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Extensive histories of the various Yellowstone Park concessions operations, including hotels, lodges, camps, general stores, and transportation. Geyserbob.com NEW!! "Geyser Bob Site Search" is live. Located on the Geyer Bob Home link. Search the whole site for your research needs. CLICK HERE to Begin New book by Robert V. Goss Available September 2025 Click image for more information Welcome to . . . Geyser Bob's Greater Yellowstone History Athenaeum Providing a bounty of historical information and archival photographs of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming and the surrounding gateway communities in Montana, and Idaho. The most complete source of information on the historic hotels, camps, stores, gateway communities, and early concessionaires in Yellowstone! Heading 6 * athenaeum : (ath·e·ne·um) noun 1) an institution for the promotion of literary or scientific learning. 2) a library or reading room. This new Geyserbob.com website is a work-in-progress, and will eventually replace my Geyserbob.org web site. Unfortunately, for the second time in 20 years, I (and others) are essentially being booted off from HostGator. The first time was when Yahoo dis-banded their Geocities web platform. This current issue is due to the Plesk Parallels platform no longer being supported by HostGator. Eventually my .org web site (mine and many others) will be turned off, but no timeline has been made available at this time. So, bear with me as I slowly try to recreate and improve my Yellowstone histories with Wix.com. Luckily this new platform is much simpler and easier to use, and will create a more consistent theme across the many pages. Happy Trails, Robert V. Goss, aka Geyser Bob Email Me [Note: This is not a link, you will have type the address into your email.] About Geyserbob.com For those of you new to my web site, it has very little (if any) information about Geysers. There are any number of web sites out there that can help you out with that sort of information. This is about Yellowstone's vast history of the tourist industry and those persons and companies that supported it. Geyser Bob was a stagecoach driver for 30 years (1883-1913) in Yellowstone National Park. He was known as a teller of tall tales and a prevaricator extraordinaire, with just enough truth thrown in to cause many greenhorns, pilgrims, etc., new to the West, to actually believe him. A newspaper writer in 1888, once described him: "There was until recently a driver in Yellowstone Park named Geyser Bob, whose reputation as a liar had gained him great renown. He was rocked in the cradle of prevarication, nurtured on distorted facts and arrived at vigorous manhood the champion all-round liar of the Rockies." He seemed a likeable enough sort of fella, so I purloined his moniker as my web nom de plume. I hope he won't find offence. Ole Bob (Robert Edgar officially), once related a story of how he got his name (there are many): "One day a cultured lady from the East, who was receptive to any story told of the park, plied Bob with innumerable questions. She asked Bob if any one had ever fallen into a geyser and lived. ‘I told her that one time I was walking near the Giant geyser at Old Faithful basin and slipped in,’ said Bob. ‘The water carried me through the channel underground so fast that I did not have time to get burned and washed me up into the crater of Old Faithful and then threw me out. The lady believed the story and thought it was so good that she pointed me out as a world’s wonder and the boys christened me ‘Geyser Bob.’”

Jennie Henderson Ash, daughter of GL Henderson, opened the first general store in Yellowstone Park in 1896 at Mamamoth Hot Springs. The store is still in use, albeit with renovations from the eary 1900s. Yellowstone Storekeepers - Jenny Henderson Ash Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. The Henderson family moves to Yellowstone . . . George L. Henderson of Iowa was appointed Assistant Park Superintendent and moved to Yellowstone in May of 1882. He was accompanied by five children - Walter, Helen, Barbara, Jennie, and Mary. Barbara soon became Postmistress and in 1883 opened the post office in one of James McCartney's old hotel buildings. Sister Jennie soon began assisting her, and began selling 'coated specimens' and mineral specimens provided by local entrepreneurs. The business became known simply as 'The Post Office Store.' Jennie became Postmistress in April of 1884, and married John Dewing. However, she lost (or gave up) her position in the fall of that year. She again became Postmistress in the fall of 1888, taking over the Post Office Store. By 1889 she was selling photographic views, stationary, tobacco, toiletry items, fruit, and some clothing items. She married George Ash in 1893 and began construction on a new store and residence in 1895. The Post Office Store, circa 1880. The second building from the left has a sign above the door reading “Post Office.” The first building on the left may have been used as a