About 27 million years ago, an ancient volcano erupted, spewing massive globs of lava that covered the land, today that is known as Arizona. The lava eventually hardened into volcanic rock, and over eons, wind and rain eroded the rock into hoodoo and balancing-rock formations. These rock formations are unique, found in very few other places around the world. President Calvin Coolidge signed an act in 1924 to protect this region from development, and this park was named Chiricahua National Monument. Also found inside the park is Faraway Ranch, a historic site. Established in 1887, it became a key spot in an ongoing conflict between the settlers and local Apache Native Americans.