No one knows for sure just when the Grand Canyon formed, but its status as a national treasure was set in stone just over a century ago, thanks to President Teddy Roosevelt.
Roosevelt made environmental conservation a national priority during his presidency. He also had no time for miles of red tape and bureaucratic incompetence. So 106 years ago this Saturday, instead of looking to Congress to grant the Grand Canyon national park status, Roosevelt declared the 800,000-acre area a national monument himself, beginning an entirely new presidential practice of recognizing the country’s natural assets.
“Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is,” said Roosevelt of the canyon, which became a national park in 1919. “You cannot improve on it. But what you can do is keep it for your children, your children’s children, and all who come after you, as the one great sight which every American should see.”
See it for yourself below, in photos courtesy of the National Park Service.