Grand Canyon: A History of a Natural Wonder and National Park (America's National Parks)

The Grand Canyon has long inspired deep emotions and responses. For the Native Americans who lived there, the canyon was home, full of sacred meanings. For the first European settlers to see it, the canyon drove them to great exploration adventures and Wild West dreams of wealth. The canyon also held deep importance for America's pioneer conservationists such as Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold, and it played a central role in the emerging environmental movement. The Grand Canyon became a microcosm of the history and evolving values of the National Park Service, long conflicted between encouraging tourism and protecting nature. Many vivid characters shaped the canyon's past. Its largest story is one of cultural history and changing American visions of the land. __Grand Canyon: A History of a Natural Wonder and National Park__ is a mixture of great storytelling, unlikely characters, and important ideas. The book will appeal to both general readers and scholars interested in seeking a broader understanding of the canyon. The Grand Canyon has long inspired deep emotions and responses. For the Native Americans who lived there, the canyon was home, full of sacred meanings. For the first European settlers to see it, the canyon drove them to great exploration adventures. Yet the canyon held an even deeper importance for America's pioneer conservationists such as Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, and Aldo Leopold, and it played a central role in the emerging environmental movement. Many vivid characters shaped the canyon's past. Its largest story is one of cultural history and changing American visions of the land. Book jacket Introduction: Reverence And Conquest -- Geology: The Land Writes The Human Stories -- Native Americans: The Canyon As Home -- Explorers: The Great Unknown -- Exploiters: The Wild West Canyon -- Conservation: Leave It As It Is. -- Culture: Pioneers Of Perception -- National Park: If You Build It -- Architecture: Buildings Grown By The Canyon Itself -- The Environmental Era: Seeing Nature From The Inside -- Adventure: The Mount Everest Of River Trips -- Conclusion: The Land Was Ours Before We Were The Land's. Don Lago. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The Grand Canyon has become a microcosm of the history and evolving values of the National Park Service, long conflicted between encouraging tourism and protecting nature. This history of the canyon is a mixture of great storytelling, unlikely characters, and important ideas.