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Grand Canyon 75th anniversary newsletters

Grand Canyon 75th anniversary newsletters

Documents celebrating the past, present, and future of Grand Canyon National Park in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of being a national park. The importance of the Grand Canyon region to various Native American tribes, including the Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Navajo, Southern Paiute, and Zuni are addressed.

Collection

Grand Canyon National Park

Creation Date

1994

Remarks on Grand Canyon

Remarks on Grand Canyon

Remarks from Theodore Roosevelt about the beauty of the Grand Canyon. Roosevelt appeals to listeners to protect the Grand Canyon from future development and destruction.

Collection

Grand Canyon National Park

Creation Date

1903-05-07

Presidential address at Grand Canyon

Presidential address at Grand Canyon

President Roosevelt speaks to citizens at the Grand Canyon, noting that this is his first visit to Arizona. He asks the citizens to preserve the Grand Canyon, commenting, “Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it; not a bit. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.” Roosevelt also offers a welcome to the Native Americans present, highlights Arizonans who participated in his regiment, and speaks of the role irrigation will play in the state’s future.

Collection

Grand Canyon National Park

Creation Date

1903-05-06

Letter from James Rudolph Garfield to Theodore Roosevelt

Letter from James Rudolph Garfield to Theodore Roosevelt

Secretary of the Interior Garfield submits for President Roosevelt’s signature the proclamation creating Pinnacles National Monument in California. Garfield explains the location of the proposed monument and offers a brief description.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-01-14

Letter from James Wilson to Richard Achilles Ballinger

Letter from James Wilson to Richard Achilles Ballinger

Secretary of Agriculture Wilson recommends to Secretary of the Interior Ballinger the creation of Pinnacles National Monument within the Pinnacles National Forest. The proposed monument totals approximately 2,080 acres.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-01-08

Monterey National Forest–California: a proclamation

Monterey National Forest–California: a proclamation

President Taft issues a proclamation changing the boundaries of the Monterey National Forest and eliminating the Pinnacles Division of the forest. He notes that removing this land from the National Forest does not affect the reservation of the land as a national monument.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-12-12

Letter from James Carson Needham to David Starr Jordan

Letter from James Carson Needham to David Starr Jordan

RepresentativeNeedham responds to David Starr Jordan’s letter regarding the Pinnacles. The National Forest Service intends to abandon the area’s designation as national forest but assures continued protection of the Pinnacles as a national monument. Needham has asked Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot to delay action until Needham has had the opportunity to talk with interested parties. Needham suggests that Jordan write to Pinchot on the topic.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-05-04

Letter to John P. Babcock

Letter to John P. Babcock

The author writes to John P. Babcock, chief deputy of the California Fish and Game Commission, enclosing a letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain regarding Pinnacles National Monument. He argues that while it is not worth maintaining the region in question for the sake of its timber, it should be preserved as a breeding ground for animals and birds.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1911-01-07

Letter from William Russel Dudley to Frederick Erskine Olmsted

Letter from William Russel Dudley to Frederick Erskine Olmsted

Botanist William Russel Dudley writes to District Forester Olmsted regarding the elimination of the Pinnacles National Monument as a national forest. Dudley opines that while he does not know about the area surrounding the national monument, it seems like there must have been good reason for its designation at one point, and that the people of San Benito County, California, should be consulted about getting rid of it. He agrees on the whole, however, with the reasoning for removing the major part of Pinnacles National Monument from the national forest.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-07

Letter from Raymond Tyler to Schuyler Colfax Hain

Letter from Raymond Tyler to Schuyler Colfax Hain

Forest Supervisor Tyler responds to a letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain that he received upon returning from a trip into the field. Tyler informs Hain of the reasons why the Monterey National Forest service pressed for the elimination of the Pinnacles Division from the National Forest. The recommendation included the preservation of the area through the establishment of Pinnacles National Monument, with the surrounding land neither being current nor future forest land, having scarce grazing, and experiencing little watershed impact. Tyler has not heard back on the final disposition of the Pinnacles, and will forward Hain’s letter to the District Forester regarding the perpetuation of the State Game Preserve if the Pinnacles Division is removed.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-02-28

