The National Parks: America's Best Idea

Add to My Shows

Uncategorized

Absolute Favorite

First Aired: Sep. 29, 2009 on PBS

Rate Episode:

+ Mark Episode as 'Watched'

Season 1 » Episode #03 - Episode Three: The Empire of Grandeur (1915–1919)

The National Parks: America's Best Idea - 01x03 Episode Three: The Empire of Grandeur (1915–1919)

Summary: In the early 20th century, America has a dozen national parks, but they are a haphazard patchwork of special places under the supervision of different federal agencies. The conservation movement, after failing to stop the Hetch Hetchy dam, pushes the government to establish one unified agency to oversee all the parks, leading to the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916. Its first director, Stephen Mather, a wealthy businessman and passionate park advocate who fought vigorously to establish the NPS, launches an energetic campaign to expand the national park system and bring more visitors to the parks. Among his efforts is to protect the Grand Canyon from encroaching commercial interests and establish it as a national park, rather than a national monument.

Who appeared in this episode?

[no credits found]

Guest Stars:

Narrator

voiced by Peter Coyote

Episode Quotes

[none added]

Mistakes/Goofs

[none added]

Trivia

[none added]