Front cover of Henderson, later named Pike, Petrified Forest

A Tale of Two Tourist Traps: the Creation of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado

Today's post was written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver “We can’t get too much science so am for the park.” And so opened a 1962 letter to the National Park Service from Orson Rice, an Ohio resident who owned a parcel of land near the proposed Florissant Fossil Beds National … Continue reading A Tale of Two Tourist Traps: the Creation of Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado

“Fool Thing to Do;” The True Story of Surviving a Fall Into The Carlsbad Caverns National Park Elevator Shaft

Today’s post is written by Cody White, an archivist at the National Archives at Denver.  In February 1939, the Superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns National Park Thomas Boles wrote to Robert Ripley’s “Believe It or Not” and Floyd Gibbons’ “Headline Hunter” radio program about what he considered to be an unbelievable story; a ranger had fallen into … Continue reading “Fool Thing to Do;” The True Story of Surviving a Fall Into The Carlsbad Caverns National Park Elevator Shaft

“North by Northwest” Starring…Mount Rushmore?

Today's post is written by Cody White, Archivist at the National Archives at Denver “This is only one more step in our national disintegration, a loss of respect for things sacred to our history. This guardianship has been entrusted to you and it’s high time you did something about it.” It was August 1959 and an … Continue reading “North by Northwest” Starring…Mount Rushmore?

Rosslyn Skyline

By Marie Maxwell Recently, the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC), a federal agency charged with planning for the Washington, DC area, released a draft study regarding the height of buildings inside the District of Columbia. The city of Washington, DC does not have skyscrapers like New York or Chicago, because of a law limiting tall buildings. … Continue reading Rosslyn Skyline