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

David Starr Jordan writes to Chief Forester Pinchot regarding the proposed removal of the Pinnacles National Monument from the National Forest of which it is currently a part. Jordan acknowledges that the Pinnacles cannot be harmed whether they are owned privately or publicly, but he believes that if they were privately owned, access to them would be restricted, which he opposes. While the forest around the Pinnacles is not of much value as a forest, there is value in having the lands under governmental protection, as it preserves the local flora and fauna, which would otherwise be threatened by the grazing of sheep.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-05-11

Letter from James Carson Needham to David Starr Jordan

Letter from James Carson Needham to David Starr Jordan

Representative Needham responds to David Starr Jordan’s letter regarding the Pinnacles. The National Forest Service intends to abandon the area’s designation as national forest but assures continued protection of the Pinnacles as a national monument. Needham has asked Chief Forester Gifford Pinchot to delay action until Needham has had the opportunity to talk with interested parties. Needham suggests that Jordan write to Pinchot on the topic.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-05-04

Letter from David Starr Jordan to James Carson Needham

Letter from David Starr Jordan to James Carson Needham

David Starr Jordan writes to Congressman Needham regarding recent proposals that the Pinnacles be withdrawn from the forest reserve and turned into open land again to the benefit of cattlemen and others. Jordan explains that he and Professor William Russel Dudley were involved in its initial inclusion as part of the forest reserve, and support its continued protection. He admits he is not fully informed about the current matter, but hopes that Needham will take an interest in making sure that this valuable natural attraction will not be commercially exploited.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1908-04-25

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

Stanford University President Jordan offers Chief Forester Pinchot his assessment of the Pinnacles region. In his opinion the Pinnacles have no value other than scenic purposes. There are a variety of rare plants, and the formations are somewhat peculiar, but not many fossils. Were the area to fall into private hands, there would not be much that they would be able to do to it. Possible injuries resulting from such an outcome might be restricted access to the region, and the possible destruction of timber, flowers, and deer in the region.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1905-02-22

Letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain to Roy Headley

Letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain to Roy Headley

Responding to an earlier letter, Schuyler Colfax Hain explains to Roy Headley that he understands that the Pinnacles National Monument would still be administered by the Department of the Interior, yet he still believes that it should also be maintained as a National Forest. Hain would be glad to host Frederick Erskine Olmsted or Headley to let them see the area for themselves.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-08-04

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Schulyer Colfax Hain

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Schulyer Colfax Hain

Stanford University President Jordan tells Schuyler Colfax Hain that he has been informed by Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock that the Pinnacles have been withdrawn from sale, with the aim of designating them as a public park.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1904-05-23

Letter from Roy Headley to William Russell Dudley

Letter from Roy Headley to William Russell Dudley

Acting District Forester Headley writes to Stanford University Professor Dudley regarding an earlier letter from Frederick Erskine Olmsted about the preservation of the Pinnacles area and its removal from Monterey National Forest. Headley points out that one of the reasons for the inclusion of the Pinnacles in the National Forest was to help ensure the protection of the area, but since the preservation goal has been secured by the designation of Pinnacles National Monument, the administration of the area as part of the National Forest is no longer necessary.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-07-28

Letter from Roy Headley to Schuyler Colfax Hain

Letter from Roy Headley to Schuyler Colfax Hain

Acting District Forester Headley writes to Schuyler Colfax Hain regarding an earlier letter from Frederick Erskine Olmsted to David Starr Jordan about the preservation of the Pinnacles. Headley points out that one of the reasons for the creation of the National Forest was to help ensure the protection of the natural features of the area, but since that preservation goal has been secured by the designation of Pinnacles National Monument, the administration of the area as part of the National Forest is no longer necessary.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-07-28

Appendix A: legislative history

Appendix A: legislative history

This appendix provides a list of the various proclamations and acts regarding Pinnacles National Monument. Beneath each title, the document describes what effect it had on the Monument. The total acreage of the Monument, 16,257.57, appears at the bottom of the page.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1985