National Park Service 

U.S. Department of the Interior 

Zion National Park 

Official Centennial Newspaper 

A Century of Sanctuary 1909–2009 

Isaac Loren Covington, untitled, 1929, oil on canvas. Collection of Hal Canon and Teresa Jordan 

 

This special edition newspaper highlights the last 100 years of events, people, 

and places of Zion National Park, but the timeline of Zion began much earlier. 

Humans, who have inhabited southern 

Utah for over 10,000 years, continue to visit 

this mysterious canyon. Why? Originally it 

wasn’t to hike or take pictures, rock climb 

or rest. Food and water...it was as simple as 

that. Human survival meant gleaning from 

the land its scant harvests. Archaic peoples, 

Ancestral Puebloans, and Southern Paiutes, 

the latter inhabiting this area for the last 

several hundred years, had extensive and 

intuitive knowledge of the plants, animals, 

and seasons. Homes were temporary brush 

shelters used for sleeping or to escape the 

heat. As they observed their surroundings, 

they knew they could “make a living.” They 

would hunt, fish, gather, and grow modest 

crops. Whatever was necessary to ensure 

their survival was used, but the harvest did 

not begin until asking and thanking the 

generous bounty. 

This ancient way of life is gone now. Today, 

when traveling through on vacation, our 

temporary home isn’t a brush shelter but a 

tent or motel. We graze on granola rather 

than rice grass. Our water source comes 

from a tap, not the natural springs in the 

rocks. We don’t need to forage in order to 

live. But what may not have changed is a 

deeply felt, personal experience after we 

set foot here: the sound of the song of a 

river; a canyon wren scolding us; the subtle 

perfumery of sagebrush and juniper; the 

sight of cliffs that make us think big and feel 

small. Yet here we stand, mouths agape, 

eyes wide. 

What will your harvest be? Joy, relief, 

excitement, challenge? Unlike our earliest 

visitors, we come to collect not things but 

knowledge, not resources but memories, 

not trophies but satisfaction. 

Zion National Park has shed its winter 

whites, brushed off the dry remains of last 

season’s display, and opened its arms to 

you. The sun warms the ground. Buds and 

birds return once more. A quiet liveliness 

rustles and shuffles through the park. 

This year is special. We have the chance 

to reflect on the last century of what it has 

meant to come to this place. A Century of 

Sanctuary—1909 to 2009—includes the 

millions of people who have made their 

journey to Zion and, in many ways, made 

their mark. From the initial establishment 

of Mukuntuweap National Monument in 

1909 to this year’s gala packed with events, 

dedications, and programs; we can know, 

always, that we have an unchanging landscape to visit. With all the changes in the 

world, we can take comfort in returning to 

this spot. We can believe that, even though 

our personal world may be unsettled, sitting 

and gazing deep into the soul of this canyon, we might fi nd contentment— we might 

find peace. John Muir suggests: “Keep close 

to Nature’s heart... and break clear away, 

once in awhile, and climb a mountain or 

spend a week in the woods. Wash your 

spirit clean.” 

May your spirit be renewed and soar as 

high as the highest cliffs. May this visit to 

your park be a remarkable experience. 

To conserve the scenery 

and the natural and 

historic objects and the 

wild life therein and to 

provide for the enjoyment of the same in such 

manner and by such 

means as will leave them 

unimpaired for the 

enjoyment of future 

generations. 

National Park Service 

Organic Act 1916 
 

National Park Service What’s in a Name? History. U.S. Department of the Interior 

Zion National Park 

Superintendent 

Jock Whitworth 

Mailing Address 

Zion National Park 

Springdale, Utah 84767 

Web Site 

www.nps.gov/zion 

Park Headquarters 

435 772-3256 

Fax 435 772-3426 

E-mail 

ZION_park_information@nps.gov 

Printing made possible by the National 

Park Foundation. Printed on recycled 

paper with soy ink. Please recycle again. 

believed he was the first Anglo to explore 

this far up canyon noting, “the narrows... 

the most wonderful defile [gorge] it has 

been my fortune to behold.” 

Orderville 

During the time of Mormon pioneering, an 

economic system was in place in Orderville 

known as the United Order. The town 

was named after this system; however, the 

system was eventually abandoned. 

The Organ 

Formally named “the Great Organ.” It is 

believed to have been named by Claud 

Hirschi and Ethelbert Bingham, residents 

of Rockville, on their 1916 trip with Methodist Minister Frederick Vining Fisher. 

Refrigerator Canyon 

This cool canyon brings a breath of fresh, 

crisp air as one ascends Angels Landing 

in the heat of the summer. Refrigerator 

Canyon is just before the famed Walter’s 

Wiggles and was named for the surprisingly 

cool breeze. It receives very little sunlight. 

