Benton MacKaye: conservationist, planner, and creator of the Appalachian Trail

481 Pages·2002·2.94 MB·English

by  Larry Anderson

Benton MacKaye
Creating the
North American
Landscape
gregory conniff
edward k. muller
david schuyler
Consulting Editors
george f. thompson
Series Founder and Director
Published in cooperation with
the Center for American Places,
Santa Fe, New Mexico, and
Harrisonburg, Virginia
•
Benton MacKaye
Conservationist, Planner, and Creator
of the Appalachian Trail
Larry Anderson
^
The
Johns Hopkins
University Press
Baltimore &London
© 2002The Johns Hopkins University Press
All rights reserved. Published 2002
Printed in the United States of America
on acid-free paper
2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1
The Johns Hopkins University Press
2715North Charles Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363
www.press.jhu.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anderson, Larry, 1950–
Benton MacKaye, creator of the Appalachian Trail/Larry Anderson.
p. cm.—(Creating the North American landscape)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
isbn0-8018-6902-1(hardcover : alk. paper)
1. MacKaye, Benton, 1879–1975. 2. Conservationists—United States—
Biography. 3. Regional planners—United States—Biography.
4. Appalachian Trail—History. I. Title. II. Series.
qh31.m137a832002
333.7'2'092—dc21
2001007182
A catalog record for this book is available
from the British Library.
The article beginning on p. 371and, unless otherwise specified,
all photographs and maps are reproduced by permission
of the Dartmouth College Library.
to
Frances H. Anderson
and the memory of
Albert E. Anderson

^
contents
Acknowledgments ix
introduction. “Expedition 9” 1
1. The MacKaye Inheritance, 1879–1896 10
2. From Harvard Yard to the “Primaevial Forest,” 1896–1903 29
3. The Education of a Progressive Forester, 1903–1911 47
4. Raising Hell, 1911–1915 70
5. Reclaiming America’s Wild Lands for Work and Play, 1915–1916 87
6. Employment and Natural Resources,1917–1919 102
7. Turning Point, 1919–1921 124
8. First Steps along the Appalachian Trail, 1921–1923 143
9. The Regional Planning Association of America and the
Appalachian Trail Conference, 1923–1925 169
10. The New Exploration,1925–1928 190
11. Trailwork and the “Townless Highway,” 1928–1931 211
12. “RP = TH + AT + HT,” a Formula for the New Deal, 1931–1933 228
13. The Tennessee Valley Authority, 1934–1936 248
14.The Wilderness Society, 1934–1936 267
15. “Watershed Democracy,” 1936–1945 285
16. Wilderness in a Changing World, 1937–1950 309
17. “Geotechnics of North America,” 1944–1972 328
18. Linking Action with Prophecy, 1953–1975 346
epilogue. A “Planetary Feeling” 367
Appendix. “An Appalachian Trail,” by Benton MacKaye 371
Abbreviations 381
Notes 385
Note on Sources 433
Index 435
Photographs follow page 210.

^
acknowledgments
Work on this book extended over many years, during which time I accumu-
lated a large debt of gratitude to the many individuals who provided assistance
and encouragement. They all helped to improve the final product; I alone bear
responsibility for any of its shortcomings.
My wife, Nan Haffenreffer, has provided support, patience, and love beyond
measure. Our son, Sam, has for most of his life shared his father with the
slowly emerging biographical character of Benton MacKaye. I am blessed to
belong to such a family.
I am grateful to staff members at all the research institutions named in the
Note on Sources, as well as at the Arnold Arboretum, the Harvard Forest, the
Henry S. Graves Memorial Library at the Yale University School of Forestry
and Environmental Studies, the Brown University Library, and the Brownell
Library in Little Compton, Rhode Island. But I am especially beholden to the
staff of the Rauner Special Collections Library at Dartmouth College, who
were unfailingly courteous, friendly, and helpful. Philip N. Cronenwett, Spe-
cial Collections Librarian, provided every possible measure of support. With
apologies to those whose names I may have omitted, I offer special thanks
to some of his current and former colleagues: Stanley W. Brown, John
Schwoerke, Suzy Schwoerke, Barbara Krieger, Bonnie Wallin, Joyce Pike, and
Patti Houghton. I am grateful to the Dartmouth College Library for permis-
sion to quote manuscript materials and reproduce images from the MacKaye
Family Papers.
Other individuals who were particularly helpful in providing assistance on
behalf of their organizations include Meredith Marcinkewicz of the Shirley
Historical Society, Bennett Beach and the late Tom Watkins of the Wilderness
Society, and Brian King, Robert Rubin, and Jean Cashin of the Appalachian
Trail Conference.
I owe thanks to Harley P. Holden, Benton MacKaye’s literary executor and
Harvard University Archivist, both for his permission to use certain materials
included in this book and for his encouragement. I am also grateful to Robert