Visitors in the early 1900s view Crater Lake and Wizard Island, formed from an ancient volcano in the Cascade Range. William Gladstone Steel first hiked to its rim 130 years ago and later helped measure its depth using weighted piano wire.
Lloyd Smith Photo Collections
Every week, Oregon Experience shares a photo highlighting the state's diverse, exciting history.
Born in Ohio in 1854, William Gladstone Steel read about isolated Crater Lake in rugged Southern Oregon years before he laid eyes on it. Standing awestruck on its rim in 1885, he determined to insure it would remain in the public domain. He badgered anyone he thought could help and in 1902 Crater Lake National Park was finally established.
To draw visitors, Steel pushed for more roads, repaired hiking trails, constructed telephone and water systems and secured financing for a lodge. A controversial figure, pushed out of his job as the park's second superintendent, Steel was later given a mostly honorary position as park magistrate.
Watch the Oregon Experience documentary "William Gladstone Steel" to learn how the "Father of Crater Lake" also helped establish millions of acres in the Cascade Range as a national reserve.
This series is in partnership with The Oregon Historical Society