OCR Text |
Show Zoom Pad!: Celebrates 37&h Birthday On Monday, Nov. 19, the establishment of Zion National Na-tional Park 37 years earlier was commemorated. The park was established 37 years ago, Nov. 19, 1919, through Congressional Con-gressional action. Father Escalante, the stout-hearted Spanish priest, went through the flaming canyons of the country now protected in Zion National Park as early as 1776. Jedediah Strong Smith, in 1826 and 27 led his exploring trappers trap-pers by In search for beaver and a route to California. He gave Virgin River its name. In 1858 a young Mormon scout explored In Zion Canyon and during the next few years many pioneering Mormon settlers made their home in southern Utah. A review of Zion's history reveals re-veals that In bringing to the attention of the world, the scenic, sce-nic, aesthetic and recreational values of Zion Canyon a few individuals played Important roles and prophesized well the events to come. Impressions Recorded Members of the U. S. Geological Geologi-cal Surveys under Major John Westely Powell visited Zion Canyon Can-yon in 1872 and gave reports of what they saw, each in his own way. In 1903 Frederick S. Dellen-baugh, Dellen-baugh, famous artist, made oil I paintings of Zion Canyon which i were exhibited at the World's 1 Fair at St. Louis in 1904 and created cre-ated widespread interest In the , area. I During the summer of 1908, Leo A. Snow of St. George was I assigned the Job of surveying an (area including Zion Canyon and I Mr. Snow's report was dispatched to Washington June 25, 1909. A I little more than a month later, j July 31, the Acting Secretary of j the Interior recommended to the President the creation of the Mu-kuntuweap Mu-kuntuweap National Monument. President Taft signed the proclamation proc-lamation on the same day. Interest Increased With the creation of the National Na-tional Park Service in 1916 more attention was given to the management man-agement and supervision of the national parks an.-l monuments. Interest in Zion increased over the years; roads were developed develop-ed and by the summer of 1917 a passable road led into Zion Can yon. Douglas, White, a zealous promoter pro-moter of Utah's scenic riches, urged Horace M. Albright, an assistant to Secretary Franklin K. Lane, to come West and visit Zion with him in the summer of 1917. Albright did this and was so Impressed with what he saw, that on his return to Washington, he persuaded Secretary Lane and the Utah Congressional delegation delega-tion to concur in enlarging Mu-kuntuweap Mu-kuntuweap National Monument to 120 square miles and to change the name to Zion National Nation-al Monument. President Wilson signed the proclamation March 18, 1918. Park Bill Introduced The bill to establish Zion National Na-tional Park in the State or Utah was introduced in the Senate by Senator Reed Smoot of Utah on May 20, 1919. By Oct. 6, the bill had been passed by both houses of Congress, and sent to President Woodrow Wilson, who signed it Nov. 19, 1919, Just 37 years ago Monday. Boundary lines of the park were based on information furnished fur-nished by Richard A. Thorley of Cedar City and Leo A. Snow of St. George. Tribute is paid to these men and to many more who had a part in planning for the development devel-opment and establishment of Zion National Park. Of sneclal note are the following: Wesley King of Salt Lake Commercial Club; E. D. Wooley, a promin-! ent leader of Kane County; Governor Gov-ernor William Spry of Utah for his promotion of highways in southern Utah; J. Cecil Alter, prominent author of Utah history; his-tory; Randall L. Jones, who aided aid-ed in promoting travel to southern south-ern Utah. Dr. Herbert E. Greg-1 ory, who gave the world much of the geologic story of the Zion Region and Angus M. Woodbury,, naturalist and historian, who served as the park's first naturalist. natur-alist. Significant Growth In its 37 years of existence Zion National Park has witnessed witnes-sed marked changes roads and trails of high standards have i made much of Zion's scenic, beauty available to the visitor. Modern accommodation facilities, I i museum and exhibits and interpretive inter-pretive services have been provided pro-vided for the nearly half million mil-lion visitors each year. With the addition of the Kolob area which had been set aside as the second Zion National Monument In 1937, to Zion National Na-tional Park during July 1956, plans for further development are now under way. The Finger Canyons of the Xolob Terrace, LaVerkin Canyon and many other oth-er phenomenal features of outstanding out-standing scenic beauty will be made available to visitors by construction of roads, trails, accommodations ac-commodations and Interpretive facilities in this new section of the park. There will also be expansion ex-pansion of the facilities in the present Zion Canyon. |