Scout Lookout 

A viewpoint 1,000 feet above the canyon 

floor, on the way to Angels Landing. The 

origin is unknown, but possibly named for 

John and Barney Gifford who fi rst 

“scouted” the route for the West Rim Trail. 

Walter’s Wiggles 

Refers to a short section of the Angels 

switchbacks leading from Refrigerator 

Canyon to Scout Lookout. It was named in 

honor of Walter Ruesch, first custodian of 

the park around the time of construction in 

1925. Ruesch not only conceived the idea 

for this section of trail, but was active in the 

engineering and building. 

The Watchman 

It is believed to be named for its location 

watching over the entrance to the canyon. 

It is unclear where the name may have 

originated; some believe it was Methodist 

Minister Frederick Vining Fisher. Early pioneers referred to this peak as Flanigan Peak 

because the Flanigan family homestead sat 

at the base of this cliff . 

West Temple 

The highest feature in Zion Canyon. Called 

“Temp-o-i-tin-car-ur” meaning “Mountain 

without a trail” by the Paiute, “Steamboat 

Mountain” by the local Mormons, and 

“West Temple” by John Wesley Powell on 

his explorations in 1872. 

Zion 

Mormon pioneer Isaac Behunin is credited 

with naming Zion Canyon: “These are the 

Temples of God, built without the use of 

human hands. A man can worship God 

among these great cathedrals as well as in 

any man-made church—this is Zion.” Zion 

is a Hebrew word, later interpreted by Mormons to mean a place of safety and refuge. 

A Tunnel Through Time 

Altar of Sacrifi ce 

Part of the Towers and Temples of the 

Virgin, behind the Human History Museum, this distinctive cliff was named for 

the red iron oxide streaking down its front. 

The streaking of minerals washed down the 

cliff confers the appearance of blood on a 

sacrifi cial altar. 

Angels Landing 

Named by Methodist Minister Frederick 

Vining Fisher during an excursion up Zion 

Canyon in 1916. Fisher was accompanied 

by two Rockville boys acting as guides, 

Claud Hirschi and Ethelbert Bingham. 

After Fisher praised the striking presence of 

the Great White Throne he turned toward 

what would soon become Angels Landing 

and stated “The Angels would never land 

on the throne, but would reverently pause 

at the foot [of Angels Landing].” 

Behunin Canyon 

in 1901 by young pioneer David Flanigan. 

His hope was to fulfill Brigham Young’s 

prophecy that one day timber would come 

down from the cliffs of Zion Canyon “like 

a hawk fl ies.” The cable works proved to be 

a success. The system was used to provide 

building timber for the pioneers around 

Zion Canyon. The cable works and a sawmill were in place for over 20 years. Wood 

for the Zion Lodge came down the cable 

works. 

Checkerboard Mesa 

Found near the east entrance. The name 

stems from the cliffs distinctive checkerboard pattern. The horizontal lines are 

caused by crossbedding, a remnant of ancient sand dunes. The vertical lines formed 

because of the contraction and expansion 

of the sandstone. This peak was originally 

named Checkerboard Mountain by the 

third superintendent, Preston P. Patraw. 

Zion NP ZION 11922 

Zion NP ZION 10188 

With a Southern Paiute guide, 

Special Thanks 

Robin Hampton, Jacqueline Drake, Holly 

Baker, Adrienne Fitzgerald, Mike Large, 

Jennifer Aguayo, Karen Mayne, Ron 

Terry, Tiffany Taylor, J.L. Crawford, Betsy 

Ehrlich, and all the staff of Zion National 

Park, present and past. 

ZNP 3-24-09 

Above Lower Emerald Pools; named for 

Isaac Behunin, the first settler who had a 

farm near the present day Zion Lodge. 

Bridge Mountain 

Formally referred to as Crawford’s Peak because of its location near the Crawford family homestead. Later the cliff was renamed 

for a long narrow arch or “fl ying buttress” 

found near the top of the cliff . 

Cable Mountain 

Named for the cable works structure at its 

Coalpits Wash 

In the southwestern corner of the park, 

it was named for the “flowing” black lava 

rock that had the appearance of coal. 

Cougar Mountain 

Located off of the Kolob Terrace Road 

between North Creek and Coalpits Wash, 

this cliff formation was named for the abundance of cougars found in the area. 

Deertrap Mountain 

This cliff is found near Cable Mountain and 

believed that Paiute Indians drove mule 

deer onto the mesa here, trapping them for 

food. 

Emerald Pools 

Located across from the Lodge and within 

Heaps Canyon are a series of three pools: 

the lower, middle, and upper Emerald 

Pools. These pools were named for the 

emerald green tint of the water, caused by 

the algae that grows in it. 

The Great White Throne 

Named by Methodist Minister Frederick 

Vining Fisher while he was accompanied 

by Claud Hirschi and Ethelbert Bingham. 

