America’s National Parks: 150 Years and Counting

Yellowstone National Park celebrates its 150th anniversary this year. It was the first of the more than 400 places of surpassing natural beauty, profound historical significance, and varied recreational potential that now form the National Park System. Retired Park Service historian Robert Blythe will explore the origins of the national park idea and the growth of our nationwide system of parks and historic sites. Topics will include the expansion of the concept of what deserves to be protected, rustic architecture in the parks, and National Park units in Illinois. 

Robert Blythe has a B.A. in American History from Roosevelt University and an M.A. in the History of Architecture from the University of Illinois, Chicago. He retired in 2006 as regional historian for the National Park Service’s Southeast Region. Since then he has undertaken a number of assignments as a consultant, including a history of Everglades National Park. Currently he is preparing a National Register of Historic Places nomination for an African American cemetery in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri.