 The National Register of Historic Places was created in 1966. The first things that were listed in the National Register were those properties that had already been designated National Historic Landmarks. The first real nominations that came from the states didn't hit the National Park Service until about 1969. The processes evolved over time. Our understanding of what kinds of properties are significant has changed and how we view that significance has changed. The first things that were nominated were those obvious things, great mansions, those places associated with our founding fathers. It's only as the profession of historic preservation has evolved and the concept of what is important in telling the story of America has evolved have we expanded what kinds of properties we look at, how we evaluate the importance of these properties. It was by the 1970s and definitely through the 80s when we really began to accept the concept of local significance that properties are important to local communities. Whether it's a small town or a neighborhood, an ethnic enclave, a rural area that reflect the history of that community's development.