1m 



Or 



Photograph by Irwin S. Rosenfels 

 DOWN MOUNT TOM : INDIANA SAND-DUNES 



as a most necessary object-lesson of their 

 natural-science courses. 



HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS IN THE DUNE 

 COUNTRY 



Historically, also, the dunes have their 

 place in the earlier history of the West. 

 The old Indian trails can still be pointed 

 out, and it was through the dunes that 

 the pioneer French found their way from 

 Detroit to the site of Chicago, at the 

 mouth of the Chicago River. 



Nature organizations of Chicago and 

 Indiana have done much to bring the 

 dunes to the attention of thousands of 

 people who never before knew them ex- 

 cept superficially from the railroad or 

 trolley line, and each year they are be- 

 coming better known and appreciated. 



As a result of this education the resi- 

 dents of the adjacent country are begin- 

 ning to realize that they have a truly re- 

 markable forest area within a few hours' 

 ride ; that miles of beautiful beaches are 

 free to the tired city dweller, and that 



here they can go out in the pure air and 

 see the sun rise and set over the lake, 

 without a sign of skyscraper or factory 

 visible anywhere. 



The consideration of the dunes as a 

 national park has received the serious 

 attention of Congress to the extent that 

 in 1916 a public hearing was held in Chi- 

 cago to gather data in connection with 

 the proposed project. At this hearing 

 hundreds of men and women of promi- 

 nence gave evidence as to its advantages. 



In the spring of 191 7 a pageant was 

 given in a great natural amphitheater in 

 the dunes, which vividly portrayed the 

 early history of the dunes, illustrating 

 with striking exactness the stirring events 

 which made it American. 



SHALL THEY BE PRESERVED? 



The interest of the public in the dunes 

 has been materially advanced by the pub- 

 lic hearing and the great pageant, and a 

 new epoch has been reached in the cam- 

 paign for their preservation. If this re- 



430 



