Polishing the Jewel: An Administrative History of Grand Canyon National Park
Anderson MF. 2000. Polishing the Jewel: An Administrative History of Grand Canyon National Park. Park Administrative Histories
In the decades after the Mexican-American War, federal explorers and military in the Southwest located transportation routes, identified natural resources, and brushed aside resistant Indian peoples. It was during this time that European Americans, following new east-west wagon roads, approached the rim of the Grand Canyon.1 The Atlantic & Pacific Railroad’s arrival in the Southwest accelerated this settlement, opening the region to entrepreneurs who initially invested in traditional economic ventures.Capitalists would have a difficult time figuring out how to profitably exploit the canyon,however, biding their time until pioneers had pointed the way to a promising export economy: tourism. Beginning in the late 1890s, conflicts erupted between individualists who had launched this nascent industry and corporations who glimpsed its potential. During 1901-1919 quarrels escalated to include pioneers, allied with county and territorial governments, and the media, pitted against corporations teamed with progressive federal agencies.The ultimate ascendance of the latter coalition resulted in the creation of Grand Canyon National Park. Understanding this struggle helps clarify uneasy partnerships among governments,businessmen,and residents that continue to this day.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Anderson, Michael
- Date of Issue
- 2000
- Units
- GRCA , HIST
- Keywords
- Arizona, Cultural Resources, Culture, ehistory, Grand Canyon, History, Infrastructure, National Park, World War 2