Railroad construction along the southern edge of Glacier opened the area to settlement and created an interest in its potential tourist attractions. General passenger agent F. I. Whitney quickly looked for salable areas along the line which would attract tourists and build railroad travel. It is impossible to underestimate the influence of the Great Northern in engendering interest in Glacier because of their constant competition with other railroads, (particularly with the Northern Pacific, which grandly advertised the accessibility of the Yellowstone region via their railroad). Thus, Whitney encouraged Dr. Sperry and others to locate "attractions" which might produce tourism in the region close to the railroad. Even though the Great Northern did not spend money to develop facilities in the area, their interest in the region became obvious when the park bill was signed, and their massive construction program began immediately thereafter. Later, George Bird Grinnell wrote that the people of the Great Northern were entirely responsible for the creation of Glacier. In 1929, Grinnell stated: "Important men in control of the Great Northern Rail road were made to see the possibilities of the region and after nearly twenty years of effort, a bill setting aside the park was passed."

Dr. Lyman B. Sperry, a college professor and traveling lecturer, visited Glacier in the 1890s and became an ardent publicist for the region as well as an advocate for its preservation. His interest in the Avalanche Basin and Sperry Glacier areas led him to encourage tourism through the development of some of the first trails carved into that country. (Courtesy of Glacier National Park Historical Collections)

During the 1890s, Dr. Sperry and L. O. Vaught, as well as many others, visited these mountains and became impressed with their beauty. Some purchased homesites within the area and others, like Sperry and Vaught, passed up the ownership possibility. Similarly, in the early 1890s, the United States Forest Commission, under its chairman Charles S. Sargent, became significantly impressed with the area and thus Congress designated the Glacier region for inclusion in the newly organized "Lewis and Clark Forest Reserve." John Muir visited the area at that time and in his book, Our National Parks, he recommended: "Get off the track at Belton Station, and in a few minutes you will find yourself in the midst of what you are sure to say is the best care-killing scenery on the continent." And Muir concluded: "Give a month at least to this precious reserve. The time will not be taken from the sum of your life. Instead of shortening, it will indefinitely lengthen it and make you truly immortal. Nevermore will time seem short or long, and cares will never again fall heavily on you, but gently and kindly as gifts from heaven." Since the region was becoming a "resort," "tourist attraction," or "playground" as a result of the railroad proximity, and since the copper and oil and other mining activities seemed to boom momentarily, supporters had to wait before advocating the "park" status to provide additional protection.

By 1901, other individuals proposed preservation in Glacier. Two United States Geological Survey members, Drs. Francois Matthes and Bailey Willis, surveyed the area east of the Continental Divide, became deeply impressed with its natural beauty, and, according to separate accounts, both suggested that the region be preserved as a national park. At the same time, Grinnell publicized the area in another descriptive essay in Century magazine, with the article entitled "The Crown of the Continent." After detailing the beauties and unique features of these mountains, Grinnell again emphasized their recreational value and suggested that additional protection would insure these recreational values for the future. Grinnell and others continued to wait until mining interests in the region proved a failure before pushing for the national park legislation.

During 1905 and 1906, it became apparent that the enthusiasm for mineral wealth and oil development had faded. Grinnell and other influential preservationists apparently carried their cause to James J. Hill and other Great Northern officials, who in turn gave the Montana Congressional delegation the task of advocating the legislation for a park.

Jim Hill, while supporting Glacier as a national park, could not easily qualify as a regular "preservationist." In 1910, the Kalispell Daily Inter Lake quoted Hill's remark that "conservation does not mean forbidding access to resources that could be made available for present use. It means the forests and [their] largest development . . . consistent with the public interest and without waste." Regardless, Hill's influence apparently made the park possible. As Dr. Sperry wrote in 1915 to P. N. Bernard of the Kalispell Chamber of Commerce: "While its [the park's] creation would—probably—not have been made when it was except for the influence of such men as yourself and various Chambers of Commerce in Mont. it is equally true that the proposition did not take on signs of life in Washington till the Great Northern officials had told Senator Carter to 'Go to it.'"

Senator Thomas H. Carter of Montana apparently shared Hill's view opposing the forest reserve concept. He believed that the conservation movement prohibited the full development of resources and impeded the industrial growth of Montana. Nevertheless, Carter, with the additional support of Senator Joseph M. Dixon and Representative Charles N. Pray, introduced legislation to organize the park on December 11, 1907.

During the following two and a half years, Congress studied, debated, amended, and finally approved the park legislation. Opposition to the park came from a minority of Congressmen who opposed the Federal expenditure of money for "parks" in general and from some bureaucrats who were philosophically opposed to preservation. In 1908, the Secretary of the Interior James R. Garfield wrote: "I do not believe the citizens of Montana and nearby states should be deprived of the use of such mature timber as may be removed without injury to the Forest or without interfering with the purposes of the proposed park." Similarly, Secretary of Agriculture James Wilson wrote that the mature timber should be removed and that a railroad route had been located along the North Fork of the Flathead. He argued that the construction of a railroad in that location would not "interfere with the Park." Wilson mirrored the feeling of some Flathead Valley residents who believed that additional mountain passes existed within the proposed park which could admit another railroad into their valley. Their fear of a Great Northern monopoly in their valley seemed justified since the Great Northern supported the park legislation.

