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History of the Department of the Interior | U.S. Department of the Interior
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It also provided for an Attorney General and a Postmaster General. Domestic matters were apportioned by Congress among these departments.</p> <p></p><figure role="group" class="media__embed"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="title usa-sr-only">Image</div> <div class="field__item"> <img alt height="633" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/interior-patent-1890-locimage.jpg" width="1200"> </div> </div> </div> <figcaption>The first Interior Building, 1852 -1917. The Patent Office building, today housing the Smithsonian Institution's Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art, served as DOI headquarters. Photo circa 1890, Library of Congress.</figcaption> </figure> <h2>Why was the U.S. Department of the Interior created?</h2> <p>The idea of setting up a separate department to handle domestic matters was put forward on numerous occasions. It wasn't until March 3, 1849, the last day of the 30th Congress, that a bill was passed to create the Department of the Interior to take charge of the Nation's internal affairs:</p> <p><a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/">The Department of Everything Else: Highlights of Interior History</a>.</p> <p>The Interior Department had a wide range of responsibilities entrusted to it: the construction of the national capital's water system, the colonization of freed slaves in Haiti, exploration of western wilderness, oversight of the District of Columbia jail, regulation of territorial governments, management of hospitals and universities, management of public parks,and the basic responsibilities for Indians, public lands, patents, and pensions. In one way or another all of these had to do with the internal development of the Nation or the welfare of its people.</p> <p></p><figure role="group" class="media__embed"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="title usa-sr-only">Image</div> <div class="field__item"> <img alt height="634" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/thomas-ewing.jpg" width="1200"> </div> </div> </div> <figcaption>The first Interior Building, 1852 -1917. The Patent Office building, today housing the Smithsonian Institution's Portrait Gallery and the National Museum of American Art, served as DOI headquarters. Photo circa 1890, Library of Congress.</figcaption> </figure> <h2 class="subtitle">Significant dates in Interior history</h2> <p><strong>1849</strong> Creation of the Home Department consolidating the General Land Office (Department of the Treasury), the Patent Office (Department of State), <a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior11.htm">the Indian Affairs Office</a> (War Department) and the military pension offices (War and Navy Departments). Subsequently, Interior functions expand to include the census, regulation of territorial governments, exploration of the western wilderness, and management of the D.C. jail and water system.</p> <p><strong>1850-1857</strong> Interior's Mexican Boundary Commission establishes the international boundary with Mexico.</p> <p><strong>1856-1873</strong> Interior's Pacific Wagon Road Office improved the historic western emigrant routes.</p> <p><strong>1869</strong> Interior began its geological survey of the western Territories with the Hayden expedition. The Bureau of Education is placed under Interior (later transferred to the Department of Health, Education and Welfare).</p> <p><strong>1872</strong> Congress establishes <a href="https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/park-history.htm">Yellowstone</a> as the first National Park.</p> <p><strong>1873</strong> Congress transferred territorial oversight from the Secretary of State to the Secretary of the Interior.</p> <p><strong>1879</strong> Creation of the <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/c1050/index.htm">U.S. Geological Survey</a>.</p> <p><strong>1884</strong> Interior's Bureau of Labor is established (becomes the Department of Labor in 1888).</p> <p><strong>1887-1889</strong> The Interstate Commerce Commission is established in Interior. The Dawes Act authorizes allotments to Indians.</p> <p><strong>1902</strong> <a href="https://www.usbr.gov/history/">The Bureau of Reclamation</a> is established to construct dams and aqueducts in the west.</p> <p><strong>1903</strong> President Theodore Roosevelt establishes the first <a href="https://www.fws.gov/history-of-fws">National Wildlife Refuge</a> at Pelican Island, Florida. The Census Bureau is transferred to the Department of Commerce.</p> <p><strong>1910</strong> The Bureau of Mines is created to promote mine safety and minerals technology.</p> <p></p><figure role="group" class="media__embed"> <div> <div class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-visually_hidden"> <div class="title usa-sr-only">Image</div> <div class="field__item"> <img alt height="882" loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/stephen-mather-locimage.jpg" width="1200"> </div> </div> </div> <figcaption>Stephen T. Mather, National Park Service's First Director. Photo circa 1910-1920, <a href="https://www.loc.gov/">Library of Congress</a>.</figcaption> </figure> <p><strong>1916</strong> President Wilson signed legislation creating <a href="https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/hisnps/index.htm">The National Park Service</a>.</p> <p><strong>1920</strong> The Mineral Leasing Act establishes the government's right to rental payments and royalties on oil, gas, and minerals production.</p> <p><strong>1925</strong> The Patent Office is transferred to the Department of Commerce.</p> <p><strong>1930</strong> The Bureau of Pensions is transferred to the Veterans Administration.</p> <p><strong>1934</strong> The <a href="https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/rangelands-and-grazing/livestock-grazing/about">Taylor Grazing Act</a> is enacted to regulate economic uses of public lands. The first <a href="https://www.fws.gov/law/migratory-bird-hunting-and-conservation-stamp-act">Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp</a> is issued. The Indian Reorganization Act abolishes the allotment system established in 1887, forms tribal governments, and affirms the Secretary's trust responsibilities. Oversight of Alaska, Hawaii, the <a href="/oia/">Virgin Islands</a>, and <a href="/oia/">Puerto Rico</a> is transferred to Interior.</p> <p><strong>1935</strong> The Bureau of Reclamation completes construction of <a href="https://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/">Hoover Dam</a>.</p> <p><strong>1940</strong> <a href="https://www.fws.gov/history-of-fws">The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> is created from the Bureau of Fisheries and the Bureau of Biological Survey.</p> <p><strong>1946</strong> Interior's General Land Office and Grazing Service are merged into the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/about/history">Bureau of Land Management.</a></p> <p><strong>1950-1951</strong> Interior assumes jurisdiction over <a href="/oia/">Guam</a>, <a href="/oia/">American Samoa</a>, and the <a href="/oia/">Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.</a></p> <p><strong>1977</strong> The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is established to oversee state regulation of strip coal mining and repair of environmental damage.</p> <p><strong>1980</strong> The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act is enacted adding 47 million acres to the National Park System and 54 acres to the National Wildlife Refuge System.</p> <p><strong>1982</strong> The Minerals Management Service (now known as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement) is established to facilitate mineral revenue collection and manage the Outer Continental Shelf offshore lands.</p> <p><strong>1993</strong> The President convened the Northwest Forest Plan Summit and released the "Forest Plan for a Sustainable Economy and Sustainable Environment."</p> <p><strong>1996</strong> Interior science and technology functions are consolidated in the U.S. Geological Survey.</p> <p><strong>2001</strong> Gale A. Norton is nominated the first woman to serve as Secretary of the Interior.</p> <p><strong>2010</strong> Secretary Ken Salazar signs order 3302, renaming the Minerals Management Service as the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement.</p> <p><strong>2011</strong> The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement is replaced by the new Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Office of Natural Resources Revenue.</p> </div> </article> </div> <div class="helpfulness-block-form block block-helpfulness block-helpfulness-block" data-drupal-selector="helpfulness-block-form" id="block-helpfulnessblock"> <h2>Was this page helpful?</h2> <form region="content" action="/about/history" method="post" id="helpfulness-block-form" accept-charset="UTF-8" class="usa-form"> <div id="edit-helpfulness-rating"><div class="form-item js-form-item form-type-radio js-form-type-radio form-item-helpfulness-rating 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