Garfield County News | 1955-02-24 | Page 107 | Dinosaur Bones Attract Thousands of Tourists Yearly

Dinosaur Bones Allracl Thousands Of Tourisls Yearly VERNAL First discovered in 1909, dinosaur bones have become one of this area's finest tourist attractions, luring almost 71.000 persons to Dinosaur National Monument during 1954. And the National Fark Service foresees an Increase in visitors during 1955, due primarily to the development of an on-the-spot museum, whereby museum-geologist Dr. Theodore E. White will create relief skeletons of dinosaurs amid the natural ings in which they lived. Original discoverer of the bones of the pre-historlc monsters was I Dr. Earl Douglass of the Carnegie ' Museum of Pittsburgh, Pa. Car-inegic operated the quarry from 1 1909 until 1922, when the National I Museum and the University of Utah took over. Unfortunately, both I Institutions were only able to opcr-I ate the site tor two years. From until 1953, the quarry was 11924 dormant, but two years ago, following an upsurge of interest in the site due to controversy over the Upper Colorado River project, a federal appropriation enabled the Park Service once again to operate the quarry as a tourist center. Present work of exposing skeletons to view has been followed by repeat tourists, who have access to the site over five miles of newly blacktopped road. Exposition and relief of the skeletons will be a continuing project at the on-the-spot museum, with funds for the purpose being appropriated by gress to the National Park Service.