In celebration with Kentucky State Parks 100 year anniversary we’re taking a closer look at 100 important people that helped shape the park system into what it is today or were simply a part of its history! Today we're featuring Emma Guy Cromwell.
Emma Guy Cromwell, a suffragist and women’s rights activist, was the first woman to hold a statewide office in Kentucky when she was elected state librarian in 1896. Cromwell served as state treasurer and secretary in the 1920s, and in 1932, was appointed state park director by Governor Ruby Laffoon.
Like her predecessor, Mrs. Marvin Nell Darnell, Cromwell worked tirelessly to promote and expand the newly established state park system. Through her unwavering leadership during the Great Depression and partnership with federal relief agencies, she created projects in parks that generated employment opportunities for hundreds of unemployed Kentuckians.
Some of the parks that were added during her tenure include Columbus-Belmont State Park, John James Audubon State Park, and the former Dawson Springs State Park.
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