In 1883, prospector Cass Hite wandered up White Canyon from his base camp along the Colorado River in search of gold. What he found instead were three magnificent bridges, sculpted from stone by water. In 1904, National Geographic Magazine publicized the bridges, and in 1908 President Theodore Roosevelt established Natural Bridges National Monument, creating Utah's first National Park Service area. Naming the Bridges. Several names have been applied to the bridges. First named 'President,' 'Senator' and 'Congressman' by Cass Hite, the bridges were renamed 'Augusta,' 'Caroline' and 'Edwin' by later explorer groups. As the park was expanded to protect nearby Puebloan structures, the General Land Office assigned the Hopi names 'Sipapu,' 'Kachina' and 'Owachomo' to the bridges in 1909. Sipapu means 'the place of emergence,' an entryway by which the Hopi believe their ancestors came into this world. Kachina is named for rock art on the bridge that resembles symbols commonly used on kachina dolls. Owachomo means 'rock mound,' a feature atop the bridge's east abutment. History & Culture - Natural Bridges National Monument (U.S. National Park Service)