The Grand Canyon National Park, opens a new window, located in northwest Arizona and run through by the Colorado River, was officially made a national park on February 26, 1919. The canyon, opens a new window is 277 miles long, is 1 mile deep, and it's width varies between less than 1 mile to 18 miles depending on the location. The park covers over 1 million acres.
In 1882, 1883, and 1886, the then Senator, Benjamin Harrison, opens a new window, introduced a bill to create Grand Canyon National Park. Unfortunately, the bill was not passed through the Senate. However, when Harrison became president, he was able to establish the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve in 1893. In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt created the Grand Canyon Game Preserve and in 1908 he created the Grand Canyon National Monument. In 1910 and 1911, Senate bills were introduced to create a national park, but were again turned down. It wasn't until 1919, when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Grand Canyon National Park Act, opens a new window, that the park, opens a new window was established.
The park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, opens a new window in 1979 because it is one of the Earth's greatest on-going geological spectacles.
If you would like to learn more, here are some of the books the library has to offer!
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