Fisher was noted as saying: “I have looked 

for this mountain all my life but never 

expected to fine it in this world. This is the 

Great White Throne.” 

Kolob 

The name of the major star in Mormon cosmography—the star nearest to the throne 

of God. 

Mukuntuweap 

This is the name originally given to Zion 

Canyon by Major John Wesley Powell. The 

name was believed to be a Paiute name 

meaning “straight canyon.” 

The Narrows 

Named for the narrowest section of canyon 

of the North Fork of the Virgin River. 

Grove K. Gilbert named this section on an 

Beautiful and inhospitable — two adjectives 

that describe travel from the floor of Zion 

Canyon, up precipitous ledges and through 

slot canyons, to reach Zion’s east side. Early 

Native Americans established a treacherous 

foot trail to hunt and gather food. Springdale resident, John Winder, decided to 

improve this trail in 1896 to move livestock. 

Winder’s knowledge laid the groundwork 

for the state and federal governments and 

several contractors to build a 24-mile road 

from Canyon Junction, up Pine Creek, 

through 1.1 miles of sandstone, to end at 

Mt. Carmel. 

By the mid-1920s, interest in Zion National 

Park as a vacation spot was growing. This 

monumental project was proposed to make 

Zion more accessible and to allow tourists 

to make their way around the Grand Circle 

of parks (Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon). 

The project created hundreds of jobs and 

men worked round-the-clock on three 

crews: the switchbacks, the tunnel, and the 

east highway. 

The Zion Tunnel took eleven months and 

twelve days of blasting, cutting, carving, 

and hauling to make a passageway through 

the cliff. First, six galleries, or windows, 

were blasted out of the side of the cliff . A 

pilot tunnel was then drilled and the debris 

dumped out of the galleries. Finally, a ring 

of holes were drilled into the pilot tunnel at 

regular intervals, the holes filled with dynamite, and the full 22-foot bore of the tunel 

was blasted out. It was the longest tunnel of 

its kind when it was completed. It also held 

the dubious distinction of being the most 

expensive mile of road ever built — costing 

$503,000. July 4th, 1930 was dedication day 

with dignitaries and hundreds of wellwishers. 

top. The cable works were implemented accessible off the East Rim Trail. It is 1872 expedition of southern Utah. It’s Landing Trail with twenty-one short The east entrance bridge during construction. Drilling in the tunnel was grimy work. 

Thomas Moran visits and makes Zion settler John Winder begins 

the f rst paintings of Zion Canyon. building what is now the East Methodist Minister Frederick VinRim Trail to get cattle to the high ing Fisher and local boys Claude country. Hirschi and Ethelbert Bingham 

explore Zion Canyon and name 

Leo A. Snow, of the U.S.Geological many of the features. Most of the 

Frederick S. Dellenbaugh writes Survey, maps the area and is struck names stick. Congress redesignates Mukunarticles about Zion Canyon for the by its wild beauty. He states that tuweap National Monument as 

widely read Scribner’s Magazine. Zion Canyon ought to be made a August 25, 1916 Zion National Park and expands 

A rock fall at The Grotto creates national park. The National Park Service is cre- the boundary to include the high 

Yellowstone NP YELL 23063 

Great Red Arch and buries the Weather station established in ated by act of Congress to man- plateaus above the canyon. Walter 

Gifford farm in rubble. It was a Zion Canyon, possibly the longest Grand Canyon National Monu- age the parks and monuments Ruesch is the f rst custodian. 

Nephi Johnson becomes the f rst 

Anglo to enter Zion Canyon. 

Sunday and the family was in continuosly operating station in ment is set aside by President in such manner as to leave them Zion NP

church. Utah. Theodore Rosevelt. unimpaired for future generations. Visitation is 1,814 people. 

1858 1873 1880 1896 1908 1916 November 19, 1918 

1864 1872 1879 July 31, 1909 1914 1917 

Isaac Behunin homesteads in the Explorer John Wesely Powell visits President Taft uses the Antiquities The f rst automobile enters Zion William Wylie establishes a 

canyon, settling at what is now what is now Zion Canyon and Act of 1906 to proclaim Zion Canyon. tent camp as the f rst tourist 

the Zion Lodge. He refers to it as a names it Mukuntuweap, thinking Canyon as Mukuntuweap National accomodations in the park. 

place of sanctuary and calls it Zion. it a Paiute word meaning “straight Monument. The f rst free travel map is given 

1904 

1903 

Zion NP ZION 38105 

Frederick S. Dellenbaugh’s paintings of Zion 

Canyon are exibited at the World’s Fair. People 

don’t believe the scenery is real. 

