The End of the Beginning

America’s entrance into World War II in late 1941 saw the cessation of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Numbers of both tourists and workers steeply declined as labor, funds, and resources were redirected to the war effort. This chapter looks at the hibernation and the Florida tourism and the park system. It also briefly looks at the eventual expansion of the Florida Park Service and the new properties that were acquired and purchased during and immediately following the war. By the 1950s, the Florida Park Service would transform itself into the authentic and natural antidote to what would be perceived by many as the artificial and crass Florida tourist attractions.