U.S. Department of the Interior

The DOI has an extensive history. There are two ways to learn more about the department's past: resources about the DOI itself and DOI publications as primary sources. Check out some featured resources below.

One way to learn more about the DOI is its past activities. Below are some selected resources.

• Past Secretaries of the Interior
  • View the list and short biographies of the previous 53 DOI Secretaries.
• History of the Interior Library
  • Read about the department's library, which was established in 1850.
• History of the USFWS
  • Check out the bureau's timeline of significant events from the 1800s to the 2020s.
• Past Directors of the NPS
  • Learn about the previous 18 NPS Directors.
• Timeline of BLM History
  • See the bureau's timeline of events prior and since its establishment in 1946.

Since its establishment in 1849, the DOI has documented information on a variety of topics. The following are two examples as primary sources.

• NPS Historic Photo Collection
  • From dams to horses, from cartography to military wars, see photographs from 1858 to the present.
• USGS Photographic Library
  • Explore over 500,000 digitized images taken by USGS scientists during their field work from the 1870s to the present.

Image source: R.B. Moore took this photograph of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists at lava fountains while Mauna Loa Volcano is erupting in 1984 (USGS)