Courtesy J.L. Crawford 

canyon.” away at gas stations. A road is improved into Zion 

The price of gas is 121⁄2¢ a gallon. Canyon as far as Weeping 

Yellowstone becomes the f rst Rock.

national park. 

Annual visitation reaches 

1,000. 

William L. Crawford grows up in 

NPS uniform, based on that of a home at the site of the Human 

History Museum and takes hun the U.S. Cavalry, is introduced. Yosemite NP YOSE RL-9429 -

2 A Century of Sanctuary dreds of photographs of the area. A Century of Sanctuary 3 
 

 

 

 

The Golden Age of the Loop Tour 

delicious dining, a barbershop, and a bar. 

Undisputedly, time spent in the great outdoors was the draw to these National Parks, 

but as it turned out, time spent indoors was 

incredibly posh! 

Once travelers arrived at their respective 

destinations, they could challenge both 

courage and curiosity on the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail or travel a narrow 

spine out to Angels Landing in Zion. If 

hiking alongside vertical cliff walls didn’t 

sound enjoyable, one could allow a horse to 

take them instead. Horseback riding tours 

within the parks were exceedingly popular, 

and would take visitors along some amazing 

trails between narrow canyon walls and 

to the top of high plateaus. After a hard 

day, visitors were tempted by the luxurious swimming pool set within the quiet 

sanctuary of the canyon. As evening would 

draw near, a day’s entertainment had only 

just begun. Women waitresses, outfi tted 

in crisp white, would serve up a delicious 

dinner prepared by the men who ran the 

kitchen. However, soon after dinner was 

fi nished, staff would quickly assume a new 

role as entertainers. Lodge staff proved to 

be multi-talented. An evening in the desert 

would come alive with dancing, vaudeville 

and variety shows, including, musicians, 

singers, comics, and acrobats. National 

Park Service Ranger Naturalists also delivered slide programs in the evenings. Once 

the time arrived for a tour to depart toward 

a new destination, the staff would gather in 

front of the respective lodge and bid adieu 

with a “sing-a-way.” 

High quality lodging, entertainment, and 

loop tours to some of the most impressive 

wonders of the West, allowed visitation to 

slowly grow throughout the 1920s. However, travel on many roads was still rough and 

arduous. It wasn’t until 1930, which saw the 

completion of a major road construction 

project, that visitation and tourism would 

truly take off. This was the completion of 

the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway and tunnel. 

Said to be the most extensive road project 

in the nation, with 24-miles of roadway 

over incredibly rough terrain and two tunnels (the longer 1.1 miles in length) through 

thick sandstone cliffs . The construction of 

the Zion-Mt Carmel Highway opened up 

access to the east, providing a more direct 

loop between Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the 

North Rim of the Grand Canyon. 

As time marched on, travel to America’s 

National Parks was more popular than 

ever. In 1920 Zion received 3,692 visitors; 

by 1930 nearly 55,000 would witness the 

drama. Across the nation, word got out 

about the grandeur of America’s own National Parks and the unrivaled skyscrapers 

of the West. Men would gather their best 

travel suit and women their favorite dress 

and kerchief and would eagerly venture off 

on a grand, “loop tour.” 

The decade was unmistakably the 1920s. 

The distinctive sound of jazz oozed through 

the radio and into the homes of millions 

of Americans. Emily Post defi ned what 

was considered proper and polite within 

her book Manners. Meanwhile, in cities 

throughout the East, fl appers perfected 

their stylish moves and hairdos for the 

dance floor. This post-war period proved 

a prosperous, inventive time in the United 

States. Many congregated within cities and 

took interest in the stock exchange, while 

new inventions like penicillin and television would shape the country well into the 

future. This decade marked the first time in 

the history of the nation that the number 

of people residing in urban areas surpassed 

those who called rural surroundings home. 

As cities grew, architecture evolved and 

skyscrapers—complete with high style furnishings, became the new fashion. Travel, 

too, became a luxury that more and more 

people could indulge in. By 1921, more 

than ten million automobiles existed in the 

United States. For longer travel, railroads 

sprawled like vines across the countryside. 

Rail travel reached its peak in the 1920s and 

became an integral part in the promotion of 

tourism, including visitation to America’s 

scenic wonders—its national parks. 

Throughout the West, writers vividly 

described magical places of unfathomed 

beauty. Meanwhile artists coated canvases 

with rich colors—composing a myriad of 

stunning landscapes. Amongst these were 

images of striking red rocks, deep cliff s, 

canyon walls, spires, spines, and hoodoos. 

Each was an impressive “skyscraper,” 

providing a one-of-a-kind view. These were 

portraits of the American Southwest. 

