Powell Point on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona commemorates the life of John Wesley Powell (1834 -1902), the head of the first expedition to successfully explore the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon in 1869 and 1872. Powell Point was the location of the dedication ceremony for the establishment of the National Park in 1920. There is a memorial to Powell built in 1919. Powell was the second director of the U.S. Geological Survey and also served as the Director of the Bureau of Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution. He lost an arm fighting in the U.S. Civil War and achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel but was always referred to as “Major Powell.” He also helped found the Illinois Museum of Natural History and acted as curator, but left that position to conduct his explorations of the Western United States. His most famous book is The Exploration of the Colorado River and Its Canyons, a compilation of his experiences on both Colorado River Expeditions.