Parkography

Alcatraz and the Civil War

In the late 1840s, the U.S. government seized control of California from the Republic of Mexico and immediately went to work on protecting the new land. Located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, an island called Alcatraz was identified as a place of exceptional military utility. Nearly surrounded on all sides, it was ideally positioned to protect the entrance to the bay.
You may know Alcatraz as the so-called inescapable prison which housed Al Capone and George "Machine-Gun" Kelly, and then was immortalized in the film Escape from Alcatraz, but its history began long before.
On this episode, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area's Alcatraz Island, and its role during the civil war.
More info and music credits at nationalparkpodcast.com/alcatraz.

The Curse of the Petrified Forest

In a small section of the painted desert of Arizona, you can find forests of crumbled trees, preserved as stone. Over 200 million years ago, these large conifers were uprooted by floods, then washed down from the highlands and buried by silt. Water seeping through the wood replaced decaying organic material cell by cell with multicolored silica. The land was lifted up by geological upheaval, and erosion began to expose the long-buried, now petrified wood.
In the modern age, the trees have their own stories, having become one of the iconic road trip destinations along Route 66. On this episode of the America's National Parks Podcast, Petrified Forest National Park and the curse of the Petrified Forest. 
Show notes and more info at http://nationalparkpodcast.com/the-curse-of-the-petrified-forest/

Drunken Subterranian Terrorism

Elevators might seem like a strange topic for a National Park Podcast, but today we're going to talk about a special elevator. In 1931, the National Park constructed what was then the second highest (or shall we say deepest) elevator shaft in the world — descending tourists 754' into the wonders of Carlsbad Caverns National Park — and it's been at the center of some pretty wild incidents. 
National Park Service Resources related to this episode, music credits and more at nationalparkpodcast.com/drunken-subterranian-terrorism-carlsbad-caverns

Dred and Harriet Scott

On April 6th, 1846, Dred and Harriet Scott walked into the unfinished St. Louis Courthouse in downtown Saint Louis, Missouri, and in an act of bravery, filed separate petitions against Irene Emerson for their freedom.On that day, one of the most important lawsuits in American history, one that would ultimately hasten the start of the Civil War and divide an already divided country, began. It would take ten years and reach as far as the supreme court before it ended.
On this episode of America's National Parks Podcast, the Dred Scott Case, and Gateway Arch National Park.
A full transcript, resources for further study, and music credits are available at nationalparkpodcast.com/dred-and-harriet-scott.

Legends of Denali

In 1896, the highest summit in America was named by a gold prospector in support for then-presidential candidate William McKinley, who became president the following year. Of course, for centuries before, it had gone by a different name.
On this week's episode of America's National Parks, Denali, the 20,310 Alaskan summit, and the six million acres of land that surround it in Denali National Park.
Show notes, music credits, and more info at nationalparkpodcast.com/legendsofdenali.

Lady Liberty

The Statue of Liberty stands out in New York Harbor, bearing her torch, welcoming tourists and immigrants with the American spirit of Liberty. Her story is complicated, and many apocryphal tales abound of her sitting disassembled for years while Americans tried to figure out how to assemble it. The truth is much more interesting.
Today on America's National Parks, The Statue of Liberty and the history of Liberty Island.
Show notes, music credits, and more info at nationalparkpodcast.com/ladyliberty.

Delicate Arch, and the Strange 1950s Schemes to Reinforce It

There's one natural rock arch that's known better than all others in the US, in fact, it's on the state of Utah's license plate. It had its own postage stamp, and the 2002 Winter Olympics torch relay passed through it. On this episode of America's National Parks, Delicate Arch, and the strange history of attempts to protect it at Arches National Park.
Show notes and more info at nationalparkpodcast.com.

Muir, Roosevelt, and Yosemite: A Camping Trip That Changed the World

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt ditched his secret service detail to go camping in the woods of Yosemite with celebrated naturalist John Muir. Through his writings, Muir taught the importance of experiencing and protecting our natural world. That camping trip changed the face of conservation in the United States. Together, sleeping on the forest floor below the sequoias, they laid the foundation for the next century of federal land preservation.
On this episode of America's National Parks, Yosemite, John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and a man who was along for the ride, in their own words.
Show notes at nationalparkpodcast.com.