William Pryor Letchworth created the park by the terms of his Last Will and Testament, however it took an act of the State Legislature to accept the gift and at that time--c 1907-- it was the policy to give a private group responsibility for management of the state's newly acquired land holdings.

The American Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, an organization of private citizens concerned about conservation of the state's natural beauty, was manager of Letchworth Park when it was taken over by the state. Their committee hired the people who took care of the park and they gave instructions for operations. In 1907 there was no agency of the State of New York that was charged with care of such property and places like Niagara and Letchworth were managed by this private group.

Eventually the Conservation Department was legally constituted and Parks were in a " Bureau" of that agency with a politically appointed Park Commission to oversee local park operations. Those Commissions had a great deal of authority until the Conservation Law was recodified in early l970's and their powers were centralized in Albany when the Office of Parks and Recreation, which we have today, was created in the Executive Department, with a Commissioner all its own. The Park Commission still exists as an advisory body for the Park Commissioner.

Tom Breslin