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The Board of Parks and Historic Memorials, commonly known as the Florida Park Service, was originally created in 1935 (Chapter 17025, Laws of Florida) and was administered within the Board of Forestry. The park service's first eight parks were designed and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1949, the park service became an independent agency, the Board of Parks and Historic Memorials (Ch. 25353, Laws). Its purpose was to administer and control the operation and development of the state parks and historic sites of Florida. In 1969, the Board was merged with the Outdoor Recreational Development Council (Ch. 63-36, Laws) to form the Division of Recreation and Parks (Ch. 69-106, Laws), under the Department of Natural Resources. The Division eventually moved to the newly created Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 1993 (Ch. 93-213, Laws). Between 1957 and 1960, the Florida Park Service's administrative staff consisted of a Board comprised of five governor-appointed citizens (a board member from each of the five council regions and one member was chosen as chairman), a director, assistant director, fiscal agent, publicity chief, appointed advisory council members, support staff, and various stenographers. The first director was Charles H. Schaeffer, who served in that position from 1935 to 1937. He was followed by H. J. Malsberger (1937-1940), Lewis Scoggin (1940-1952), Emmet Hill (1953-1960), Walter Coldwell (1960-1963), and N. E. "Bill" Miller (1963-1969). The board meeting locations were rotated amongst the five advisory council regions throughout the state.
Summary:
This series consists primarily of transcripts of board meeting minutes of the Florida Board of Parks and Historical Memorials and documents issues discussed and decisions made by the board. This series contains two volumes of minutes from the annual (October), regular and special board meetings conducted by the Florida Board of Parks and Historical Memorials from July 7, 1958 through June 27, 1969, the final meeting of the Board before being abolished in the July 1, 1969 governmental reorganization.
The minutes document key components and topics of each of the board meetings, such as a roll call of board meeting attendees and guests; approval of previous minutes; election of board members; advisory council member appointments; letters of resignation; proposed land acquisitions (e.g. the Koreshan Unity property) and exchanges; condemnation proceedings (e.g. John Bartram State Park in Volusia County, 1964-1965); administrative duties related to audits, installation of park gates, road construction/upgrades, use of prison labor, legislative services, exhibits, historic sites inventories, and preservation of historic sites; regional requests, activities, acquisitions and proposals from each of the five advisory council regions; resolutions regarding conservation and preservation issues; letters of condolences; letters of appreciation; proposed name changes to state parks (e.g. Killearn Garden State Park to the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park, 1965); and proposed time and place for the next board meeting.
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Hill, Emmet, 1902- Scoggin, Lewis, 1899- Schaeffer, Charles H.
Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.) Florida Park Service. National Park Service (U.S.) Parks and Historic Memorials, Board of. United States. National Park Service.
Historic house museums Florida. Nature conservation Florida Outdoor recreation Florida Parks Florida Public relations Florida Tourism Florida.
Minutes. aat
Bahia Honda Key (Fla.) Florida Caverns State Park (Fla.) Fort Clinch State Park (Fla.) Fort Pickens (Fla.) Fort San Marcos de Apalache (Fla.) Gold Head Branch State Park (Fla.) Highlands Hammock State Park (Fla.) Hillsborough River State Park (Fla.) Jim Woodruff Reservoir Region (Fla. and Ga.) John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park (Fla.) Kingsley Plantation (Fort George Island, Fla.) Koreshan State Park (Fla.) Little Talbot Island State Park (Fla.) Myakka River State Park (Fla.) Tomoka State Park (Fla.) Torreya State Park (Fla.)
for detailed listing.