Grand County High School - Mograndah Yearbook (Moab, UT)

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Father of the Arches Millions of years ago the Winds, using small particles of sand as chisels, and aided loy the seasonal temperature changes and storms, loe- gan a jolo of sculpturing which has resulted in the spacious artistic Won- derland lcnovvn as ARCHES NATIONAL MONUMENT. Today, the scenic heauty oi the Arches has loecome nationally, even internationally lcnovvn. lmportant magazines have carried pictures and stories ol the Arches to millions of readers. lndividuals who have seen the color of the desert tell oi its Wonders. As a result, each year lorings greater numlners of people to visit the Monument and see the natural sandstone arches and monolithic formations. Nature provided the heauty found in the Arches long ago. Yet, a lull appreciation lay manliind oi this aesthetic value has loeen only during recent years. ln fact, it Was not until i938 that President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued the proclamation which set aside the present Arches National Monument consisting oi 33,390 acres, attended lay a superin- tendent and rangers who direct the thousands oi visitors and lieep the natural beauties of the area in lasting condition. While the Monument is very young, it is quiet possilole it might have loeen much younger, or perhaps, not even yet set aside, except for the continuous efforts ol one man,-flVloal:J,s respected, lueloved centurian, Dr. rl. VV. Williams. lt Was Dr. Williams who came to lVloalo as a young physician aloout lilty years ago for one particular r-eason. l-le lilced the loeautilul scenery. He not only lilced it,-he tallied aloout it in flowing Words. He told the 5

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Dedication The I952-'53 Mograndah is Dedicafecl +o DR. J. W. WILLIAMS 66 99 Father of the Arches

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peopte ot Moab, the organizations ot Grand County, even governmental agencies, ot the scenic values and the need for their preservation. It Was these ettorts ot Dr. Williams, through the Moab Lions Ctuh, the Times independent, county and city officials, that the Arches National Monu- ment came into existence as it is today. Time and the elements cut the crevices, rounded the corners, and mettowed the texture ot the Arches. So time and the elements changed the countenance ot Dr. Williams. The changes ot nature,s forces upon the sandstones only made them more impressive, more aesthetic. A cen- turyts living, White taking away the earmartcs ot youth, only added toenevotence and character to the tace ot Dr. Williams which comes not only from time, hut also from knowing that lite has heen Welt tived. August 3, 1853, was the hirth date ot Dr. Vvittiams. He was horn in a smatt tog cahin with a dirt ttoor in Pike County, Missouri. His father was a farmer. Une ot Dr. Williams' earliest memories is ot helping his mother feed the chickens. The childhood education ot Moah's future citizen was obtained the hard Way tamitiar to many early pioneers ot the West. Dr. Williams continued his puhtic education until he was 18 years of age. During the summers he Worked as a tarmhand to earn enough money to provide his schoot needs. it was during one of these summers that he became overheated White working in a corn tietd. For the next three years he could do no Wort: during the hot summer time. it was in search tor a climate agreeatote for his health which hrought him to the west and event- uatty to Utah. tcontinuect on page 345 6