On This Day In History: 1908 Grand Canyon becomes a Natl. Monument

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY – JANUARY 11TH, 1908


THE GRAND CANYON becomes a NATL. MONUMENT




On January 11, 1908, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt declares the massive Grand Canyon in northwestern Arizona a national monument.

Though Native Americans lived in the area as early as the 13th century, the first European sighting of the canyon wasn't until 1540, by members of an expedition headed by the Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado.


Because of its remote and inaccessible location, several centuries passed before North American settlers really explored the canyon. In 1869, geologist John Wesley Powell led a group of 10 men in the first difficult journey down the rapids of the Colorado River and along the length of the 277-mile gorge in four rowboats.






By the end of the 19th century, the Grand Canyon was attracting thousands of tourists each year. One famous visitor was President Theodore Roosevelt, a New Yorker with a particular affection for the American West. After becoming president in 1901 after the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt made environmental conservation a major part of his presidency. After establishing the National Wildlife Refuge to protect the country's animals, fish and birds, Roosevelt turned his attention to federal regulation of public lands. Though a region could be given national park status--indicating that all private development on that land was illegal--only by an act of Congress, Roosevelt cut down on red tape by beginning a new presidential practice of granting a similar "national monument" designation to some of the West's greatest treasures.

In January 1908, Roosevelt exercised this right to make more than 800,000 acres of the Grand Canyon area into a national monument. "Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is," he declared. "You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see."

Congress did not officially outlaw private development in the Grand Canyon until 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park Act. Today, more than 5 million people visit the canyon each year. The canyon floor is accessible by foot, mule or boat, and whitewater rafting, hiking and running in the area are especially popular. Many choose to conserve their energies and simply take in the breathtaking view from the canyon's South Rim--some 7,000 feet above sea level--and marvel at a vista virtually unchanged for over 400 years.
















Route 66 was very instrumental in bringing automobile tourism to the West. “We did it!....and a few more!!”






Co-Pilot is a quick learner...and worth the effort of yelling instructions.



"Try to move me, Romeo, and they'll be calling you, 'Stumps'.. "





"Wow..now that's some pothole. It's likely some hole-digging Maltese dogs did this...like a couple I could mention..."




"What's he saying?.......Hey, ya big Blabbermouth! Yeah....Snitch!"










“Bad Dexter! You drop that poor little rattlesnake right now! You’ll get gas. ”






"Nice, nice…ah, just don’t turn around if you don’t like surprises.”




“Oh great.. Just Great! The door now opens on a 5,000 foot drop…real nice parking spot, Pompano...real nice.”




“Shhh…hand me my spear. There some nice steaks on this side. ‘Teddy’ would have wanted me to survive off the land.”





.

Wow..did you SEE THAT?!

That Pompano guy scotch-taped about 50 pigeons to his arms, got ‘em all flapping away… and jumped over the edge! He was doing real well, too... until that dumb kid over there went and tossed all his popcorn at those pigeons!

Yuck!..Gag!...looks like a plastic lawn bag of minestrone soup hit the canyon floor."



That's what happened on January 11th, folks...AND YOU WERE THERE.


[Edited on 1-12-2012 by Pompano]

I still get goose bumps when I look at that chasm--------surely one of the wonders of the world. I got to work there for about 4 months way back in 1967---a highlight of my life!!

Great pics, Roger----------ALL of them.

Barry

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A. I still get goose bumps when I look at that chasm--------surely one of the wonders of the world. I got to work there for about 4 months way back in 1967---a highlight of my life!! Great pics, Roger----------ALL of them. Barry

Goose bumps...me, too. My first visit was during a family camping trip throughout the Southwest in 1961. I remember getting on top of a retaining wall near the Watchtower and looking straight down ...about 8,000 feet or more, I think. A LONG ways down! My legs turned to jelly and I eased off that ledge 'scared out of my gourd'. What stupid thing I did..a good gust of wind and adios! I still don't exactly love heights, but learned to live with it during flight school. (Give me a low-wing over high wings anytime. )

We enjoyed our brief time at the canyon back in 2007, and hope to return... do the mule ride to the bottom, etc.