A utopian village that became ground zero for the labor rights movement, a Hawaiian jungle that became a hell for World War II prisoners and one of the country's most popular whitewater rafting destinations were elevated to national monument status last week. The three very different sites demonstrate the wide diversity of lands that can be protected under the Antiquities Act: Pullman National Monument in Chicago, Honouliui National Monument in Hawaii and Browns Canyon National Monument in Colorado.
Browns Canyon National Monument
The Browns Canyon National Monument preserves one of the country's most popular whitewater rivers and the 21,500-acre wilderness that encompasses it. Browns Canyon includes much of the upper Arkansas River Valley and the rugged granite cliffs, colorful rock outcroppings, and dramatic mountain vistas that it traverses. Its unusual geography includes rock spires, hoodoos and a 3,000-foot range in elevation, making it an exceptionally diverse habitat for a wide range of species, including mountain lions, black bears, pine martens and a sizeable herd of bighorn sheep.
The move for protection has really been a decades-long local grassroots effort, according to Steven Hall, spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management, which will administer this site along with the U.S. Forest Service. With nearly 100,000 visitors per year, this stretch of the Arkansas River is one of the most popular whitewater destinations in the country, and Browns Canyon is at the heart of that, said Hall.
"The local community is very attached to this river and very attached to the landscape, and so it makes sense that the idea of protecting Browns Canyon started in the local community," said Hall.
The Arkansas River Valley has evidence of human habitation dating back more than 10,000 years, and archaeological surveys have revealed at least 18 significant archaeological sites including open campsites, culturally modified trees, wickiups, tipi rings, chipped stone manufacture and processing sites, a possible ceramic pottery kiln, and rock shelter sites that date to the Archaic Period and possibly the Paleo-Indian Period, between 8,000 and 13,000 years ago, making it among the earliest known sites in the region.
This remote and very rugged series of canyons and ridges provides a backcountry experience, particularly in the higher elevations.
"You have some of the nation's best views of the Collegiate Peaks, located nearby, and of the entire Arkansas River Valley. It's a truly spectacular landscape," said Hall.
The monument has a good mix of backcountry, whitewater and fishing opportunities, but it's also a perfect spot for leisurely sightseeing and picnicking; the "frontcountry," as the more accessible part is called, includes a variety of easy access points. "You can go on a short hike and enjoy the views, or a longer and more strenuous hike and get to some of the higher elevations," said Hall.
The new monument lies about two and a half hours west of Denver in Central Colorado, with the closest town being Salida. For more information, including maps, see the Friends of Browns Canyon site, or the official site.
The Pullman National Monument
This 203-acre site on Chicago's South Side lies at the heart of America's labor movement. Pullman National Monument preserves America's first planned industrial community, designed by pioneer industrialist George Pullman for the comfort of the workers to cure the social ills of the day – a social experiment gone wrong, however, when the economy soured.
Pullman, who revolutionized train travel in the late 1800s with his elegant sleeping cars, hired freed house slaves to serve as porters. His own factories designed and manufactured the train cars, and he built a model community with all the amenities for his workers, from the management to the maintenance crew. The town was an architectural showcase, highlighted in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
The amenities came at a cost; however; Pullman maintained tight controls on his community. Not long after the World's Fair, a severe recession hit, and Pullman slashed wages, but not rents, and workers suffered. They joined the American Railway Union organized by Eugene Debs and in 1894, called a strike that ended up affecting more than 250,000 workers in 27 states and nearly shutting down commerce in much of the country, including mail delivery. President Grover Cleveland ended up calling in the Army to break it up and 30 people died in the violence that ensued.
Half a century later, the site made labor history again when the Pullman Porters, under the leadership of A. Philip Randolph, formed the first African-American labor union, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. Randolph went on to become a leader in the Civil Rights Movement.
"From my personal perspective, it's going to be one of the best places to come to discuss some of the challenges we face today, from labor relations to race relations," said Michael Shymanski, president of the Historic Pullman Foundation.
"The neat thing about the site is that it covers 150 years of American history – it has an incredibly strong sense of place, and when people come here, they can feel it; you can walk the streets and it's like a little time warp."
The National Park Foundation has raised $8 million to support the project, which will help launch projects at the new park including a visitor center, experiential exhibits, and programming in the Administrative Clock Tower Building designed to engage visitors about Pullman's historical significance. For more information, see the National Park website.
The Honouliuli National Monument
Located on Oahu Island, this former World War II Japanese-American internment camp highlights the devastating consequences of wartime suspension of civil rights. Soon after Japanese air force strikes on Pearl Harbor, government officials began to selectively round up Japanese-Americans throughout the islands suspected of disloyalty. An estimated 400 civilian internees and 4,000 prisoners of war were incarcerated in the camp during its five years of operation. The deep gulch was dubbed Jigoku-Dani (Hell Valley) by many internees because of the hot and miserable conditions; the steep walls impeded air circulation and compounded feelings of isolation.
"Witnessing President Obama sign the declaration to establish the Honouliuli National Monument inspires me," wrote Carole Hayashino, president and executive director of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i. "I am inspired by the voices of the Japanese American internees, inspired by the dedicated work of community volunteers, inspired by the overwhelming support from the community and inspired to know that Honouliuli will never be forgotten."
The camp grew into a bustling operation of 175 buildings, 14 guard towers, and over 400 tents among the seven compounds on 160 acres. After the camp was closed in 1946, the jungle rapidly overtook the site and it was forgotten about – until 2002, when staff members of the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai'i rediscovered it with the help of a local farmer. The Japanese Cultural Center led the campaign to protect the site.
Today the former prison camp looks like a deep, overgrown gulch, completely hidden from view by the nearby highway. All visits to the site must be pre-arranged and guided; visitors can see a number of archaeological features that give a glimpse into the layout and conditions of the site, including building slab foundations, an aqueduct over the Honouliuli Stream, and features with handwritten dates from World War II.
Plans for development of the 123-acre site are just beginning; visitor facilities inside the gulch could include trails, interpretive waysides, and restroom facilities. To schedule a visit of the site, contact the National Park Service.
Source by: http://experience.usatoday.com/america/story/national-parks/2015/02/26/president-obama-three-new-national-monuments/24070519/
0 comments:
Post a Comment