History of the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon is replete with archaeological remains, with more than 4,300 recorded artifacts found in a 4 percent area of the park. The earliest recorded human artifacts in the park are nearly 12,000 years old, dating to the Paleoindian period [source: National Park Service].
Since the Paleoindian period, Grand Canyon lands have been occupied. Remains have been uncovered from Archaic, Basketmaker, Ancestral Puebloan (Kayenta and Virgin branches), Cohonina, Cerbat, Pai, Zuni, Hopi and Navajo groups [source: National Park Service]. But indigenous people weren't the only ones to explore the Grand Canyon. In the early 1540s, the Spanish were reportedly the first Europeans to see the canyon when Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's expedition teams scouted the area for legendary cities of gold.
Frank Scherschel/Stringer/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images
Tourists enjoy views of the Grand Canyon in October 1946.
Anglos first settled in the 1880s when missionaries from the Mormon Church colonized the area. It wasn't until the summer of 1869, however, that geologist and explorer Major John Wesley Powell made the first boating expedition of the canyon's length.
The Paleoindian Period The Paleoindian period happened between 13,000 B.C. and 7,900 B.C. The most current picture of the period describes it as the time around 13,000 B.C. when groups of hunters came to the North American continent via a land bridge that connected Siberia and Alaska. They left behind stone tools that were likely used in spears for hunting [source: National Park Service]. |
After failing to be given protection in 1892, the canyon received federal protection in 1893 as a Forest Reserve. Thirty-nine years after Powell's expedition, the canyon was made a national monument. And in 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service, the Grand Canyon National Park was established. The Grand Canyon National Park is home to hundreds of National Historic Landmarks. In 1979, the Grand Canyon National Park was designated as a World Heritage Site.
Today, the area around Grand Canyon land is known for ranching, lumbering, hunting and, of course, tourism [source: U.S. Forest Service]. If you plan to be one of the nearly 5 million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year, get tips on viewing spots and learn about which activities you won't want to miss in the next section.
