I was asked to find George Hazzard, a Grandfather of a friend of mine. I found hiim all right. This is his story-History.

George Hazzard was speculated in the family records to have been in the Rough Riders of Teddy Roosevelt. I could not find him on the rooster of the Rough Riders, except George Hazzard fifteenth Company B Corporal age 29,residence Taylor Falls MN. page 369 "Minnesota Volunteers in the Spaish American War and the Phillippine Insurrection". found on AncestryLibrary.com However, I did find him in many articles concerning the projects being done on the St. Croix River near St.. Paul MN in the Dalles area. George hazzard had arrived in the St. Croix Valley in 1857 on the ssteamship H.S. Allen. George Hazzard fell in love with the river and that area as he traveled on it as a young man. He inspired many tourists to visit the area although at the time there was no park, so George conceived the idea of creating such a park in that Dalles area. Thus convincing Oscar Roosof Taylors Falls to deed a considerable amount of land to the staate of MN for this use. It took convincing legators to pas the necessary legislation to make this a national park area. The Minnesota Interstate Park was born Feb. 25, 1895 But the mnies for this project ot get even more land. April 22, 1895 MN passed the park bill by an very large majority, but not all the promised money to carry this project out. the MN side of the St. Croix River was highly in favor of this park but the wisconsin side did not immediately go along with it's share of the interest. Wisconsin had no national parks at that time, although today they are a leading state in conservation.

George Hazzard was not intimidated by this lack of interest in Wisconsin. George lobbied in the legislature in Madison, Wisconsin during many sessions gaining a little funding at a time. By March 1899, the park promoters finally got the support they needed iin Wisconsin side of St. Croix was secured. George Hazzard was appointed commissioner of the Minnesota Park.

As you know, Theodore Roosevlt, during his presidency, lobbied and won a lot of conservation programs. In this way, George Hazzard had a part in the successful programs of Teddy Roosevelt for conservation.

I found an article I like on the internet, I had put the name George Hazzard in the search engine, www.dogpile.com and it showed this article in Chapter 4 of "Time and the River, a history of the Saint Croix: a historic resource study of the Saint Croix national Scenic Riverway". authors Eileen M McMahon 1954, Theodore J. karamanski, 1953. publication: Omaha NE, US Dept of interior, National Park Service. Midwest Regional Office.

Now to put this conservationist in a genealogy program with the rest of his familly is my next project. I have found three generations at least. Records in Ireland are hard to find when one does not know where in Ireland one lived.

St. Croix River Projet

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