The Great Centennial

About the Book

The Great Centennial The Great Centennial is about a time of discovery and rediscovery. It is about a time of leaving behind a civilized life, the stress and pettiness of urban crowds, neighbor cheating neighbor, and all its lies and hypocrisy to a life back in time—a time of great beauty, simplicity, sweet harmony, and unity, with man and beast alike. On August 25, 2016, we celebrated one hundred years of the administration and stewardship of our great national parks, established in the immortal words of our twenty-sixth US president Theodore Roosevelt, “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” The Great Centennial continues our celebration for the next one hundred years and beyond and for generations yet unborn. This photo-documentary book takes us on a journalistic and literary tour through time and space; through natural and human history, poetry, song, discovery, and rediscovery featuring such national parks as Glacier, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Shenandoah, and Theodore Roosevelt. Also featured is a Montana state park and a national historic landmark, where the Missouri River begins at the convergence of the Jefferson, Madison, and Gallatin rivers, in a wilderness all her own. Also featured are conservation heroes like George Bird Grinnell, John Muir, Stuart Udall, and author Terry Tempest Williams. Majestic grizzlies, great buffalo herds, prairie dog cities, and jousting bighorn rams are among the wildlife standouts. From mountain skylines to vast rolling tranquil coastlines to dense primeval forests to a canyon so grand as to be a world of its own, our national parks and overall wilderness heritage are God’s blessing and America’s cornerstone. In the Great Centennial is great healing and tranquility for one and all (Les Maclean, author of The Great Centennial).

About the Author

Les MacLean was born December11, 1953 to Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm Shaw and Eleonora Monti MacLean Jr, the second of two children, in Madison, Wisconsin. His love for nature began, as a small boy, in Cacapon State Park, West Virginia, where my dad attended seminars. This is where he saw his first deer, hiked his first trail, and crossed his first stream. While growing up, they lived in East Lansing, Michigan then Iowa City and Solon, Iowa. On their way to visit his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousins in California, they visited numerous national parks including Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, Lassen Volcanic, and Sequoia. The happiest part of his childhood was when they moved out to the country near Solon, Iowa. On May 22, 1973, Les graduated from Solon Junior-Senior High School. He attended the University of Iowa for his first year of college where his dad taught journalism. Following his dad's untimely death on February 20, 1974, they transferred to Utah State University where he received his bachelor of science degree in wildland recreation. During the summer of his sophomore year, He visited Alaska with Denali and Katmai NationalParks included in his itinerary. He saw two wolves and numerous grizzlies, moose, dall sheep, caribou, and more but only had a super 8 movie camera at the time. Still the memories will be with him a lifetime. He was married from 1974-1979 but they divorced, no children. In the spring of 1988 he visited Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In August 1990 he visited Mammoth Cave National Park. He received his Master of Arts in Education, interdisciplinary studies(journalism), Wayne State College, Wayne, Nebraska. From the summer seasons 1991-1999, he worked in, and around, Glacier National Park, for Glacier Park Incorporated, as kitchen steward, executive steward, and groundskeeper. During that time, he wrote songs and played them at lobby shows, firesides, and open mics. He also composed, and presented slide shows "Home in The Mountains" and "Glacier Dynasty". Montana's governor saw one of his slide shows and enjoyed it. From October20th to December 30th, 1992, Les worked at the Grand Canyon. He now live in Naperville, Illinois. During this time, he made 7 return trips to Glacier, visited Missouri HeadwatersState Park, and Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, and Acadia National Parks. He also made a return visit to West Virginia's Cacapon State Park, June2013, his first visit since he was 11 years old.