Franklin D. Roosevelt made 41 trips to Warm Springs from 1924-1945, and Dowdell’s Knob was one of his favorite places for quiet contemplation and picnics. He visited this overlook above Pine Mountain Valley as a private citizen, as governor of New York, and as the 32nd president of the U.S. Wanting more people to visit the area, he urged construction of the scenic highway across Pine Mt. and of the spur here in 1937. He also had the grill built so he could enjoy picnics in a more formal style, preferring linen-draped tables with hot dishes served from silver, and instead of sitting on a blanket he preferred a chair or an automobile seat placed on the ground. During his final trip to Warm Springs in April, 1945, he came here to contemplate the upcoming founding of the United Nations and the Americans dying on Okinawa and in Germany.