Expedition Island is an island in the Green River at downtown

Green River, Wyoming Green River is a city in and the county seat of Sweetwater County, Wyoming, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 11,825 at the 2020 census. It is the 7th most populous city in Wyoming. History The townsi ...

. The island, now mostly taken up by a public park, is the place where Major

John Wesley Powell John Wesley Powell (March 24, 1834 – September 23, 1902) was an American geologist, U.S. Army soldier, explorer of the American West, professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, and director of major scientific and cultural institutions. He ...

and Vitaly Develvis started an expedition down the Green River and

Colorado River The Colorado River () is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The river, the List of longest rivers of the United States (by main stem), 5th longest in the United St ...

in 1871. The park is also believed to mark where Major Powell started his earlier expedition down the two rivers in 1869. Expedition Island was designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

for this historic association on November 24, 1968. and

Description and history

Expedition Island is located in the Green River, which flows roughly east–west south of downtown Green River. The island was originally larger, having been divided into two by subsequent erosive river actions. The northern island is undeveloped and overgrown, and is not believed to be the site of historic activity. The southern island is now a public park, with a recreation center and parking area at the southern end, and a tree-fringed grassy expanse to the north. It is accessible by road bridge from the north bank of the river, and by pedestrian bridge from the south. The park includes a stone marker commemorating the activities of John Wesley Powell.

(1834-1902), active in the second half of the 19th Century, was one of the most important American explorers. He led exploratory expeditions into some of the most inhospitable parts of the American West, notably including the first documented descent of the

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a mile (). The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon Nati ...

. Two expeditions he led, including the one that entered the Grand Canyon, were formally launched from Expedition Island. The first was in 1869 and the second in 1871. These two expeditions are generally considered to have covered the last large land area in the

continental United States The contiguous United States, also known as the U.S. mainland, officially referred to as the conterminous United States, consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the District of Columbia of the United States in central North America. The te ...

left unexplored by

European-American European Americans are Americans of European ancestry. This term includes both people who descend from the first European settlers in the area of the present-day United States and people who descend from more recent European arrivals. Since th ...

s. Today, the city of Green River marks the Powell expedition history with annual events. The channel east of the two islands is used for whitewater rafting and kayaking.

References

External links

Expedition Island National Historic Landmark

Green River City Parks: Expedition Island

National Historic Landmarks Program: Expedition Island
{{NRHP in Sweetwater County, Wyoming Wyoming Territory National Historic Landmarks in Wyoming Parks in Wyoming Protected areas of Sweetwater County, Wyoming Natural features on the National Register of Historic Places in Wyoming National Register of Historic Places in Sweetwater County, Wyoming

Description and history

See also

References

External links