Sitting above the Colorado River in extreme north central Arizona, Page began in 1956 as a housing camp for workers building the Glen Canyon Dam. The following year, some 24 square miles of Navajo land was exchanged for a larger tract of land in Utah and the little housing camp later to be called Page. Surveying of streets began immediately, and trailers were placed in rows across the mesa. Development continued as progress was made on the dam. The Bureau of Reclamation remained the governing power of Page until removing itself in 1974. The town's citizens voted and became incorporated the following year. Page was named in honor of Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John C. Page.

Construction of Glen Canyon Dam began in 1956 and was completed in 1963. The building of the dam has been considered controversial because the nearby basin, now known as Lake Powell, and the surrounding natural habitat would ultimately be flooded by the Colorado River. Lake Powell is the second largest man-made reservoir in the United States (the largest is Lake Mead being held back by Hoover Dam near Las Vegas). The 710 foot wall of concrete that is Glen Canyon Dam was erected with almost ten million tons of concrete and seven years of effort from dedicated workers. When Lake Powell is at full pool, Glen Canyon Dam will hold back nearly 26,215,000 acre-feet of water (one acre-foot of water is enough water to sustain a family of four for one year).

As you can imagine the waters of Lake Powell and the Colorado River are a vital life source to the people of the southwestern United States. Seven states and Mexico receive water from the Colorado River due to the Upper and Lower Basin Compact signed in 1922. The Upper Basin states consist of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. The Lower Basin includes Arizona, Nevada, and California.

Today, Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell help fulfill the goals of water storage and hydroelectric power for the southwestern states. In addition, Lake Powell and the pristine waters just below the dam, attract nearly 3 million visitors annually. The Glen Canyon area has become one of the country’s premier recreational sites.