Proclamation 3413—Establishing Russell Cave National Monument, Alabama

Whereas Russell Cave, in the State of Alabama, is recognized by scientists to contain outstanding archeological and ethnological evidences of human habitation in excess of 8,000 years; and

Whereas the Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings and Monuments, established pursuant to the act of August 21, 1935, 49 Stat. 666 (16 U.S.C. 463), impressed by the scientific importance and educational value of Russell Cave, has recommended that the cave be permanently preserved as a unit of the National Park System; and

Whereas Russell Cave and essential adjoining properties have been donated by the National Geographic Society to the American people for preservation as a national monument; and

Whereas, by section 2 of the act of Congress approved June 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 225 (16 U.S.C. 431), the President is authorized "in his discretion, to declare by public proclamation historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or scientific interest that are situated upon the lands owned or controlled by the Government of the United States to be national monuments, and may reserve as a part there of parcels of land, the limits of which in all cases shall be confined to the smallest area compatible with the proper care and management of the objects to be protected":

Now, Therefore, I, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by section 2 of the act of June 8, 1906, 34 Stat. 225 (16 U.S.C. 431), do proclaim and declare that the following-described lands situated in Jackson County, State of Alabama, are hereby established as the Russell Cave National Monument, and shall be administered pursuant to the act of August 25, 1916, 39 Stat. 535 (16 U.S.C. 1-3), and acts supplementary thereto and amendatory thereof:

TRACT NO. 1

Begin a tie line at a rock corner which is a point common to Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, Township 1 South, Range 8 East, Jackson County, Alabama, Huntsville Meridian; thence with the North line of Section 8 and the South line of lands of R. M. Raulston, North 85° East, 1699.5 feet (103 Poles) to a rock corner, being the Southeast corner of lands of R. M. Raulston; thence with the East line of land of R. M. Raulston, North 4°30' East, 2194.5 feet (133 Poles), being a marked line, to a large Linden (Lynn) tree, now down; thence continuing with the East line of R. M. Raulston, North 91 East, 495 feet (30 Poles) to an iron pipe; thence with the South line of lands of Oscar Ridley the following four courses and distances: (1) thence South 78°00' East, 1321.5 feet to an iron pipe; (2) thence South 44°30' East, 183.7 feet to an iron pipe; (3) thence North 57°22' East, 171.9 feet to a drilled hole in a large rock; (4) thence North 66°25' East, 902 feet, passing an iron pipe at 882.5 feet, to the center of Dry Creek; thence leaving the Oscar Ridley property line and following the meanders of Dry Creek in a Southerly direction along the West line of lands of F. A. Newton for a distance of 550 feet, more or less, to a stake, being the Northwest corner of Tract No. 2 conveyed by Cecil Ridley and wife, Bonita Ridley, to the National Geographic Society by deed dated May 21, 1959, and recorded in Deed Book 171 at Page 49 in the Probate Office of Jackson County, Alabama; thence continue said tie line North 79° East 627 feet with the North line of said Tract No. 2 to the West right-of-way line of the new Mt. Carmel-Orme State Highway; thence continue North 79' East 40.4 feet to a stake on the East right-of-way line of said State Highway and the point of beginning; thence continue North 79° East 30.4 feet to an Iron pipe; thence South 24°30' East 204.0 feet to an iron pipe; thence South 791 West 30.4 feet to the Easterly right-of-way of said Mt. Carmel-Orme State Highway; thence North 24°30' West 204.0 feet along said Easterly right-of-way to the point of beginning, and containing 0.14 acre, more or less.

TRACT NO. 2

Beginning at a point in the Westerly line of the 40-foot right-of-way of the new Mt. Carmel-Orme State Highway, at the South-easterly corner of a tract of land now or formerly of Francls A. Newton, being South 79°00' West a distance of 40.4 feet from the Northwesterly corner of the above described Tract No. l; thence running along the said Westerly line of the 40-foot right-of-way South 24°30' East, 204.0 feet to a stake; thence running along a line of land now or formerly of Cecil Ridley and wife, Bonita Ridley, South 79°00' West, 641.0 feet to a point in the center of Dry Creek; thence running along the said center of Dry Creek North 231 West, 202 feet, more or less, to the Southwest corner of land now or formerly of Francis A. Newton; thence running along the said Southerly line of land now or formerly of Francis A. Newton, North 79°00' East, 627.0 feet to the point of beginning, containing 2.91 acres, more or less, of land and water.