In addition, some indications that timber would be cut in the Lake McDonald area while Congress was considering this legislation encouraged W. C. Whipps of Kalispell to write to Senators Carter and Dixon urging the immediate protection of the area. Whipps gained the support of a number of Kalispell business leaders and influential citizens and stated that "the majority of people in this country do not object to the Creation of a Park if created within certain boundaries, confining it to the Lake McDonald region proper and eliminating some of the restrictions which obtain in the Yellowstone National Park." Whipps suggested that the private farmland in the North Fork should remain unaffected, that hunting should be allowed, and that the railroad routes through the area should be protected for their potential development. Whipps considered only a section of the proposed park worthy of "preservation" and emphasized those "uses" which valley residents felt should continue. Similarly, the private landowners along the North Fork opposed the creation of a park because they feared government restrictions or even the possible loss of their land. Even Director F. H. Newell of the United States Reclamation Service argued for protection of the irrigation and reservoir projects on the park's east side and gained an amendment to the bill on the basis that $300,000 had already been spent on development. Thus, by adding amendments or additional provisions protecting the interests of private land, reclamation, mining, railroads, and a few other utilitarian concerns, the final park legislation took its form. After Congress rejected two previous bills to make the area a National Park, the final bill passed the Senate under the direction of Senators Carter and Dixon early in 1910, was approved by the House of Representatives under the guidance of Congressman Pray, and was presented to President Taft in early May 1910.

Recreational interest in these mountains grew slowly. People who could afford extensive vacations of several weeks duration—which Glacier would require—many times preferred to go to Europe. The national park movement became somewhat nationalistic in the sense that it offered competitive attractions to foreign travel. Glacier would be called the "American Alps" and the "Switzerland of America." (Courtesy of Glacier National Park Historical Collections)

While other national park proposals faced severe opposition, the Glacier Park bill passed without a ma]or controversy. Conservationists locked in combat over the proper use of the Hetch Hetchy Valley of California during this same period expressed a mood of general agreement on the proposal for Glacier Park. The argument for preserving its scenery, the glaciers it contained and its wildlife seemed to convince everyone, including the Congressmen, of its merit for park status. Historian Scheire added that the idea of a park was the result of four general trends: first, Glacier remained as an example of a wilderness environment which men like Grinnell, Muir, and others considered necessary to preserve so that modern man could "cleanse his soul of the rust of machine-driven civilization"; second, Glacier was perceived by the people as a "playground," and recreational activities like boating, horse riding, hiking, fishing, and the like, found a natural location in these mountains and could contain, as the park bill stated: "a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people . . ."; third, Glacier was an "Outdoor laboratory—Museum" of interest to geologists, biologists, zoologists, and other scientists who could examine the various wonders of nature and use the park as a "museum of the ages"; and finally, Glacier Park provided an example of a "nationalistic symbol."

Upon President Taft's signature of the Glacier Park bill, Congressman Charles N. Pray of Montana jotted this note to George Bird Grinnell. (Courtesy of Glacier National Park Historical Collections)

To Americans who became alarmed over the increased spending of American dollars on European travel, having an "American Alps," a "Switzerland of the United States," or a tourist attraction better than that of any other nation, Glacier ranked high in competition with Canadian or European resorts or attractions. When discussing Glacier, Senator "Pitchfork Ben" Tillman of South Carolina stated: "It is very ridiculous to me to see the amount of money spent by Americans to see the scenery of Europe without having first seen what we have at home." Glacier, then, fulfilled the ideals of wilderness preservation, recreation land, scientific laboratory, and nationalistic symbol. It began its existence by attempting to fulfill everyone's desires.

Thus, President William Howard Taft signed the bill creating Glacier National Park on May 11, 1910. Congressman Pray immediately scribbled a note to George Bird Grinnell stating: "I have been notified by telephone from the White House that the President had just signed the Glacier National Park bill. The bill has now become a law and I sincerely hope that someday in the near future, when you are in the West on your summer vacation, that I may have the great pleasure of meeting you in the new National Park. With many thanks for your assistance in creating a sentiment favorable to this measure. . ." The legislative efforts of Congressman Pray, the publicity and concern of Grinnell, and the efforts of countless others ended successfully with Glacier's establishment. But the bill which passed contained numerous provisions protecting special "users." So rather than having the "preservation of the park in a state of nature," Glacier began its existence more like a modified national forest. How the area would be administered, developed, and used was now up to government officials designated to protect it and to the American public which was expected to "enjoy" it.