Professional Documents
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e i Hioy f Rc s rO h t
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The Rich History of Glacier National Park However, Lewis and Clark had a different experience with the Blackfeet. A few of their warriors tried to steal guns and other supplies while Lewis, Clark and their men were sleeping and two Blackfeet ended up dying. After this occurrence, the Blackfeet were generally hostile to outsiders. The ongoing contact with European explorers and new settlers to the area caused the spread of diseases throughout the tribes. American and European settlers were also hunting all of the bison in the area and encroaching on the Blackfeet territory. This forced the tribes to depend on the U.S. government for food and supplies. In 1855 the Blackfeet signed a treaty that allotted them money and goods in exchange for them to move onto a reservation.
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Another leading influence for the park was the Great Northern Railway, which was completed in 1891 crossing Marias Pass on what is now Highway 2 just 12 Page 3
The Rich History of Glacier National Park miles southwest of East Glacier. This allowed a greater number of people to be able to visit this beautiful land.
The Rich History of Glacier National Park 1915. A land speculator from Columbia Falls bought some land on the south shore of Lake McDonald where the Snyder Hotel already stood and then built another hotel. John Lewis opened the Lewis Glacier Hotel in 1914, later to become Lake McDonald Lodge. This was the only lodge not built by the railway but was later bought by the company that operated the hotels.
An Early Photo During the Construction of Going-To-The-Sun Road With the increase in cars and tourism, the Glacier Park Company decided to build Page 5
The Rich History of Glacier National Park new facilities that were geared towards auto-based tourism. These became auto camps with the Swiftcurrent Motor Inn built in 1933 at first with tipis then later cabins and motel rooms. Rising Sun Motor Inn was later built and opened in 1941, located 6 miles from the east entrance of the Going-to-the-Sun. Besides becoming one of the most beautiful parks in the U.S., Glacier also holds a few other accomplishments. In 1932 Glacier joined Waterton National Park in Canada and became the first International Peace Park. Both parks were also designated as Biosphere Reserves by the United Nations in 1976 are also became World Heritage Sites in 1995. All of the historic lodges and chalets that still remain in the park are National Historic Landmarks as well as 350 locations that are on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1985 the Going-to-the-Sun Road was designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and is also considered a National Historic Landmark.
To be able to understand all that this park has, one must come and see for themselves. Take a drive on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, stay in all of the lodges to see which one you think is your favorite for location and grandeur. The history is only one part of the park, the other is its future which hopefully will be preserved and persevere for many generations to come. One thing everyone says when they leave Glacier is that this national park truly has it all. To learn more about Glacier National Park and what it has to offer, including a comprehensive collection of hotel & lodging information as well as activity information in and around the park, visit www.NationalParkReservations.com/glacier.php
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