Found within the states of Utah and Arizona and carved deep within the Colorado 

Plateau, one would find some of the most 

awe-inspiring places in the West: the Grand 

Canyon, a canyon plummeting to one mile 

in depth from the rim down toward the 

mighty Colorado River; Bryce Canyon, 

a mystical maze of whimsically sculpted 

spires and hoodoos; and Zion Canyon, 

where a deceptively small river had uncompromisingly fashioned some of the world’s 

tallest sandstone cliffs and contributed to a 

landscape of remarkable diversity. 

By the mid-1920s, curiosity was peaked 

about the sublime beauty of the Southwest 

and the promotion of travel to America’s 

National Parks was in full swing. Union 

Pacific Railroad travel brochures raved of a 

place “...where everything is on a gigantic 

scale and color has been splashed around 

so extravagantly that artists despair of ever 

catching the brilliance of such fl ashing 

colors. No process yet devised by man can 

faithfully bring to you the beauty of these 

supreme achievements of Nature. You must 

see them for yourself!” They did. Travelers 

embarked via railway to Cedar City, Utah, 

from such far-reaching locations as Chicago, Salt Lake City, and Los Angeles. 

What awaited travelers was a vacation of a 

life time: a comprehensive “Loop Tour” of 

the American Southwest by motor coach, 

complete with luxury lodging, and highcaliber entertainment. Points of interest 

upon this journey included: Zion and Bryce 

Canyon National Parks, Cedar Breaks 

National Monument, and the North Rim 

of the Grand Canyon. Along the way tours 

would sojourn and a comfortable stay was 

afforded within the lodges at Zion (1925), 

Bryce Canyon (1925), and the North Rim 

of the Grand Canyon (circa 1928). These 

newly built, high-style accommodations 

were funded and run by the Utah Parks 

Company, a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railroad. Hired to design these three 

prominent lodges was architect Gilbert 

Stanley Underwood. Underwood brought 

to the parks a design style with a classic 

rustic appeal, which allowed the buildings 

to blend seamlessly with the grandeur of 

the skyline. Meanwhile, the design of the 

interiors was complete with a lavish lounge, 

Utah Parks Company 

Motor Bus Tours 1948 

The all-expense rates included 

standard cabin accommodations. 

If “de luxe” cabins were desired, 

the additional charge per day was 

$4.25 for one person or $2 each 

for two people. 

Tour No. 1A—Five Days 

Zion, North Rim Grand Canyon, 

Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Breaks. 

1st day Lv. Cedar City 

Ar. Zion Natl. Pk. 

2nd day Lv. Zion Natl. Pk.

 Ar. Grand Canyon 

3rd day At Grand Canyon 

4th day Lv. Grand Canyon

 Ar. Bryce Canyon 

5th day Lv. Bryce Canyon

 Ar. Cedar Breaks

 Lv. Cedar Breaks

 Ar. Cedar City 

Courtesy Sherratte Library, Southern Utah University Courtesy Sherratte Library, Southern Utah University 

All-expenses: including motor bus 

transportation and three meals 

and one lodging at Zion Lodge, 

six meals and two lodgings at 

Grand Canyon Lodge, two meals 

and one lodging at Bryce Canyon 

Lodge and one meal at Cedar Breaks

 $58.75

Courtesy NPS Harpers Ferry Center 

Zion Lodge, and the others on the Loop Tour, provided a comfortable and affordable way to visit the parks. Coaches line up to meet the train in Cedar City. Coach drivers were referred to as “gear jammers.” A guided horse tour ascends Walter’s Wiggles. Zion Lodge maids (and friend) in their crisp uniforms. Employees singing farewell to a departing tour bus. 

The entrance fee is $2 per car and The road into Zion Canyon is doesn’t change again until 1987, extended all the way to the A bridge is built over the Virgin Construction begins on the Zion- when it increases to $5. Temple of Sinawava. Stone entrance sign constructed. River at Canyon Junction as part Mt Carmel Highway, including the of the Floor of the Valley Road. It 1.1 mile long tunnel and 3 miles 389,000 people visit. Zion Lodge opens, operated by the is washed away by a f ash f ood a of switchbacks. Utah Parks Co., a subsidary of the few years later. 

Union Pacif c Railroad. 

The Kolob Canyons and Kolob 

Angus Woodbury is hired as the The Zion-Mt Carmel Highway, 1.1 Terrace sections of the park are 

f rst Ranger Naturalist. A third bridge over the Virgin River mile-long tunnel, and the Pine added. 

Zion NP ZION 10340 Zion NP 

is built and is still in use today. Creek Bridge are opened to the 

Courtesy Eleanor Warriner 

Courtesy Tiffany Taylor 

16,817 people visit Zion. public, allowing travelers to tour Lowest recorded temperature in Zion NP ZION 2393

The cost of an annual park permit the “Grand Circle” of national Zion Canyon: 15°F below zero, 

Gasoline is 29¢ per gallon. goes up to $1. parks. January 21.

