, plus rayic-1 population growth and the cr ~.;.; Jin~ of people into metropolitcn c r :n o~crs, more people are spend-

ing more time outdoors doing more things for the fun of doing them than ever before in the history of this or any other country.
Most people find water important in their recreation. That is why much of the recreational activity of the American people today, perhaps the largest segment of it, is associated in one way or another with the water areas of the United States. The country's outdoor recreation plant is built on or around the shores of the country's watercourses.
Fish, Wildlife Areas Shrinking
Pollution drives people away from the water and fish and wildlife as well. According to the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the area of fish and wildlife habitat rendered unproductive each year by pollution is greater than that created by public agencies carrying out programs of fish and wildlife restoration.
Why are the country's watercourses becoming poluted so rapidly? There is a complex of reasons. Since World War II the population of the United States has increased and more people mean more wastes to be disposed of. People are moving from farms to cities and suburbs, and the problem of waste disposal becomes much more difficult to deal with in thickly settled communities than in sparsely populated rural areas.
Industrial production is expanding rapidly, and so the volume of industrial wastes is growing too. The character of agriculture is changing, and the changes are such that farms now have more serious waste disposal problems than they once did.
Waste Discharges frcm Boats
The vast increase in boating and other water-oriented recreation in recent years has in itself caused increased pollution. Waste dis-

charges from boats are becoming an increasingly serious pollution source. In addition, exhausts and fuels discharged into water from engines are damaging to water supplies and to fish. The Public Health Service has undertaken a research project to evaluate more precisely the effects of motorboat engine waste.
Over-all water demand has increased enormously as living standards have risen. tJe now use over 300 billion gallons a day--twice as much as we did 20 years ago. And finally, construction of waste treatment facilities has not kept pace with the rising volume of pollution.
Despite all this, the need for clean water for recreation continues to mount. It has been said that the country is now in the grip of 11 aquamania. 11 Thirty million Americans are leisure time fishermen. Six million are water skiers. The number of pleasure craft jumped from 2. L~ million in 1947 to nearly 8 million today. Some 75,000 swimming pools are now being built every year. Many of these, of course,are community pools, constructed because of the pollution of nearby natural water areas.
These figures are impressive. But they do not take account of the uncounted millions of Americans-most of the entire population-who enjoy picnicking, swimming, beachcombing, birdwatching, or otherwise relaxing and enjoying the esthetic pleasures along or on the water on weekends, vacations, or in their spare time.
There is already a shortage of water-oriented parks and recreation areas, local, state, and cities have a total of only 750,000 acres in parks close enough to be used after work or school, as against an estimated present need of 2 million acres.

A similar disparity between present demand and supply exists in the case of recreation areas, mainly state parks, which are within a couple of hours of travel time from population centers and can be used for all day or weekend outings.
How To Make More Play Areas.
Aggressive efforts to control water pollution in many urban areas are the only economical way of increasing play areas. By making water acreage available for water sports and by making river, lake and ocean beaches suitable for play, a city or state park system can increase materially its total recreation facilities where acquisition of already developed land would be impossible.
The average work weelc has dropped from 70 hours in the last century. Further decreases are in prospect as industry becomes more efficient and we rely more and more on machinery to do ovr work. It is predicted that within a generation the work week will be 32 hours, and this may be conservative. (One estimate suggests that, if the rate of technological progress since 1850 is projected to the year 2000, the United States could produce as much in one seven-hour day as is now produced in a 40-hour week.) Longer vacations are also in prospect.
More Play Space for the Future
With more leisure, prospective gains in both population and individual incomes, and further increases in urbanization and mobility, the demand for suitable recreational sites will continue to grow in the years ahead. Resources for the Future believes that within the next 40 years the total demand for outdoor recreation will be something like 10 times what it is now.
If the water-based recreation plan of the United States is inadequate

