Located only a short distance from the populated Marietta Square, Kennesaw National Battlefield Park is a tranquil environ with great historical significance. Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park is a 3,000 acre park with many past and present connections. It is visited by almost 1 million people every year. When the weather is good, local Kennesaw native, Josiah Hutchinson, goes to the park and hikes the backwoods and trails. He says he has been coming to the park since he was 8 years old, and it has always had a special place in his heart
Hutchinaon states, “I myself like to hike in the trails in the back and come at less crowded times, because I find the solitude very rewarding.”
This is what keeps the park so precious too so many. Enjoying those peaceful walks with no worldly distractions around, it is just you and nature. For a town as busy as Kennesaw, this hideaway is a precious gem.
“I like that the park is so accessible. This makes it very popular for families which I think are great because it promotes a healthy lifestyle for both children and adults.” Hutchison says. Over time, he has seen the park slowly expand and grow. He feels that all improvements should be done in moderation. This way all work is accomplished in a gradual way.
He says in today’s time the ability to keep up with our ever changing society is crucial to survival. Hutchinson says, “The most amazing thing about the park is that such a beautiful mountain and extended system of trails located right in the middle of metro Atlanta suburbia.”
For park rangers, that struggle to keep the park beautiful and accessible for families has become their biggest challenge. With road expansions, erosion, and parking to name a few of the problems, the park has had to be creative with how to manage the park as a whole and not take away from its historical significance.
In tight money times, if the budget allows, projects are distributed equally. According to Stanley C. Bond, Superintendent of Park Services, “First though, we have to make sure our staff salaries are covered before any projects can even be considered.” That is his first main concern. Everything else seems to fall into place.
Park rangers and local officials are stepping up to the taste making sure that this peaceful coexistence with the community realization stays a reality. Park Historian and Ranger Willie R. Johnson has worked for the park for 36 year and has seen it all. Johnson lives and breathes the park. He sums up his passion in these words, “Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park was established by Congress to preserve the Kennesaw Mountain Battlefield as a representative battlefield of the Atlanta Campaign of the American Civil War. That should be the guiding factor in all that we do here.” This National Park was set aside in 1917 as a historical battlefield by the War Department and transferred to the National Park System in 1933. Before The Civil War began, the land was inhabited by the Creek Indians in 1775. When the Creek Indians lost the Battle of Taliwa, the land was seized by the Cherokee Indians who gained total control. Later in the 1800s, this historical park was the site of a key Civil War battle called The Battle of Kennesaw Mountain, where over 500 men were killed.
With winding narrow roads carved through the mountain, traffic has become quite a problem. Motorists have been forced to share these roads with bicyclists who weave in and out of traffic creating a concern that an accident could happen at any moment. There is not enough road space to accommodate these situations. Talk of widening the road has been proposed but so far no action has been taken. One positive improvement has been made off old Highway 41 right in front of the visitor’s center. A stretch of sidewalks measuring five feet wide was recently added, and it helps with dangerous situations and congestion that face all park visitors. This expansion was funded by The Cobb County Department of Transportation.
Erosion has also become a concern within the park. The paths are considered a “natural source” and are subjected to the forces of rain and wind. Since the Flood of 2009, erosion has slowly eaten away at several park venues. The paths have begun to crumble, making them unsafe for hikers as they traverse the terrain. All of the pitter patter of those feet over the years has finally begun to take its toll. These paths seem to be getting washed away every time the clouds burst with rain. This is an ongoing problem and is only getting worse with time. Johnson said it is not the whole park, but just certain sections of the trail network that needs to be addressed. In order to develop a plan for these type of congestion situations, the park service has begun to reroute the trails as well as taking erosion control measures.
Currently under consideration is using natural resources to expand the existing paths and networks. Park officials also want to open previously inaccessible routes to the public so they can have access to more historic sites and develop a better appreciation of their significance. These discussions and plans are in the beginning stages and require a lot of preparation before any action can be executed. Johnson says, “Proper compliance measures will be followed before any of this is undertaken in order to insure that no historic or natural resources are damaged.” Any construction is normally performed during daylight hours in a Monday to Friday workweek.
Parking for all the hundreds of daily visitors has become a big headache for park rangers. A parking lot was recently added to the land acquired from by the county from CSX Railroad. Eventually, rangers hope to connect the park to The Noonday Creek Multi-use Trail which is currently under construction near Cobb Parkway. There is currently a major trail plan under preparation. Officials have considered a parking fee to help increase the funds for these special projects, but this will have to be presented to the public for a hearing and discussion before it can be put in place.
Land acquisition for the park has been considered at recent meetings. Johnson stated that there is currently a bill before Congress to “accept from Cobb County a tract of land west of the Battlefield near the intersection of Burnt Hickory road and Barrett Parkway. This tract contains the wartime Wallis House which served temporarily as the headquarters of General O.O. Howard the commander of the IVth Corps.” A private seller with land for purchase could also be another option. Of course in this economy of tight money, several proposals have been mentioned to help balance the budget that will allow continuation of the projects as planned. Financial strains are ever present. Bond oversees the financial aspects of any park construction. All projects are funded by government agencies located in and out of the Park Service. These agencies provide special project money and grants. Without this money, none of the projects could be completed. Bond describes the current projects that are on track for the next two years to include acquisition of land off of Burnt Hickory Road. This site has about 16 acres where there are Civil War relics the park wishes to maintain and preserve. The status of this project is on track as long as funding allows. The other project involves the addition of more picnic areas throughout the park. This project’s status is still undetermined, but according to plans, construction should begin in late summer.
Johnson stresses his concern for the future saying, “It is vital that we achieve a correct balance between the demands of current users and the need to preserve for those future generations who will come here.”
When will enough be enough? Johnson summed it all up saying, “With the exception of putting in a new comprehensive sign system that provides better directional information and the development of new wayside exhibits which tell the park's story, I can’t see much else happening anytime soon.”
Change is not always a bad thing. In order to continue to grow with society’s needs, Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park has found it necessary to keep changing with the times. The history of the park remains drawing card that will continue to inspire curious visitors who seek more knowledge of this important era in American history. Bond concludes with the parks significance by saying, “The park is about both valor of the soldiers who fought here and a multi-face of The Civil War. It was the event that made us a nation. The Revolutionary War made us a country; The Civil War made us a nation.”
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