residence. The building were located at the base of what is known as "Kite Hill" at Mammoth. The old road to gardiner passes above that area. YNP #945 The new store . . . The new store opened up in 1896 and was referred to as 'Ash & Henderson' on their business letterhead, although generally still referred to as the Post Office Store. Additions were built on the property in 1897 and 1902. Although George had been Postmaster since 1893, the business correspondence for the store was generally all in Jennie's name. The store sold a wide variety of dry goods, clothing, tourist supplies, and curios, in addition to the items previously mentioned.. Later on Indian goods, furs and game heads were added to the stock. George died in 1900 from an undisclosed illness, leaving Jennie in charge. Various family members assisted in the operation of the store over the years, particularly after the death of her husband. Alexander Lyall, who was married to Jennie's sister Barbara, became Postmaster in 1906 and also a partner in the business. Jennie began having problems with her health and spent more time in Southern California, where most of her family maintained residences. In 1908 she sold the business to Alexander and her brother Walter Henderson. Below: 1906 Advertisement for the Jennie Henderson Ash store at Mammoth. YNP #6282 Lyall & Henderson take over . . . Alexander Lyall and Walter Henderson officially took over the lease in April of 1908, changing the name to 'Lyall & Henderson'. The men soon applied to Interior for permission to build an addition to the store, but the project became mired down in red tape. The Yellowstone Park Association, who owned the nearby National Hotel, was planning on building a grand new hotel at Mammoth. The proposed building would have extended onto the lot of the general store, requiring the store to be moved. YPA eventually shelved the hotel plans due to the excessive cost, and settled on remodeling the existing hotel. The addition to the store was never completed. By 1913 the men both maintained homes in Southern California and spent much of the year away from their families. They sold out the operation to George Whittaker, former Army soldier and scout in March of 1913. Whittaker operated the store for almost 20 years, selling to Pryor & Trischman in 1932. General Store at Mammoth in 1917. The front section was expanded considerably in 1914. [Courtesy Montana Historical Society] Click here to read my article Yellowstone’s First General Store A Legacy of Jennie Henderson and Her Family Published in Yellowstone Science, Spring 2005 Next - Ole Anderson & Andy Wald

Cody Wyoming became an important Gateway To Yellowstone National Park beginning in 1905 and continues to be so to this day. The railroad arrived in 1901, eventually bringing floods of visitors to Yellowstone. It also became an important crop production area and a gateway to big game hunting regions. Gateways to Wonderland Early History of Cody Wyoming Copyright 2021 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. The Early Days . . . Cody, Wyo is located on the Shoshone River in the Bighorn Basin in NW Wyoming, in a basin surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides: the Absarokas to the west; the Owl Creek Mtns to the south; and the Bighorn Mtns to the east. The east entrance to Yellowstone National Park lies 53 miles to the west, up the North Fork of the Shoshone River. John Colter passed through the area in 1807-08 and discovered the odorous springs along the Shoshone that became known as Colter’s Hell. The smell of the springs also gave the Shoshone River its original moniker of Stinking Water River. However, the name was changed in 1901, for obvious public relations purposes. Jim Carter and John Chapman both drove cattle herds from Oregon to the South Fork of the Stinkingwater River and established ranches. The following year Henry Belknap drove a herd south from Billings into that area. 1916 Postcard of Buffalo Bill and Cody entrance to Yellowstone, Denver Public Library In the spring of 1886, Charles DeMaris trailed a herd of cattle from Lemhi, Id. to the hot springs on the Stinkingwater River and took up a homestead near the springs. Suffering from ailments, he hoped the springs would heal him, which they seemed to do. The springs were named after him and the general area became known as DeMaris Springs. Charles and his wife Nellie built a hotel on their site that opened in 1903. On June 26, 1914, Charles DeMaris passed away. His wife Nellie and her family continued to operate the resort until her death in 1935. 