Page history

Page is one of the youngest cities in the state of Arizona. Its history does not stretch back centuries but rather serves as a vivid example of 20th-century urban planning. It was founded in 1957 as a planned community, established with a specific pragmatic purpose.

Foundation and First Mentions

The appearance of the city on the map is directly linked to an ambitious project by the US Bureau of Reclamation: the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam on the Colorado River. Page began as a temporary camp to accommodate workers, engineers, and their families who were tasked with building the giant dam in a remote desert area. The settlement was named in honour of John C. Page, a former Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation.

Key Factors of Formation

• Geography and Isolation: The site for the city was chosen on Manson Mesa. The distance from major populated areas made it necessary to create fully autonomous infrastructure right in the middle of the desert.
• Land Exchange: The territory where the city now stands originally belonged to the Navajo Nation. To establish Page, a land exchange was executed between the US government and the tribe, allowing a plot to be allocated for the construction of a federal city.
• Infrastructural Role: Page became a logistical centre not only for the dam but also for the construction of the Glen Canyon Bridge, which connected the riverbanks and simplified transport links in the region.

Early Cultural and Economic Features

In its first decades, Page's economy was mono-profile and entirely dependent on federal funding and the progress of construction work. It was a classic example of a "government town", where all social life revolved around the construction site. Schools, places of worship, and shops quickly appeared here, turning the temporary camp into a proper home for thousands of people.

After the completion of the dam in the 1960s and the filling of the Lake Powell reservoir, the vector of development shifted. The city began to attract travellers wishing to see the man-made sea in the desert and the canyons. Page received official city status (incorporation) in 1975, finally transforming from a workers' settlement into an important tourism hub in Arizona.

Key Development Milestones

• 1957 — Foundation of the Page settlement on lands obtained by the US government through an exchange with the Navajo tribe, to accommodate dam builders.
• 1959 — Grand opening of the Glen Canyon Bridge, which at that time became the highest arch bridge in the world and connected the banks of the Colorado River.
• 1963 — Completion of the Glen Canyon Dam construction, followed by the lengthy process of filling the Lake Powell reservoir.
• 1969 — Opening of the John Wesley Powell Museum, dedicated to the history of the exploration of the Colorado River and Major Powell's expeditions.
• 1974 — Launch of the construction of the major coal-fired Navajo Generating Station (NGS), which became a key employer in the region for the next half-century.
• 1975 — Page officially received the status of an incorporated city, gaining administrative independence from the US Bureau of Reclamation.
• 1980 — The water level in Lake Powell reached the projected "full pool" mark for the first time, 17 years after the river was dammed.
• 1997 — Antelope Canyon was designated as a Navajo Tribal Park, introducing a mandatory requirement for visits only when accompanied by authorised guides.
• 2018 — Completion of large-scale improvements to the popular Horseshoe Bend viewpoint, including the installation of safety railings.
• 2019 — Final closure of the Navajo Generating Station, marking the complete reorientation of the city's economy towards tourism.

The Era of Great Construction and the Birth of the City

The history of Page began not with gradual settlement, but with a massive engineering challenge. In the late 1950s, this region experienced a construction boom associated with the erection of the Glen Canyon Dam. During this period, Page existed as a classic "government town": its appearance and rhythm of life were entirely dictated by the needs of the US Bureau of Reclamation. A key moment was overcoming geographical isolation thanks to the construction of the bridge, which connected the banks of the Colorado River and turned the temporary camp into an important transport hub linking the states of Arizona and Utah.

Period of Industrialization and Self-Governance

In the mid-1970s, the city entered a new phase of development, gaining administrative independence and a strong economic foundation. Obtaining the status of an incorporated city allowed residents to move towards local self-governance, shaping their own urban environment outside of federal dictates. Simultaneously, the launch of the coal-fired Navajo Generating Station (NGS) turned Page into an industrial centre for the region. For decades, the station provided economic stability, creating jobs and allowing the city to develop social infrastructure, schools, and hospitals.

