Beginning of the Olympic Peninsula
Olympic National Park was first home to several Native American tribes. These tribes are still recognized by the park today: Lower Elwha, Jamestown S'Klallam, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Skokomish, Quinault, Hoh, Quileute, and Makah. There were many expeditions in the 19th century that made the land become a part of British Columbia. Several Europeans explored this land and cleared trails. The park has been kept close to it's original state to preserve the culture of the area. Grover Cleveland preserved these forests in 1897.
Establishment
Franklin Roosevelt first had the idea to create a Mount Olympus Monument in 1909. Later Congress voted to change the monument to a National Park. Roosevelt signed this into law on June 29, 1938. Because of the culture and wild life the park contained, Olympic became an International Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site in 1981.