8038 De Marris Hot Springs, Cody, Wyo. H.H. Tammen postcard, early 1900s. [Author Collection] Charles Demaris Pioneer is Dead Grazed the First Large Herd Where Billings is Located The Billings Gazette , Mont., 01Jul1914 Charles DeMaris, one of the oldest pioneers in northern Wyoming, died at his home at the DeMaris Springs, near Cody, at the age of 87, after several weeks’ sickness, last Friday night, according to information which reached Billings yesterday. The deceased was a real western pioneer. Bom in Ottawa. Canada, in 1827, he moved to Chicago with his parents when 9 years old. He came to Montana in the later 60s, traveling by steamer to Ft. Benton, from where he went to Leesburg Basin, Idaho, and engaged in gold mining. In 1871 he engaged in the cattle business in Idaho and in 1879 he came to the Yellowstone valley and went into the stock business, driving his herds overland from Idaho. Mr. DeMaris is generally credited with being the first man to turn out a large heard of cattle here, grazing them on the spit where Billings now stands. In 1886 Mr. DeMaris discovered the famous Hot Springs, near Cody, Wyo., which now hears his name and from which water is shipped all over the country. The deceased is survived by a wife and 13 year old son [Bill]. Left: DeMaris Hot Springs, undated. [Wyoming State Archives #14249] Right: De Maris Springs, Cody Wyo. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , P61643005] Wm. Cody had explored the Big Horn Basin in the 1870s and ’80s as guide and hunter for various military, civilian and governmental expeditions. He saw great potential for the agricultural development of the area. Cody and some cohorts examined the area for the possibility of dams and canals to provide water for the basin. They also surveyed for a road to pass over the Absaroka Mtns and into Yellowstone to establish a basis for tourism. He no doubt had conversations with Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR (CB&Q) officials to get their opinions for bringing a rail line into the basin. The original town of Cody was located on DeMaris’s land on the flat above the river, and was first called Shoshone, which the Post Office rejected. Richland was also proposed, but rejected by Cody’s cohorts, and naturally the name Cody came to be. In 1895, Buffalo Bill Cody, George T. Beck, Cody’s Wild West show partner Nate Salsbury, Harry Gerrans, Bronson Rumsey, Horace Alger, and George Bleistein founded the Shoshone Land and Irrigation Company. Construction began on the Cody Canal in the fall of 1895, which would carry water from the south fork of the Shoshone River to the town. In spring 1896, the area was surveyed and the present townsite laid out about 2 miles from DeMaris Springs. Early Cody founders: Wm. F. Cody, seated. George T. Beck, left, and Henry J. Fulton, right. [F.J. Hiscock photo, ca1910] According to the Casper Star-Tribune on 19Mar1978, “While on a visit to Sheridan [Wyo], in 1894, he [Cody] purchased the Sheridan Inn, and it was here that he heard about the Cody area and the Big Horn Basin. He had seen the area years before as a guide and when George Beck of Sheridan talked to him about his dream of introducing irrigation to the Big Horn country and starting a new town, Cody became enthusiastic about the project and became a third partner with Beck and Horace Alger in the Shoshone Land and Irrigation Co. He was able to interest four wealthy men from Buffalo, New York, Monte Gerrans, Nate Salsbury, Bronson Rumsey and George Bleistein, in the project and they each put up $5000 towards the building of the canal. By 1897 the canal was completed and the little town that sprang up as a result was named after Cody. Through his friendship with President Theodore Roosevelt he was able to get the tallest dam in the world constructed on the Shoshone River just west of Cody.” William 'Buffalo Bill' Cody Wm. Cody had explored the Big Horn Basin in the 1870s and ’80s as guide and hunter for various military, civilian and governmental expeditions. He saw great potential for the agricultural development of the area. Cody and some cohorts examined the area for the possibility of dams and canals to provide water for the basin. They also surveyed for a road to pass over the Absaroka Mtns and into Yellowstone to establish a basis for tourism. He no doubt had conversations with Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR (CB&Q) officials to get their opinions for bringing a rail line into the basin. The CB&Q had showed some interest in building a spur to Cody from Toluca, Mont., northeast of Cody in order to exploit the future agricultural and cattle market. The Shoshone Land Company deeded many town lots to the railroad company to ensure that the CB&Q built the line all the way to Cody, thus giving them a vested interest in the success of the town, Left: Advertisement for the Shoshone Irrigation Company touting new homes in the Cody basin. , ca1897. Right: Plat map for the new town of Cody. East-West avenues are named after the founders, North-South streets are numbered. