Grand Canyon explorationIn 1869, John Wesley Powell, a 35-year-old one-armed Civil War veteran and nine men set out in four boats on the Green River from Green River Station, Wyoming. Those that stayed with the expedition would reach the Colorado River on a journey through the Grand Canyon. Four men left the group along the way. Powell and the remaining five adventurers travelled 1,000 miles in three months, surviving the treacherous rapids. He had satisfied his wish to know more of the geology and natural history of the canyon. He returned in 1871 for a second trip to produce a map and material for scientific publications. By Mar 1881, he began 13 years as director of the U.S. Geological Survey.« |