A second bridge is built and is 

also washed away by a f ood. 

Zion NP ZION 13004 

1921 1925 1927 1930 1930 1935 1937 1953

1924 1926 1928 1929 1933 1934 1943–46 1946 Courtesy Nellie H. Ballard Zion NP 

Daily bus service takes tourists Under the direction of Walter Ruesch Bryce Canyon National Park is The Zion Inn, later known as Camp Zion Lodge closes during World 

from the train depot in Cedar City construction begins on the West Rim created. Center and now the Zion Nature War II as gas rationing reduces 

along the “Grand Circle Tour” of Trail, including the 21 switchbacks Center, is built as a cafeteria with travel. The park remains open with 

Zion, Bryce Canyon, and North know as “Walter’s Wiggles.” adjoining cabins, to provide less a small staff. Visitation drops 75%. 

Rim of the Grand Canyon. expensive lodging. 

The park’s f rst visitor center and muAn annual park permit costs 50¢. seum opens at The Grotto adjacent Two Civilian Conservation Corps to North Campground. It is being camps are established in Zion. restored in 2009. The beautifully crafted Pine Creek Bridge is Over 9 years, hundreds of enroll- built. Its stones include every type of rock An 880 ton boulder falls on a park ees build levees, trails, and build- Visitation to Zion is 8,400 people. found in Zion. truck, crushing it. ings that are still used today. 

First woman ranger, Herma Albertson, works in Cedar Breaks National Monument 

4 A Century of Sanctuary Yellowstone National Park. A Century of Sanctuary 5 is proclaimed. 
Caretakers and Colorful Characters Growing Up In Zion 

Walter Ruesch William Wallace Wylie Gilbert Stanley Underwood 

In 1917, acting director of the National Park William Wylie, founder of the “Wylie Way,” By the early 1920s, visitors to national parks 

Service Horace Albright was introduced began his summer tours in 1880 bringing expected arduous travel conditions in order 

to Springdale resident Walter Ruesch. visitors to Yellowstone National Park. By to reach sublime destinations. The Union 

After spending time with him, Albright 1893 his Wylie Camping Company was Pacific Railroad and its touring division—

learned, from local Bishop David Hirschi, offering week-long park tours using move- the Utah Parks Company—aimed to give 

that Ruesch used “colorful” language and able camps. Travelers could save money guests more elegant accommodations. Gilmight not be the best candidate to deal and did not have to “dress up”, unlike their bert Stanley Underwood, a Harvard edudirectly with park visitors. But Albright was vacationing counterparts who stayed at the cated architect, was tapped to design the 

impressed and chose him to be the fi rst more expensive hotels. A 7-day Wylie tour now much admired lodges at Zion, Bryce 

custodian of the monument. Since that cost $35, while a 6-day tour at the hotels Canyon, and other national parks. Undertime, millions of visitors have hiked the 21 was $50. In Zion Canyon, the fi rst Wylie wood’s concept for Zion Lodge “borrowed 

switchbacks known as “Walter’s Wiggles” Way Camp was erected in 1917 at the cur- from nature” in both its design and building 

on their way up to Angels Landing. Ruesch rent Zion Lodge site. With the coming of materials. His creation of a main lodge 

lent his skill and passion toward the build- the Lodge, the camp was moved near the with surrounding cabins characterized the 

ing of that most popular trail. Undoubtedly, South Campground. Each candy-striped NPS-Rustic architectural style he successsome of those hikers have uttered similar canvas tent contained board fl oors with fully refined. It set the direction for park 

colorful phrases on their way up that steep rugs, a wood stove, beds with good mat- architecture for years to come. Drawing 

incline. tresses, and “good clean sheets.” Meals from the Arts and Crafts movement, Un- Courtesy Flora A. Ruesch 

were served on white dishes in large dining derwood gave voice to the natural materials 

tents. Thus began the colorful and much- in and around Zion by combining stone, 

loved tradition of aff ordable, comfortable timber, and time in a gracious arrangement 

travel in Zion National Park. befitting a wondrous landscape. NPS Harpers Ferry Center 

J.L. Crawford 

When all of Utah was rural and rugged, J.L. 

Crawford enjoyed modern marvels as they 

made their way to the family farm on the 

present site of the Human History Museum. He remembers the first graded road 

into Zion Canyon (1924), when running 

water arrived (1926), and the day electricity was wired (1927). One of his favorite 

memories was trying, with his brother, to 

recognize the sound of different makes of 

cars. When these autos drove by the farm, 

they would run to the road to see if they 

had guessed right. He led a colorful life that 

included working for Zion Lodge, the Civilian Conservation Corps, and the National 

Park Service. Now, at 95, J.L. continues to 

offer the park his expertise as a historian 

providing priceless information, photographs, self-authored books, and personal 

recollections. When listening to his gentle 

reflections of an age long ago, time collapses and history is alive once more. 

freedom to go up there in the hills.” She 

recalls, “I always felt so fortunate to have 

been born there. We slept outdoors in the 

summertime. That was a big thing, to have 

a bed outside. Oh, just out in the open air, 

you know, and the stars above and the good 

fresh smell of everything...” 

