1823 | First known party of white men,
led by fur-trader Jedediah Smith, passed through the White River
Badlands. |
1849 | First scientific party, under
Dr. John Evans, collected paleontological specimens from the
Badlands. |
1855 | The General William Harney
Expedition, en route from Fort Laramie to Fort Pierre, passed through
the present national monument. |
1868 | Present western South Dakota
reserved to the Sioux by Fort Laramie Treaty. |
1874 | Dr. O. C. Marsh, distinguished
Yale scientist, and party visited Badlands region. |
1890 | Much of the Badlands restored
to public domain to be opened eventually to white settlement.
A band of Sioux, under Chief Big Foot, passed through
the area of the present national monument en route to Wounded Knee,
where many were killed in battle with the army.
|
1907 | The Chicago, Milwaukee and St.
Paul Railroad built through Interior near southern boundary of area. The
Chicago and North Western Railway constructed through Philip and Wall
near northern boundary. |
1909 | The South Dakota Legislature
petitioned Congress to set aside a township in the Badlands region for a
national park. |
1922 | Senator Peter Norbeck introduced
the first bill in Congress to make a portion of the Badlands a national
park. |
1929 | Badlands National Monument,
comprising some 50,830 acres, authorized by Congress. |
1936 | Law enacted authorizing
enlargement of the proposed national monument to 250,000 acres by
presidential proclamation. |
1939 | Badlands National Monument,
comprising about 150,000 acres, established by presidential
proclamation. |
1952 | Congress authorized reduction in
size of national monument. Area reduced by about 27,000 acres. |
1957 | Area further reduced by
approximately 11,000 acres, leaving the national monument with an
official acreage of 111,529.82 acres. |
1959 | Visitor center completed.
Badlands National Monument dedicated by Secretary of the Interior Fred
A. Seaton. |
1963 | Bison reintroduced to the
Badlands. |
1964 | Bighorn reintroduced to the
Badlands. Cedar Pass Lodge acquired by the National Park
Service. |