TRACTS NOS. 3 AND 4

Beginning at a rock corner which is a point common to Sections 6, 6, 7, 8, Township 1 South, Range 8 East, Jackson County, Alabama, Huntsville Meridian; thence with the North line of Section 8 and the South line of lands of R. M. Raulston, North 85° East, 1699.5 feet (103 Poles) to a rock corner, being the Southeast corner of lands of R. M. Raulston; thence with the East line of land of R. M. Raulston, North 4°30' East, 2194.5 feet (133 Poles) being a marked line, to a large Linden (Lynn) tree, now down; thence continuing with the East line of R. M. Raulston North 9° East, 495 feet (30 Poles) to an iron pipe, thence with the South line of lands of Oscar Ridley the following four courses and distances: (1) thence South 78°00' East, 1321.5 feet to an Iron pipe; (2) thence South 44°30' East, 183.7 feet to an iron pipe; (3) thence North 57°22' Fast, 171.9 feet to a drilled hole in a large rock; (4) thence North 66°25' East, 902 feet, passing an iron pipe at 882.5 feet, to the center of Dry Creek; thence leaving the Oscar Ridley property line and following the meanders of Dry Creek in a Southerly direction along the West line of lands of V. A. Newton for a distance of 550 feet, more or less, to a stake, being the Northwest corner of Tract No. 2 conveyed by Cecil Ridley and wife, Bonita Ridley, to the National Geographic Society by deed dated May 21, 1959, and recorded in Deed Book 171 at Page 49 in the Probate Office of Jackson County, Alabama; thence down the center of Dry Creek South 23° East for a distance of 202 feet, to a stake being the Southwest corner of Tract No. 2 described above; thence with the meanders of Dry Creek in a Southerly direction along the West line of lands of Cecil Ridley 1150 feet, more or less, to a stake, which is located 829 feet, more or less, up the meanders of the Creek in a North-easterly direction from the fence at the entrance of Russell Cave and also being the Northeast corner of Tract No. 3 conveyed by deed dated May 21, 1959, to the National Geographic Society from Cecil Ridley and wife, Bonita Ridley, and recorded in Deed Book 171 at Page 49 in the Probate Office of Jackson County, Alabama; thence with the East line of said Tract No. 3, South 2°30' West, 926 feet to a sink hole, being in the South line of Section 5; thence with the South line of Section 5 South 85° West, 1881.0 feet (114 Poles) along the North line of lands of Rice Raulston to the Northeast corner of the Northwest quarter of Section 8; thence with the East line of the Northwest quarter, South 5° East 2640 feet (160 Poles) along the West line of lands of Oscar Ridley to the Southeast corner of the Northwest quarter of Section 8; thence with the South line of the Northwest quarter, South 85° West, 2640 feet (160 Poles) along the North line of lands of Oscar Ridley to the South-west corner of the Northwest quarter of Section 8; thence with the West line of the Northwest quarter, North 5° West, 2640 feet (160 Poles) along the East line of lands of Oscar Ridley, to the point of beginning, being the Northwest corner of the Northwest quarter of Section 8 and the point common to Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, Township 1 South, Range 8 East, Jackson County, Alabama, Huntsville Meridian, and containing 307.4 acres, more or less, of which 4.6 acres are in Tract 3, and 302.8 acres in Tract 4.

The above-described tracts comprise, altogether, approximately 310 acres.

Warning is hereby expressly given to all unauthorized persons not to appropriate, injure, destroy, or remove any feature of this national monument.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States of America to be affixed.

DONE at the City of Washington this eleventh day of May in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and sixty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and eighty-fifth.

JOHN F. KENNEDY

By the President:

CHESTER BOWLES,

Acting Secretary of State.