By 1928, supporters of Great Smoky Mountains National Park had raised $5 million to buy land, but rising prices doubled the cost. The Laura Spelman Rockefeller Memorial Fund provided another $5 million, helping complete the purchase, according to the U.S. National Park Service.
The park covers more than 522,000 acres along the Tennessee-North Carolina border. The idea of protecting the forests and mountains of the Southern Appalachians had circulated since the late 1890s, but the federal government did not own the land. Farmers held many parcels, while timber and paper companies controlled large forest areas.
Buying the land required persuading families and companies to sell farms, forests, rail lines, logging equipment and other property. Supporters also debated whether to create a national forest, where logging and grazing could continue, or a national park with stronger protections for the landscape. Knoxville and Asheville backed the campaign, as did automobile clubs seeking roads through scenic areas.
In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge signed legislation providing for the creation of Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah national parks. The Interior Department could take responsibility for the Smokies once 150,000 acres had been purchased. Tennessee and North Carolina contributed funds, alongside individuals, private groups and schoolchildren.
When the $5 million raised by 1928 was no longer enough, John D. Rockefeller Jr. suggested that his mother’s memorial fund provide a matching $5 million. The National Park Service says the gift helped buy the remaining land. About 85% of the park was purchased from 18 logging companies, with the rest acquired from roughly 1,200 individual owners. Some former landowners were allowed to remain in their homes under lifetime leases.