F. D. Roosevelt State Park
Encyclopedia
F.D. Roosevelt State Park is an 9,049 acre (35.91 km²) Georgia
state park
located near Pine Mountain and Warm Springs
. The park is named for former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who sought a treatment for his paralytic illness in nearby Warm Springs at Little White House Historic Site
. The western portion of the park, formerly named Pine Mountain State Park, was named a National Historic Landmark
in 1997.
Several structures in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
in the Great Depression
, including a stone swimming pool
and Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot at Dowdell's Knob, overlooking the valley below. President Roosevelt would take polio patients suffering from depression along on picnics at Dowdell's Knob.
F.D. Roosevelt State Park is Georgia's largest state park, allowing for the containment of the 23 mile (37.01 km) long Pine Mountain Trail, a scenic nature path that winds through both hardwood
and pine
forest
s. The Pine Mountain Trail is wholly maintained by the volunteers of the Pine Mountain Trail Association. In addition, the park contains two stocked fishing lakes and a historic trading post.
In 1924 Franklin Delano Roosevelt first visited the warm springs located near the towns of Warm Springs and Bullochville. He came to the springs seeking relief from the symptoms of his paralytic illness which he had contracted some years earlier. In 1927 Roosevelt and others established the Warm Springs Foundation, later known as the warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, which established therapeutic programs utilizing the area's mineral springs. Since then the Institute has developed into a complex of facilities helping those with disabilities.
Shortly afterwards Roosevelt built a residence nearby which would come to be known as the Little White House. After his election to the presidency of the United States, he advocated the establishment of the Civilian conservation Corps, known as the CCC. It was this organization which, in 1935, established a camp near the modern-day Park entrance on Highway 354. From this camp the young men of the CCC constructed much of the present state park, including the Liberty Bell Pool, the Roosevelt Lodge, several cabins, the 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) Lake Delano and its companion, the 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) Lake Franklin.
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
located near Pine Mountain and Warm Springs
Warm Springs, Georgia
Warm Springs is a city in Meriwether County, Georgia, United States. The population was 478 at the 2010 census.-History:Warm Springs first came to prominence in the 19th century as a spa town, due to its mineral springs which flow constantly at nearly 32 °C...
. The park is named for former U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who sought a treatment for his paralytic illness in nearby Warm Springs at Little White House Historic Site
Little White House
The Little White House, in the Warm Springs Historic District in Warm Springs, Georgia, was Franklin Delano Roosevelt's personal retreat. He first came to Warm Springs for treatment of his paralytic illness, and liked the area so much that, as Governor of New York, he had a home built on nearby...
. The western portion of the park, formerly named Pine Mountain State Park, was named a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1997.
Several structures in the park were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
in the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, including a stone swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
and Roosevelt's favorite picnic spot at Dowdell's Knob, overlooking the valley below. President Roosevelt would take polio patients suffering from depression along on picnics at Dowdell's Knob.
F.D. Roosevelt State Park is Georgia's largest state park, allowing for the containment of the 23 mile (37.01 km) long Pine Mountain Trail, a scenic nature path that winds through both hardwood
Hardwood
Hardwood is wood from angiosperm trees . It may also be used for those trees themselves: these are usually broad-leaved; in temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen.Hardwood contrasts with softwood...
and pine
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s. The Pine Mountain Trail is wholly maintained by the volunteers of the Pine Mountain Trail Association. In addition, the park contains two stocked fishing lakes and a historic trading post.
History
The region containing the modern-day park was inhabited by the Creek Nation until ceeded under the Treaties of 1825 an 1826, which granted the territories between the Flint and Chatahoochee rivers to the State of Georgia. An influx of settlers established the town of Kings Gap, named after King's Trading Post located near the modern-day Liberty Bell Pool. The town eventually vanished by the 20th century.In 1924 Franklin Delano Roosevelt first visited the warm springs located near the towns of Warm Springs and Bullochville. He came to the springs seeking relief from the symptoms of his paralytic illness which he had contracted some years earlier. In 1927 Roosevelt and others established the Warm Springs Foundation, later known as the warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation, which established therapeutic programs utilizing the area's mineral springs. Since then the Institute has developed into a complex of facilities helping those with disabilities.
Shortly afterwards Roosevelt built a residence nearby which would come to be known as the Little White House. After his election to the presidency of the United States, he advocated the establishment of the Civilian conservation Corps, known as the CCC. It was this organization which, in 1935, established a camp near the modern-day Park entrance on Highway 354. From this camp the young men of the CCC constructed much of the present state park, including the Liberty Bell Pool, the Roosevelt Lodge, several cabins, the 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) Lake Delano and its companion, the 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) Lake Franklin.
Facilities
- 140 Tent/Trailer/RV Sites
- 22 CottageCottage__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...
s - 2 Picnic Shelters
- 2 Group Camps
- Group Shelter
- Pioneer Camping
- Backcountry Camping
See also
- Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute for Rehabilitation
- Franklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illnessFranklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illnessFranklin D. Roosevelt's paralytic illness began in 1921 at age 39, when Roosevelt got a fever after exercising heavily at a vacation in Canada. While his bout with illness was well known during his terms as President of the United States, the extent of his paralysis was kept from public view. After...