to meet present needs, the growing demands of the future cannot be met without aggressive action to clean up the Nation's watercourses while it is still possible to do so. Failure to do this will rob the American people, future generations particularly, of a priceless heritage.
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TO ALL CABIN AND GROUP CAMP SUPERINTENDENTS
IF YOU HAVE NOT SENT IN YOUR COt-~ PLETE LIST OF NECESSARY SUPPLIES FOR THE OPENING OF GROUP CAl\1PS AND COTTAGES THIS SPRING, PLEASE DO SO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SEND THESE TO MISS BARBARA RANKIN OF THE GENERAL OFFICE.
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THE PARK VIEWS WILL ONLY BE AS GOOD AS YOU MAKE IT. viE NEED THE NEWS FROM THE DIFFERENT PARKS TO MAKE THIS PUBLICATION INTERESTING AND OF VALUE.
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PARK NEWS
CROOKED RIVER--vJork has been completed on the-installation of the asphalt floor tile in ten of the cottages at Crooked River. With the new equipment and curtains furnished last year, theee cottages are now very attractive and usable for our visitors.
MAGNOLIA SPRING--On Thursday, December 22 a group of distinguished people had lunch at the park. The group was headed by Lt. Governor, Garland Byrd and his son, Buster. The occasion was put on by the local sportsmen, and in attendance was the commanding general of Fort Gordon.
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THE STORY OF SNOW
Sometimes the atmosphere above us

is such that the moisture in the air condenses and forms raindrops. If the temperature is below the freezing point, 32 degrees Fahrenheit , snowdrops are formed instead.
Snow protects the earth beneath it from the bitter cold of winter, so that the earth is often warmer than the surface of the snow. The more snow in winter , the greener the grass in spring.
Snow is made of many lovely little crystals, all six-sided and arranged with remarkable regularity.
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WINTER BIRDS
Do you know of the birds which can't fly but can swim? They are the penguins, with their black cutaway coats and stiff white bosoms. With one exception, all of the twenty kinds of penguins are found in the cold regions of the Antarctic. The little Galapagos Penguins live on islands off the coast of Ecuador.
Penguins have tiny, oar-like wings, which are usless for flying 1 but are very efficient aids in swimming. They live almost entirely on fish. Some penguins nest in burrows of ground. Others carry their eggs or babies on their feet, protected by feathers.
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CENTENNIAL CALANDAR HIGHLIGHTS FOR JANUARY, 1961
3rd - Georgia State Troops seized Forts Pulaski 8nd Jackson. Delaware refected a resolution for secession.
9th - Mississippi seceded from the Union. S.C. shore batteries repulsed i'The Star of the West." It returned to New York.
lOth - Florida seceded. Citizens of Wilmington seized Fort Caswell, N. C. Louisiana State Troops seized Baton Rouge Arsenal.

llth - Alabama seceded. Governor Pickins of S.C. demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter.
12th - Representatives of Mississippi withdrew from the U.S. House of Representatives.
19th - Georgia seceded. The Virginia Legislature passed a resolution calling for a Peace Congress in Washington. Robert E. Lee was 54 years old.
21st - Jefferson Davis made farewell speech as he retired from the U. S. Senate. Florida and Alabama Senators and Representatives also withdrew.
23rd - Robert Toombs of Georgia made farewell speech to U. S. Senate as he withdrew.
24th - Georgia State Troops seized Augusta Arsenal.
23th - Iverson of Georgia withdrew from the U. S. Senate.
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The first president of the United States, George Washington, was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, but Congress changed the inauguration date to March 4 in the 12th Amendment to our Constitution, put into effect in 1804. March 4 it remained until Congress changed it again in the 20th Amendment, in effect since February 6, 1933. This Amendment made January 20 inauguration day.
When a president of the United States is inaugurated this is the oath he takes: ''I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. 11
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RECREATION
Recreation experiences are an important social and economic part of contemporary American life. This fact is recognized by many individuals and organizations who hold that providing adequate recreation opportunities for all is an important public responsibility. In support of this attitude are an increasing number of local, regional, and national agencies which provide some recreation services.
The place of leisure activities in American J.ife has expanded tremendously since 1900. A study of these trends provides some clues to what may be expected in future years. At the turn of the century working conditions were inhuman by present standards. A 60 hour work week paying $4.00 to $5.00 was common and child labor was widespread. Families lived in crowded and dilapadated homes and apartments and were unable to escape, even momentarily, from this grim environment.
By contrast, today's average American family of two or three children enjoys the mobility of one or more automobiles, and lives in a modern suburban single family home. An average weekly income of $100 to $150 for about forty hours of fair1~ interesting work in a pleasant and safe environment is rnanced by paid vacations and many other benefits. This comparison of the relatively recent past and the present gives some idea of the magnitude of change that may be expected in the next 25 to 50 years. The fact that these rapid and revolutionary social, economic, and physical changes in American society have evolved through experimentation within the ex~sting political framework supports the confidence that solutions to the increasing problems of mass leisure will be found.

