June 13th, 2016 brings us 73-days away from the National Park Service Centennial. In this edition of the #CentennialCountdown we go back 73-years to 1943 the the creation of Jackson Hole National Monument.
For this story we go back to 1927 when John D. Rockefeller Jr. agreed to by over 100,000 acres of land to donate to the government for the creation of a National Park (current day Grand Teton). In 1930 through the Snake River Land Company, Rockefeller had bought all of the desired land. The locals were none to pleased with the eastern millionaire and started up 'The Grand Teton' a local newspaper that was formed to fight the enlargement of the park. By 1933 all that needed to happen was for Congress to accept the land and expand the park. Without support from Wyoming law makers the legislation never got wings, finally in 1943, through executive order President Franklin Roosevelt created Jackson Hole National Monument. It wasn't until 1950 that Jackson Hole National Monument was added to Grand Teton National Park. (Establishment of Grand Teton National Park, WyoHistory)
