CHRONOLOGY OF BADLANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT AND THE WHITE RIVER (BIG)
BADLANDS OF SOUTH DAKOTA
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.
[Illustration: Figure 1 LES MAUVAISES TERRES,
NEBRASKA
This is the earliest published view of the White River Badlands. The
sketch was made in 1849 by Dr. John Evans when he was in the field
with the Owen Geological Survey. The region at that time was a part
of Nebraska Territory.]