(Page, AZ) - Though Native Americans have been gathering at Rainbow Bridge for thousands of years, it's only been a century since the stone bridge along the Utah-Arizona border has been recognized as a national monument.

Sunday, May 30, the centennial of the monument was marked by the National Park Service. The commemorative occasion affords an opportunity to examine the rich heritage, cultural and natural history of this iconic image of the American Southwest.

Precisely when the first human being stood in awe of Rainbow Bridge might never be known, but it is likely that the people of the Southwest have been interacting with the bridge for thousands of years, according to Chuck Smith, the district ranger assigned to the monument. Five contemporary tribes or nations claim Rainbow Bridge as a site that is integral to their heritage and cultural identity, and the lineage of these groups’ tracks back through time to this distant point, Ranger Smith notes.

Here, as told by Ranger Chuck Smith, is his account of the "recent" history of the monument:

What has been established is a clear history of the Anglo discovery of Rainbow Bridge. The story begins in 1907 with word from a local Navajo man of a colossal natural bridge near the Colorado River below Navajo Mountain. This information eventually reached and intrigued Byron Cummings, a University of Utah dean and professor who was already petitioning for establishment of Utah’s first national monument, Natural Bridges, in 1908.

Collaborating with federal surveyor William Douglass, Cummings organized an exploration party that included himself, Douglass, a local trader and guide named John Wetherill, a Paiute guide named Nasja Begay, and a Ute Mountain Ute guide named Jim Mike. Eight other men from both the University of Utah and Douglass’ group took part in the expedition.

What lay ahead for these men of remarkable grit and determination were a four and half day pack train expedition through the rugged, hot wilderness of Arizona and Utah enroute to the purported bridge. Their search was not in vain. Shortly before noon, August 14, 1909, Cummings rounded a bend in Bridge Canyon and is said to have shouted out: “Eureka, there she is.”

The struggles and challenges the Douglas/Cummings discovery party assured the proclamation of Rainbow Bridge National Monument eight and a half months later. Although their lofty goal was to have this colossal bridge set aside as a national monument, if it did indeed exist, their saga doesn’t come close to telling the whole story of how Rainbow Bridge in far southern Utah received protected status.

The early 20th century marked a period of excitement for people concerned about preservation of the nation’s cultural and natural resources. In that conservation conscious environment, the idea of sustained support for preserving natural national treasures resonated well with public opinion. In 1906, Congress passed the Antiquities Act. The creators of the legislation went beyond saving Antiquities from plunder and further gave the President the authority by proclamation to establish historic landmarks, prehistoric structures, and objects of scientific interest as national monuments on federal land.

Several government bureaus and agencies collaborated, compromised, bickered, and argued over not only what would qualify sites for protected status but who would preside over these newly established National Monuments. The word scientific was carefully selected providing greater latitude for the power of the president's pen.

The first national monument, Devils Tower in Wyoming, was proclaimed by Theodore Roosevelt on September 24, 1906. Byron Cummings and William Douglas knew the value of the Antiquities Act and having surveyed the area of Natural Bridges in 1907; its was due in large part to their efforts, that National Monument status was secured the following year for Utah’s first national monument. By the end of 1908, Roosevelt had declared another sixteen monuments, including Gila Cliff Dwellings and Grand Canyon.

On May 30, 1910, due to its value as a “scientific example of eccentric stream erosion” President William Howard Taft signed the Proclamation which designated the 160-acre Rainbow Bridge National Monument. The presidential authority granted by the Antiquities Act is not without controversy; however, almost every president has found reason to invoke the Antiquities Act to protect important cultural and natural resources.

Perhaps no other unit of the National Park System, once remote and inaccessible, has become easily reached via the waters of Lake Powell. This accessibility helps magnify the importance of preserving Rainbow Bridge and its many stories for future generations of visitors.

The staff of the National Park Service and partners is hosting a series of events to commemorate the bridge’s 100th anniversary. The centennial provides an opportunity to tell the stories of some of the early explorers, many of whom left eloquent descriptions of their encounter with Rainbow Bridge and of life along the trail.

For a timeline of the history of Rainbow Bridge go to www.nps.gov

For a list of upcoming events and activities, periodically check the Rainbow Bridge website at www.nps.gov for updates.