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , MS-07] Founding a new town in the Shoshone Basin Buffalo Bill helped to found the town of Cody in 1896. In 1897 and 1899 Cody and his associates acquired from the State of Wyoming the right to take water from the Shoshone River to irrigate about 169,000 acres of land in the Big Horn Basin. They began developing a canal system to carry water diverted from the river. A few years later the Feds stepped in to provide aid and funds for the huge project. The town of Cody was incorporated in 1901 and the following year W.F. Cody built the Irma Hotel and also established the town’s 1st newspaper, the Cody Enterprise in August 1899. The Buffalo Bill barn and livery was also operated by “Bill,” probably opening in the late 1890s, and reportedly torn down ca1919. In 1905 he officially opened up Pahaska Tepee Lodge at the east entrance and the Wapiti Inn about midway from Cody, serving both tourists and hunters in the nearby forest areas. He applied to the park to take over the business of the ailing Holm Transportation Co. in 1915. However, their business improved and his request was denied. He died in 1917 on the way to Denver and was buried there, much to the chagrin of the residents of Cody. Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show “Buffalo Bill” Cody opened Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show on May 19, 1883 at Omaha, Nebraska. With Dr. W.F Carver, exhibition shooter, they took the show, subtitled “Rocky Mountain and Prairie Exhibition,” across the country. Over the years, the troupe, which included as many as 1,200 performers, included many authentic personalities such as James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok, Texas Jack Omohundro, Annie Oakley, Sitting Bull and Geronimo, as well as working cowboys recruited from the West. When Cody’s show began to suffer financially he sold a one-third interest in his production to Gordon “Pawnee Bill” Lillie in 1908. Soon, Gordon bought the remaining interest in the show but retained Buffalo Bill as a partner. The two traveled together as the “Two Bill’s Show” until 1913 when the venture went bankrupt. Top: Buffalo Bill's Wild West letterhead, dated 1896. [Buffalo Bill Hist Center , #P69118] Bottom Right : Wild West Show in London, England, 1905. [Library of Congress] Bottom Left: Original Buffalo Bill Wild West poster, undated. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , MS-07] Bottom Center : Ad for the Two Bill's Show, toward the end of Cody's career. [Ottawa Daily Republic , Kansas, 11aug1911] Shoshone Dam Planning and construction began on the Shoshone Dam in 1905 and was completed Jan. 17 1910. It created Shoshone Lake upon its completion, which took several years to fill. The dam was 328’ tall, and was claimed to be the tallest structure of its kind in the world. It was 85’ wide at the bottom and 200’ at the top, and 100’ thick. It was expected to irrigate some 100,000 acres of land. Hundreds of excited Cody citizens gathered on the 17th near the top of the dam to celebrate, and just before noon the final bucket of concrete was poured onto the dam, completing this massive project. The dam created an enormous reservoir, with a surface area of ten square miles and an average depth of seventy feet. Its capacity in gallons was estimated at 148,588,512,000. The purpose of the structure was to control the great floods of the Shoshone river and provide an ample water supply for the irrigation of more than 100,000 acres of exceptionally fertile land in the valley below. "Big Dam Done Saturday" [Powell Tribune Wy, 18Jan1910] Left: "29199 Shoshone Canyon, Dam and Road from South Rim of Shoshone River. Wyo. [Keystone View Company stereoview] Right: Collage of dam scenes from Pictorial Souvenir of Cody, Wyoming, 1911. A.G. Lucier Photographer. In order to reach the dam site itself, it was necessary to carve a road through the inaccessible gorge of the Shoshone River. For several miles the road was blasted out of the sheer face of Rattlesnake Mtn. and carved through several tunnels. The Shoshone Dam name was changed to Buffalo Bill Dam & Reservoir in 1946. President Truman signed the bill in March, honoring the 100th anniversary of Buffalo Bill Cody's birthdate. Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR The CB&Q extended a rail line to Cody, Wyoming in November of 1901, providing access to the eastern side of the park and the beautiful Wapiti Valley. The Burlington Route to Cody was a branch line off the main route from Lincoln, Nebraska to Billings, Montana. It left the main line southeast of Billings at Toluca and headed southwest for 129 miles to the terminus at Cody. Construction on the line began in the spring of 1900 and was completed Nov. 11, 1901. As the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR reached town in 1901, construction began on an automobile road up the North Fork of the Shoshone River. It would meet up with the road that was under construction over Sylvan Pass into Yellowstone by the Army in charge of the park. Two years later the road over Sylvan Pass became passable for wagons but was not officially completed until 1905. This allowed Cody to become the eastern gateway to Yellowstone. By 1903, both Aron “Tex” Holm and the Frost & Richard companies were leading camping trips from Cody over the pass and into Yellowstone. As time went on other local outfits escorted guest into the park by horseback or wagon. Frost & Richard Camping Company ascending Sylvan Pass from