Death Valley National Monument, 1950s

[Music] Death Valley National Monument situated in the western part of the United States is one of the many parks and monuments set aside by the government for the Perpetual use and enjoyment of mankind the monument lies partly in Nevada but mostly in California and contains nearly 3,000 square miles of this area about 550 square miles are below the level of the sea it was created a national monument in 1933 and enlarged to its present size in 1937 from the aawat mountains which form the southern barer we look down into this unique 140m long depression or fault which varies from 4 to 16 m in width now let us visit this fascinating Valley of color and sunshine created eons ago and changed but little with the passing of time after entering the monument from Death Valley Junction we follow a paved road down Furnace Creek wash into that weird and Silent region spawned millions of years ago when Mother Earth heaved and twisted with Mighty convulsions and molded these black Mountains from the oldest rocks on the planet rocks formed in Nature's cauldron during the archeozoic Age over a billion years ago the funeral mountains are part of the amagosa range the Paleozoic rocks found in these mountains contain fossil remains of marine life deposits amassed during the tens of millions of years this region was submerged below the sea fossil tracks of prehistoric animals and birds are found in parts of the valley some here beneath tuy Mountain naturalists tell us that during the Ice Age Death Valley instead of being filled with ice contained a large lake around which primitive forms of life gathered some of these creatures literally left their footprints in the sands of time for Park Rangers constantly uncover age-old links with the best such as this petrified imprint left by a camel and these pad marks left by a giant cat a flesh Eater of the primordial World in greenwater Canyon a Barren Sun stricken waste we find the symbols left behind by a people who have vanished into the void of time petroglyphs picture writing on the Rocks indicate that members of a primitive race once roamed this desolate region the Restless feet of stone AG men marked out this path through greenwater Canyon and during their migrations the stone Carvers chiseled out messages to those who would follow these crude symbols scratched into the Rocks prove the existence of an ancient people but who they were where they originated and what became of them are Mysteries still unsolved the Panamint Indians an offshoot of the Shoni Nation who have lived in Death Valley for centuries is form our next link with the past an Indian village has been established for the survivors of these early settlers in this Valley They Call Tamisha or ground of Fire Johnny shason now pass his H 100th year greeted the first party of white men to enter the valley in 1849 the Furnace Creek Springs were discovered during the winter 1849 by a band of weary gold Seekers looking for a shortcut to California upon reaching these Springs they thought their hardships were over but soon their visions of green fields ahead were Shattered by this scene of Sal plats and the Towering panins Beyond despite great hardships the Benet Arcane section of the party continued Southward along the valley floor until they discovered Bennett Wells here they camped for several weeks while Lewis Manley and John Rogers made an Epic Journey for help while waiting for these men to return the balance of the party broke up their wagons for fuel and slaughtered most of their oxen for food when after months of tragic suffering Manley finally led the party to the crest of the Panamint they paused to gaze back over the vast Wasteland and then uttered a farewell goodbye Death Valley and this name has been used ever since cotton ball borax started the real development of Death Valley this crude form of the mineral was found in 1873 by a prospector named Aaron winters at this very spot a discovery that proved of great importance in order to refine the crude borax into a commercial form for transportation out of the valley by 20 Mule teams the harmony borax Works were established in 1881 for a long time the industry prospered but when its low-grade product could no no longer compete with the borax from other regions the Enterprise was abandoned Ryan then became the center of a prosperous borax mining industry in the early 1900s when a solid form of the mineral was found beneath this Black Top Mountain the Ryan or was named colemanite after the man who found it Razer right a higher gr or was then discovered near Mojave and practically all borax activity ended in Death Valley the monument is administered by a superintendent of the National Park Service with officers in the valley the park superintendent and chief Ranger Park headquarters furnish full information to visitors and the Rangers Patrol the roads to give assistance where needed in the sink of the Valley Pools have formed in the deposits of rock salt and on these pools float the most delicate crystals of almost pure salt badwater pool acts as a mirror for 11,45 Ft telescope Peak from badwater pool lowest point in the Western Hemisphere we look far up the side of the black mountains and there see the sign which marks sea level standing now at Mile High dant's View we look down some 6,000 ft far below lie bad water and the Great Salt beds where temperatures often exceed 130° fahr to the north stretches the vast expanse of Death Valley across the valley in the Panamint mountains telescope Peak raises its snow covered head while to the southeast some 50 air miles away in Nevada the sun glints on Mount Charleston's snowy top far to the Northwest Towers the monarch of the sieras Mount Whitney 14 , 496 ft highest mountain in the United States proper the mainway down Furnace Creek wash leads to the Valley's floor passing near some of the Monument's outstanding Beauty spots such as 20 Mule Team Canyon its grotesque landscape suggesting scenes on the moon further down Furnace Creek wash and only a short distance from the road stands famous zabriski point from where we view some of Nature's weirdest handiwork Earth shattering convulsion shook this region millions of years ago upheaving and mingling lava Ash and rock after which centuries of erosion carved out these fantastic formations along the artist Drive Walled with volcanic rolly every Bend in the road unfolds such scenes as these pastels by the master paint from below sea level we travel northward climbing ever upward wood until we reach an elevation of 3,000 ft at Scotty's Castle on our way to the castle we travel for Miles through a desert Garden of cactus and shrub cotton top Cactus are numerous the brilliant beaver tail Cactus adds a cheerful Hue to the dry landscape this Evergreen creosote bush with its bright yellow flowers has a high medicinal reputation with the Indians Scotty's Castle that fabulous $2 million edifice in Grapevine Canyon attracts thousands of visitors annually for the name of Scotty is Magic a few years before the turn of the century Walter Scott rode into Death Valley on a mule as a young prospector he experienced his full share of hardships and disappointments but being an unusual individual he succeeded in resting life riches comfort and everlasting Fame from the harsh unfriendly desert handcarved woodwork imported objects of Art and the Magnificent pipe organ are some of the surprises in this Dream Castle of death Valley's most glamorous character the clock tower measures the passing of time in a land where time is endless near the center of the valley there are 60 square miles covered with sand dunes we reach the dunes in late afternoon just as the Long Shadows are casting an enchanting glow over their curved and rippled surfaces we look across the darkening desert as the sun's last Rays glow purple and gold on telescope Peak to Herald that another night is descending upon Death [Music] Valley