In 1870, William Gladstone Steel came across a newspaper story about Crater Lake in Oregon while the paper was being used to wrap his lunch. The unusual discovery stayed with him for years, and after finally seeing the lake in 1885, he became determined to protect it from development. Steel spent the next 17 years petitioning, lobbying and building support for its preservation. His long campaign finally paid off in 1902, when Crater Lake was officially established as a national park, protecting one of America's deepest and most remarkable lakes for future generations.