Timeline

B.C.

circa 2000 Archaic Indians crafted split-twig animal figures, the earliest evidence of humans at the Grand Canyon.

circa 500 Anasazi & Cohonina Indians migrated to the Grand Canyon.

A.D.

circa 1185 Anasazi Indians built Tusayan Pueblo on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Over 2000 Anasazi sites have been discovered in and around the Grand Canyon.

1540 The first Europeans arrived at the Grand Canyon. Spanish Conquistadors of the Cornando Expedition stumbled upon the Canyon by accident while on their quest for the fabled Lost Cities of Gold.

1869 John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran, led the first documented expedition through the Grand Canyon by boat. The Powell expedition is one of the great epics of the exploration of the American West.

1883 John Hance became the first non-native resident at the Grand Canyon. This marked the beginning of early tourism and prospecting at the Canyon.

1902-1948 Mary Elisabeth Jane Colter, architect for the Fred Harvey Corporation constructed the Watch Tower at Desert Veiw and other historical buildings in and around the Grand Canyon.

1919 The Grand Canyon was declared a National Park.

1919-1960 Modern tourism and commercial ventures developed in and around the Grand Canyon Nattional Park. Including: mule trips down the Canyon, rafting down the Colorado River, air tours, and the building of lodges, restaurants, and camp grounds.

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B.C.
circa 2000	Archaic Indians crafted split-twig animal figures, the earliest evidence of humans at the Grand Canyon.
circa 500	Anasazi & Cohonina Indians migrated to the Grand Canyon.
A.D.
circa 1185	Anasazi Indians built Tusayan Pueblo on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Over 2000 Anasazi sites have been discovered in and around the Grand Canyon.
1540	The first Europeans arrived at the Grand Canyon. Spanish Conquistadors of the Cornando Expedition stumbled upon the Canyon by accident while on their quest for the fabled Lost Cities of Gold.
1869	John Wesley Powell, a one-armed Civil War veteran, led the first documented expedition through the Grand Canyon by boat. The Powell expedition is one of the great epics of the exploration of the American West.
1883	John Hance became the first non-native resident at the Grand Canyon. This marked the beginning of early tourism and prospecting at the Canyon.
1902-1948	Mary Elisabeth Jane Colter, architect for the Fred Harvey Corporation constructed the Watch Tower at Desert Veiw and other historical buildings in and around the Grand Canyon.
1919	The Grand Canyon was declared a National Park.
1919-1960	Modern tourism and commercial ventures developed in and around the Grand Canyon Nattional Park. Including: mule trips down the Canyon, rafting down the Colorado River, air tours, and the building of lodges, restaurants, and camp grounds.