Grand Canyon, Arizona: The Hidden History Behind an American Icon

Grand Canyon, Arizona. There's a scene in the show Mad Men that shook me up the first time I saw it. It's probably not the one you think. In the very first episode, the Draper family picnics along the interstate. The grass is green, the birds are out, and a small portable radio placed softly on a red and white checkered blanket. It's a deeply nostalgic picture of 1960s America. Is Bobby in the car again? No, he's running around. So I don't understand. You'd rather play checkers than my Look at the Clouds game.

TIMELINE
1880: New York City scavengers removed 15,000 dead horses from the streets in 1880.
1916: As late as 1916, when motor vehicles dominated the streets, Chicago scavengers still had to remove 9,202 carcasses.
1919: The Grand Canyon today remains more or less identical to the marvel that Roosevelt visited, though it did not become an official national park until 1919, 16 years later.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Grand Canyon is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 80 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 187 (Globe, Arizona)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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