The Western news., 1935-05-16
Silver Anniversary
Glacier Park Was
Observed May II

niversary of its establishment. On that
date in 1910 President Taft signed the
act of congress creating the park
This final act of approval brought an
end to agitation which had its first
! impulse in 1901. At that time Gorge
Bird Grinnell had published an article
in the Century Magazine, "The Crown
of the Continent" which first called at
tention of the world to the exceptional
beauty of the region and urged its con-
servation. Mr.. Grinnell was we'll quail
fled to write on the subject as he had
hunted over practically the entire area
and was the best known conservationist
of his day
Very little progress was made until
Senator Thomas Carter of Montana be-
came interested and introduced the
first bill in the senate of the United
States on December II, 1907. However,
this measure was not very satisfactory
and on February "a, 1908 the senator
introduced substitute bill S-5648. This
was passed by the senate on May Is,
1908, but the house failed to take ac-
ton and the bill died when the Goth
congress ended.
Made National Park in 1909.
When the 61st congress convened
Senator Carter again introduced the
measure on June rs, 1909 With some
amendments this was the one which
was finally passed and and approved
by the President Is years ago.
While under consideration in the
Ec ~f
houses the bills were under the per-
sonal guidance of the other members
Of the Montana delegation at that time,
Senator Joseph Dixon and Congress-
man Charles N. Pray Mr.. Pray is the
only one of the three still living and
is now u. S. District Judge in Mon
tafla.
Since the park was created there
has been no changes in its boundaries
although some have been proposed. In
1882 The U. S. Congress and Canadian
Parhment passed laws establishing the
WatertoWn- Glacier International Peace
Park. Watertown Lakes Park in Can
ada joins Glacier to the north. The
object of the peace park is to commem-
crate and perpetuate the 120 years of
good will between the two English
speaking nations.
In the Is years since its creation in
1910 total of 867 $40 people have visit
ed Glacier National Park. There is
hardly country on the face of the
globe which has not sent at least one
representative to Montana's great Wild
erness.
Many Noted Visitors.
The entrance registers to Glacier
National Park contain the names of
many people of international fame
However, at no time in the history of
the park, or any other park, has such
large group of distinguished persons
passed the park gates as during 1884
Heading the list was President Franklin
d. Roosevelt and his party, who spent
August 5 making the trip over the
world renowned Going -the-Sun
highway, and visiting other points in
the park Only three of the western ma
tional parks have been honored with
a presidential Yellowstone, Gla<.
cier and Zion.
| w. r. Logan First Superintendent
Seven men have held the position of
superintendent of Glacier National Park
during the Is years of its history. In
addition 4 others have served as acting
superintendent during timse when there
was vacancy in the superintendents
position.
| The first to hold the job was Maj
| William r. Logan, whose brother Sid
ney is well known lawyer residing
in Kalispell, Mont. Mr.. Logan took
!, charge Of the park on August 5, 1870
and was active until his deathSon Feb
ruary 7, 1912.
Fine Park Road System
Although nearly three million dol
lars will have been spent on the road
system in Glacier National Park when
it is completed the total mileage of
modern highway in the park will be but
| 10 miles. In addition there are 65 miles
of secondary road all of which were
built prior to the establishment of the
| reservation.
Due to the extremely rugged topo-
| graphy road construction is very ex-
| pensive item in the parks development
program. Along the Garden Wall ap-
preaching Logan Pass on the Going to-
the-Sun highway costs reached 100000
per mile. However, these expenditures
have resulted in a road through the
heart of the park which all world trav-
elers pronounce the most spectacular
and scenic on the globe
In addition to roads in the park the
Blackfoot highway which skirts along
the east boundary from Glacier Park
station to the Canadian border a dis
tance of 48 miles, is under the iurisdic-
ton Of and maintained by the national
park service.
Good Fishing Maintained
| Fishing in the streams and lakes ol
Glacier Park have been maintained
during the past 25 years by the planting
Of q, 900 900 fish mostly trout and gray
ling. In addition land-locked salmon
were planted in St. Mary's lake in 1882
A fish hatchery has been in opera
ton at Glacier Park station for a mum
Der of years to supply the needs of the
park. However, greatly ENLARGED facili-