This 1950s promotional film segment surveys what makes Palmetto State Park "the only area of its kind in the Southwest," from its botanical vegetation to its artesian wells. To create harmony with the surrounding landscape, architect Olin Smith directed three Civilian Conservation Corps units—including Company 1823, composed entirely of Black World War I veterans—to use sandstone and other native materials when constructing park structures. The refectory, seen here, originally bore a roof of thatched palmetto fronds.