And the children lucky enough to spend a 

few formative years in a park might carry 

a sense of responsibility too. Just like their 

park ranger parents, they are learning everyday what it is about this place that makes 

it worth protecting. They will know what is 

at stake and why a place like Zion means so 

much, now that modern civilization seems 

to outnumber those wild places. Often 

children follow in their parent’s footsteps, 

but it seems that many park rangers chose 

their career because their earliest experiences were in America’s treasured places. 

Maybe they did not grow up in a park, but 

someone shared one with them. 

Dale Smith 

Your children or grandchildren can experience the same incredible moments that the 

kids who grew up in Zion had. Whether it’s 

swimming in the Virgin River on a hot day, 

watching condors soar over Angels Landing, sleeping under the stars on a warm 

night, or just spending time together in a 

beautiful place — the experiences we have 

in National Parks are memories that stay 

with us. In a way, everyone who visits Zion 

National Park experiences what the children living in Zion experienced, because 

here we can feel like we did as children. We 

rediscover those childlike senses of wonder, 

delight, and freedom. Perhaps we can have 

the same feeling that Della Higley, a Springdale resident for eight decades, shared: “We 

loved the land and we love the park and we 

felt that the land should be taken care of 

and not destroyed.” 

After Zion was designated a national monument in 1909, life in the canyon remained 

a wilderness of sorts, while civilization and 

modern life changed outside its boundaries. For the families who made their home 

in Zion, nature still played a major role. For 

children brought up here, their fi rst recollections, and the landscape that is etched 

in their minds as home, is a wild, open and 

unchanged one. 

Living in a national park also means living 

with the mandate of a conservation agency. 

There are guidelines and rules to contend 

with. Lorna Jolley Kesterson, daughter of 

the park’s chief ranger in the 1920s, remembers they were not allowed to eat Sego lilies 

as other settlers did. “My dad was pretty 

strict about what we were doing.” He would 

not cut down even one branch of a tree 

while some Hollywood fi lmmakers were 

making a movie in the park. “That’s the way 

he was: very strict, strict with regulations.” 

The rules about pets were interpreted differently then. Since domesticated animals 

were disruptive to the natural environment, families inside the park could not 

keep them. But, as Lorna tells, “we had one 

mountain sheep that took over our whole 

house inside. The ewe would come in and 

slide the rug. My father finally decided the 

sheep was too rough for us.” The children 

also had two baby cougars as pets as well as 

a family of ring-tailed cats in the attic. 

Though no one is keeping cougars as pets 

anymore, children living in the park today 

share many experiences with the young 

people who came before. They may meet 

wild turkeys at the school bus stop, stay up 

past their bedtime gazing at a sky swimming 

in stars, and spend lazy Saturdays counting lizards that run through the backyard. 

Certainly they will share the freedom experienced by other young people in Zion. 

Another prior resident remembers “the 

Zion NP ZION 12409

Courtesy Denise H. Williams Courtesy Denise H. Williams 

Sketch from the 1923 superintendents conference. William Wylie and his wife, Mary Wilson. Gilbert Stanely Underwood J.L. Crawford (right) on a family picnic, circa 1918. The chief ranger’s children build a snowman, 1934. “It was a wonderful place to grow up.” Della Higley Ranger family in front of their “modern” house, 1968. Historic houses are still homes for NPS families. 

Twenty desert bighorn sheep are The economic impact of the park After heavy rain, a landslide dams released to replace those last to the surrounding communities “Mission 66” begins, a program to improve the Virgin River at the Sentinel Zion Canyon Visitor Center opens reported in 1953. Today’s popula- is $396 million and creates 2,432 facilities in national parks. Zion’s second visitor 60,000 tons of rock fall from Slide and a section of the road is and the shuttle system begins. tion is estimated at 188. jobs. center and park headquarters is built in 1960. above the tunnel; some goes into washed away. 

gallery #3. The largest f re in the park’s history 

burns 10,516 acres. 

Courtesy NPS Harpers Ferry Center HFC 70-253-96

Women Rangers get a new 

polyester uniform. 

The Zion Lodge is restored to its 

Roads are chipped-sealed in original appearance.

red cinders, now a park 

Zion NPZion NP

tradition. More than 2 million people visit. 