l\'lany experts predict that the four day work week is a near reality. A month or six weeks of paid vacations may soon be common. In fifteen to twenty-five years a majority of American families may enjoy both a country and city home. The family automobile, which has provided boundless freedom, may be supplemented by mass transportation systems that are more adapted to metropolitan living. Even more signigicant may be the growth of a public conservation attitude which would place a high value on the quality of the home and community environment. This concern for stability and long range prosperity may counteract the current attitude that associates unlimited growth and exploitation with an ever rising standard of living.
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Music is the universal language of mankind,--poetry their universal pastime and delight.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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OUR TRAIL
The New Year is like a hill-side Covered with untouched snow, And each of us a skier, Poised and ready to go.
tVhat kind of a trail, are we going to make As we ski down life's rolling hill? Will it be straighter than ever before? In each heart we hope it will.
May we leave behind in that unmarked time, A trail, straight, true and clean: Never afraid, never ashamed, To look back or let it be seen.
Florence H. Steelman
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HASHINGTON, D.C.--The Civil Har Centennial, which vlill be one of America's top travel motivational iEfluer.LCes for the next five years, begins in January with a message and a literal bang.
The message from the President officially opens the Centennial January 8. The 11 bang'jwill come on daybreak January 9, when cadets of the Citadel Military College stage the first of many re-enactments to come--the firing of the first shot of the war at Charleston, S.C. The original cannonade forced the withdrawal of a merchant ship, 11 Star of the \'Jest, 11 which was attempting to bring supplies to Fort Sumter.
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ASPHALT WITH A "GREEN THUMB"
You are well aware of the many places where soil erosion is a problem. It is likely that one of the most common examples of this situation is the unprotected slope area created by relocating a road. These slopes, without a stand of grass, erode very easily after a rain. This situation is now generally handled by mulching with straw and asphalt.
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BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME ON A CAMPING TRIP
1. Make an appointment for each member of the family with the doctor and dentist; don't let a toothache or unsuspected illness spoil your vacation. Get any extra prescriptions filled by your own druggist.
2. Check over all your camping equipment. If this is the first trip, take an overnight "shakedown'1 at a nearby park. Test any new gear, and set up camp in the back yard to refresh your memory of procedures with tent, stove, etc.

j. Plan some menus in ~dvance, especially for the first few days go that you \'Till not have to make E;hopping lists every .day en route.
4. List all the equipment you plan to take, and check off each item as it is packed.
5. ?~ap out your travel route and plan your stops and necessary alternates in case of delay or filled campgrounds.
6. Make arrangements for the care of pets, house plants and the lawn. If you plan to be gone long, ask a neighbor to air out the house occasionally.
7. Turn off the hot water heater,
pull plugs on electric appliances, defrost and empty the refrigerator. C~ cck all faucets.
8. IJ!ake s'l1re that you have insuran ~ e papers, identification, t:;.~avclcrs checks or check bool{, car registration, and an extra ~et of car keys. Is your driver's lisc ~ nae up to date?
9. Stop newspaper, milk and other
regular deliveries. Make arrangemants for forwarding or holding ycur mail.
10. Leave an extra key with a neighbor, and notify police of your abscr.ce.
11. Have ~rour car checked over carefully, including the battery, brakes, and cooling system. Pack a roQd flare or trouble light, necessary tools, a jack, shovel, and extra fan belt. Consider including a tow rope and tire chains.
12. Lock all doors and windows; leave window shades up. Put away or secure any outdoor furniture.
13. Put valuables in a safety deposit vault.
lL'. Leave an address and your travel itinerary with a member of the family or a close friend.

15. Count noses before taking off!
PROGRAM FOR CALIFORNIA BEACHES AND PARKS
We have jsut received, in the General Office, a most outstanding report and recommendations on the California State Parks. This state is certainly to be commended for their forthright picture and research in the recreation fields. Certainly no other state in America today is using more professional skill in preparing and looking into the days of the future concerning the great potentiality of the state's responsibility in the field of recreation.
The California State Park Commission has propos ~'d a broad expansion of the state park system, including acquisition of land before cost and beyond reason and the establishment of approximately 15 thot1sand canp sites
during the next 5 years.
The California Park Commission anticipates presenting a continuing program each year. If adopted, this program cost for a total of about 15 million dollars at the 1960 land and construction prices. The program will provide vastly improved camping facilities and an adequate opportunity for California families to vacation in state parks at an increase of approximately four times the present availability of picnic facilities.
To Governor Bro~1 and Parks Chief, Charles E. DeTurk, ~re wish all the luck and success of having this program approved and into operation. Certainly California is blazing the trail for Nhat all other state parks must begin to do within the next few years.
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