author
W. G. (William Gladstone) Steel
1854–1934
Best known as the driving force behind the creation of Crater Lake National Park, this Oregon conservationist spent years turning admiration for a landscape into public action. He also helped shape the region’s mountaineering and historical organizations, leaving a lasting mark on the Pacific Northwest.
1 Audiobook
The Mountains of Oregon
by W. G. (William Gladstone) Steel
About the author
Born in Ohio in 1854 and raised in a family with strong abolitionist ties, he later moved west and made Oregon his home. He worked in journalism and as a mail carrier, but he became most widely remembered for his devotion to protecting Crater Lake.
After visiting Crater Lake in 1885, he began a long campaign to persuade Congress to preserve it. That effort lasted 17 years and helped lead to the creation of Crater Lake National Park in 1902, which is why he is often called the park’s father.
His public life reached beyond Crater Lake. He was a founder of the Mazamas mountaineering club, helped organize the Oregon Historical Society, and served as the first president of the Oregon Geographic Names Board. In later years he also served as a park commissioner at Crater Lake, continuing the work that had defined his life.