[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15099-15100]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            STATUE UNVEILING

 Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. President, today we remember John 
Otto and the contributions he made to one of our State's natural 
treasures the Colorado National Monument.
  One of western Colorado's most influential historical figures, a 
trailblazer and ever an eccentric, he was unwavering in his commitment 
to opening up public lands for all people and generations to enjoy. 
Otto, a solitary man, took up residence in the commonly known Monument 
Canyon in 1906. There he began building the first trails in the area, 
working with tenacious skill throughout the rocky spires and smooth-
faced red rock canyons, which were created by millions of years of 
erosion.
  Otto was among the first to truly appreciate the full beauty of this 
red-hued gem spanning thousands of acres across western Colorado lands. 
To President Taft, Otto wrote a letter carrying a message of the unique 
wonders hidden just beyond the fruit orchards and small settlements of 
the Grand Valley. His enthusiasm took hold and spread, and President 
Taft established the Colorado National Monument with the issuance of a 
proclamation in 1911.
  Otto singlehandedly scaled rock faces, hauled timber, and blasted 
through layers of Wingate and Entrada

[[Page 15100]]

sandstone to carve out what would be the monument's first trails, and 
for $1.00 a month he would be the park's first custodian, ushering in 
people from every corner of the State and beyond to experience its 
natural grandeur.
  This year we celebrate the monument's centennial, and it is only 
fitting that John Otto be a part of the occasion. With the unveiling of 
his statue, the last in a series of five Legends of the Grand Valley, 
his story and that of the monument will be preserved in the heart of 
downtown Grand Junction for generations to come. I am proud, and 
Colorado can be proud, of the stewardship and dedication Otto modeled 
in his journey to opening up this special place in the West.

                          ____________________