Zion NP 

1956–1966 1958 1970 1978 1990 1995 2000 2006 

1954 1966 1968 1984 1992 1998 2002 July 31, 2009 

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance A 5.9 magnitude earthquake 

Kid is f lmed in the park and the shakes Springdale causing a major 

ghost town of Grafton. landslide and destroying several 

homes. 

The Zion Lodge burns down. 

The Kolob Canyons Visitor Center 108 days after the f re a quickly 

opens. A f ood washes out the road at The 1960 visitor center reopens as National Park Service arrowhead contructed replacement opens to the Sentinel Slide; again. the Zion Human History Museum. logo is introduced. the public. Zion National Park turns 100. Park visitation 

reaches 2.7 million people. Total visitation since The largest recorded f ood roars 1919 is more than 86 million. 

down the Virgin River at 9,150 

6 A Century of Sanctuary cubic feet per second. A Century of Sanctuary 7 
Centennial Events 

Top left Camp Center cafeteria and cabins (now the 

Nature Center) staff, 1950s. Lower left Interpretive 

Ranger staff, 2007. 

Top center Original Zion Museum at The Grotto 

(hand-colored glass slide), 1928. Lower center Hikers 

at Emerald Pools Trailhead, 1958. 

Top right Map of Zion Canyon from 1948 park brochure. Lower right Ranger at Park Headquarters (at 

Canyon Junction), 1925. 

 

ZION NATIONAL PARK CELEBRATES 100 YEARS ON JULY 31, 2009. EVENTS AND PROGRAMS WILL 

commemorate this milestone for Utah’s most visited national park. The centennial recognizes the park’s initial establishment as Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909 and 

Congressional designation as Zion National Park in 1919. 

A Century of Sanctuary 

Juried Art Exhibition 

Historic and contemporary paintings, 

St. George Museum of Art, St George, 

Utah, August 25, 2008–May 23, 2009 

Zion: A Creative Response 

Art Exhibition 

Southern Utah University student and 

faculty work, Zion Human History 

Museum, March 2–April 20 

Zion Centennial Celebration 

Juried Photo Exhibition 

Utah photographers, Canyon Community 

Center, Springdale, Utah 

March 31-May 11 

Special Ranger-led Programs 

Zion National Park, April–October 

Zion Canyon Centennial Fun Run 

10Ks of fun on the Zion Canyon Scenic 

Drive, April 18. Advanced registration. 

8 A Century of Sanctuary 

In the Footsteps of Thomas Moran 

Z-Arts!: Zion Arts & Humanities Council 

Invited artists painting locations sketched 

by Moran in 1873. April 20-24 

Springdale Folklife Festival 

Canyon Community Center, Springdale, 

Utah, May 9 

Red Rock Rondo 

Live concert and debut of PBS musical 

documentary about Zion, O.C. Tanner 

Amphitheater, Springdale, Utah, May 9 

Children’s Vision of Zion & Springdale 

Photo Exhibit 

Canyon Community Center, Springdale, 

Utah, June 23-August 3 

Zion Postage Stamp 

First day of sale, June 29 

Zion: The Integration of Art and Science 

Arts and Sciences Student & Faculty 

Braithwaite Fine Art Gallery, Southern Utah 

University, Cedar City, Utah, May-June; Salt 

Lake City Offi ce of Tourism, July-August 

100th Anniversary Ceremony 

The Grotto Historic Building, Zion 

National Park, July 31 

Post Office Stamp Cancellation 

Zion Canyon Visitor Center & Kolob 

Canyons Visitor Center, July 31 

A Century of Cinema 

Movies filmed in Zion National Park 

Thursdays, starting August 13 

Tunnel Walk 

Through the 1.1 mile-long Zion–Mt. 

Carmel Tunnel, August 26. Advanced 

registration required. 

Historic Photos of Zion 

Iron Mission State Park, Cedar City, Utah, 

September 1-October 9 

Zion National Park 

Utah High Schools Student Art Exhibition 

Braithwaite Fine Art Gallery, Southern Utah 

University, Cedar City, Utah, 

September, 2009. 

Centennial Fundraiser Dinner 

The Grotto, Zion National Park 

September 19 

Vision of Zion 

Local artists, multi-media exhibit 

St. George Museum of Art, St George, 

Utah, September 26, 2009–January 9, 2010. 

Employee Reunion 

Canyon Community Center, Springdale, 

Utah, October 16–18 

Zion Centennial License Plate 

Avalable at all Utah Department of Motor 

Vehicles Offices. 

For more information visit www.nps.gov/ 

zion or contact Karen Mayne, Centennial 

Program Coordinator; karen_s_mayne@ 

nps.gov; 435 772-0210. 

For Red Rock Rondo tickets or information 

visit the Western Folklife Center website, 

www.westernfolklife.org. 

Photos courtesy: top left and lower center, Sherratte 

Library Collection, Southern Utah University; top center, 

and lower right, Zion NP.