Transformation into a World-Class Tourism Hub

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, Page began to rethink its identity, shifting focus from industry to natural treasures. A crucial milestone was the creation of the Antelope Canyon park under the management of the Navajo tribe, which organised the flow of visitors and brought the location to an international level. The closure of the NGS power plant in 2019 was the final chord of the industrial era, definitively securing Page's status as a prime tourist destination. Today, the city's economy and life are entirely built around serving travellers striving to see the unique landscapes of Lake Powell and the curves of the Colorado River.

Urban Planning Concept: A City on the Drawing Board

The architectural appearance of Page is unique in that it is completely devoid of chaotic historical development. It is a textbook example of a planned American city of the mid-20th century (New Town concept). The master plan was developed by the US Bureau of Reclamation with clear zoning: residential quarters are separated from commercial and industrial zones, and wide streets are designed with automotive accessibility in mind, which was characteristic of 1950s urban planning.

Dominant Styles and Eras

Since the city was founded only in 1957, classical styles like Gothic or Baroque are absent here. The architectural chronicle of Page fits into several modern stages:

• American Functionalism and Mid-Century Modern (1950s–1960s): The first buildings in the city were constructed quickly and pragmatically. These are administrative buildings and schools with concise geometric forms, flat roofs, and a lack of decoration. The main goal of this style is utility and efficiency.
• Industrial Monumentalism: The most impressive structures in Page are not palaces, but engineering objects. The immense volumes of concrete and steel used in the construction of the dam and bridge set the scale for the entire surrounding landscape.
• Ranch Style: Residential development is represented by single-story houses typical of the American Southwest. The low silhouette, gently sloping roofs, and wide facades fit perfectly into the horizontal desert landscape.
• Modern Commercial Architecture (1990s – present): With the development of tourism, hotels and visitor centres have appeared in the city, often stylised as "desert modern" using sandstone colours and natural materials.

Iconic Structures Shaping the City's Look

In Page, the architectural dominants are objects symbolising man's conquest of nature:

• Glen Canyon Dam: A grandiose concrete structure of the arch-gravity type. Its strict, powerful form is a centre of attraction and the main man-made monument of the region.
• Glen Canyon Bridge: A steel arch bridge, which at the time of construction was the highest in the world. Its intricate metal structure creates a striking contrast with the massive red cliffs of the canyon.
• "Government Camp" Historic District: Preserved streets with original houses built for engineers and construction managers. They demonstrate the lifestyle and aesthetics of the American middle class of the last century.

Founders and Builders

• John C. Page — Commissioner of the US Bureau of Reclamation
  The man whose name the city bears. Although he did not live here, it was his work as head of the Bureau in the 1930s and 1940s that laid the foundations for large-scale hydraulic engineering projects on the Colorado River. The city was named in his honour in recognition of his contributions to the development of irrigation and energy in the US West.
• Floyd Dominy — Commissioner of the US Bureau of Reclamation (1959–1969)
  A key figure in the story of Page's emergence. Dominy personally oversaw the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam, turning this project into the main achievement of his career. His decisions determined the course of construction and the development of the city's infrastructure in its early years.
• Paul Jones — Chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council
  Played a decisive historical role in the legal formalisation of the city. In the 1950s, he led negotiations on behalf of the Navajo, which resulted in the exchange of tribal lands for plots in Utah, allowing the US government to acquire the Manson Mesa territory to found the city of Page.

Explorers and Cultural Figures

• John Wesley Powell — Explorer, Geologist, Major in the US Army
  The discoverer who led the famous 1869 expedition down the Colorado River. It was he who named many geographical features of the region, including Glen Canyon itself. Lake Powell and the city's main historical museum are named in his honour.
• Lady Bird Johnson — First Lady of the United States (1963–1969)
  Inscribed her name in the city's history by ceremoniously opening the Glen Canyon Dam on 22 September 1966. Her visit and speech at the dedication ceremony became a symbolic conclusion to the era of great construction and the beginning of a new chapter in the life of the region.
• Edward Abbey — Writer and Ecologist
  Author of the famous novel "The Monkey Wrench Gang", the plot of which revolves around the Glen Canyon Dam. Although his views on the construction were critical, his literary work is inextricably linked to these places and attracts many tourists to the region interested in the history of nature conservation.