Exploring the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's Trip Through the Grand Canyon

Exploring the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s Trip Through the Grand Canyon

Sandy Sunseri and Chris Glenn, MNA Docents

Today millions of travelers visit the Grand Canyon each year, but just 140 years ago it was still considered the "last blank spot on the map." One man, a one-armed civil war veteran, was determined to navigate and document the Colorado River as it winds through the Canyon. So, on May 24, 1869, John Wesley Powell set out with 9 men, 4 boats, and 10 months of rations on an adventure that would nearly kill them. Three months later Powell emerged 1,000 miles down river with 5 men, 2 boats, and only 1 week of moldy flour left. Listen to their story and see film clips of the raging Colorado.