This week in history

March 2, 1899 Mount Rainier National Park was established when President William McKinley signed federal legislation. Originally called Tacoma or Tahoma by generations of Northwest Native Americans, the peak was named after British Admiral Peter Rainier.

The first European to see the volcanic peak was explorer George Vancouver in 1792. A century later, naturalist John Muir visited the Mount Rainier region. He recommended that it be designated a national park. Following the designation as a national park, some critics charged the act was merely a congressional ruse to aid the Northern Pacific Railroad.

Source(s): Library of Congress / National Park Service

Compiled by Bob Valen