In 1935, the US Resettlement Administration assigned Arthur Rothstein to document the mountainous region where the Commonwealth of Virginia was assembling land to form Shenandoah National Park. He focused on the area surrounding Old Rag Mountain where the Nicholsons and other close-knit families had settled for generations. They had scratched-out a living in isolated valleys and mountain hollows by the arduous work of clearing rocky slopes to plant apple orchards, and meager plots of corn and vegetables. The Commonwealth forced landowners to sell. 500 families were displaced. The Resettlement Administration offered new housing in the foothills below the Park to those with limited resources. Russ Nicholson was patriarch to several displaced families.

President Roosevelt dedicated the Park in July of 1936. However, it would take several years for the army of young workers enlisted by the New Deal Civilian Conservation Corps to complete construction of more than 340 structures to serve visitors, and the park’s main feature: 105 miles of the scenic Skyline Drive with its dramatic overlooks.