Pahaska, with camp wagons, carriages, and horses. Undated. YNP #1935 By 1917, tourist facilities in Cody were proving inadequate to meet growing tourist demands. To help alleviate the problem and satisfy their customers, the CB&Q built the Burlington Cody Café for their rail passengers. It was located just west of the depot and was scheduled to open on June 20, 1917. The railroad was hoping the town would pick up the slack in hotel accommodations, but apparently the local businessmen did little to add rooms. So, in 1922, the CB&Q built a new 2-story hotel to add on to the existing café. It featured 45 basic sleeping rooms upstairs, with a 100-person capacity café and lounge downstairs. It opened on June 19, 1922 and was renamed the Cody Inn. Burlington Cody Inn Dining 1955 [Buffalo Bill Historic Center] Bottom Left: Real-Photo postcard of the Burlington Inn, ca1922. Note the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. (YPTCo) buses at right. Bottom Right: Real-Photo postcard of the Burlington Inn after remodeling, ca1928. YPTCo buses at the entry, along with private autos on road. Tourist demands continued to expand and the CB&Q built a new addition to the Cody Inn in the spring of 1928. It included a basement and 2-stories that would about double the existing restaurant space and bedroom count. Again, it was scheduled to open June 20, 1928. The Inn was closed from 1943 to spring 1946, no doubt due to WWII, and reopened June 19, 1946. During closure it was remodeled and redecorated. In 1948 the Cody Inn was leased to a Billings man and he changed the name to El Rancho. The railroad ended passenger service to Cody in 1956 and a year later the all the furnishings and mechanical & electrical fixtures were sold at auction the end of June. The north wing was saved and moved to the nearby Husky Oil Co. site to be used as office space. The rest of the historic Inn was razed. In 1970 the CB&Q became a part of the Burlington Northern RR. BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe RR in 1995, creating the BNSF railroad. Buffalo Bill's Hotels Irma Hotel Built by Wm. F. Cody on the main street in Cody, Wyoming and opened on November 1, 1902. He named the hotel after his youngest daughter. It was one of three lodgings that Cody built to help promote business through the east entrance of Yellowstone Park. The others were Pahaska Tepee at the east entrance, and Wapiti Inn, at about the halfway point from town. 8-10 guest rooms occupied the main floor of the Irma, along with a lobby, dining room, billiard and bar room, kitchen, and office. The Irma's famous cherrywood bar, a gift from Queen Victoria, dates to the period of construction. Cody hired brother-in-law Louis Decker to manage the hotel. Cody’s wife Louisa died in 1921, but the hotel stayed in the family until Henry and Pearl Newell bought the hotel in 1925. The northwest addition was constructed in 1929, and The new owners gradually expanded the hotel, building an annex around 1929-‘30 on the west side to accommodate automobile travelers. After her husband's death in 1940, Pearl Newell operated the hotel until her own death in 1965. She left the hotel's extensive collection of Buffalo Bill memorabilia to the Buffalo Bill Historical Center, and stipulated that proceeds from the estate be used as an endowment for the museum. The southwest addition was added in 1976-1977. ,Buffalo Bill's Hotels in the Rockies." Brochure cover, authored by Louis E. Cooke, 1905 Top: Irma Hotel, ca1908. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center .] Bottom: "Col. Cody, "Buffalo Bill" in the Office of Irma Hotel." [F.J. Hiscock postcard, Copy. 1910] Top: Irma Hotel photo collage. [Pictorial Souvenir of Cody, Wyoming, 1911. A.G. Lucier Photographer] Bottom: Postcard of Irma Bar, ca1907. Col. Cody 4th from left. Wapiti Inn Wm. F. Cody built this lodge near in 1903-04 at about the halfway point (31 miles) from Cody, Wyoming to the east entrance of the park. It was one of three hotels he built to help promote the town of Cody and the new road over Sylvan Pass at the east entrance of Yellowstone. The other two facilities were the Irma Hotel in Cody and Pahaska Tepee at the east entrance. The Wapiti Inn was a 14-room frame structure built on Forest Reserve land at the mouth of Wapiti (Elk) Creek and could accommodate about twenty people. It also catered to fisherman and hunters. It was sometimes called the Wapiti Wickiup. According to the Park County Enterprise, May 17, 1913, Wapiti Inn was slated to be torn down and removed to Pahaska to expand facilities there. That year the Holm Transportation Co. began transporting tourists from Cody to Pahaska by automobile, and with decreased travel times and improved roads, Wapiti may no longer have been a necessary mid-way stop. A 1908 “Cody Road to Yellowstone” brochure described the Wapiti Inn: “At Wapiti there is the Wickiup (or Inn), a unique structure of rough boards, accommodating forty guests, and other smaller buildings (for one or two persons) with board floors and sides' and canvas coverings. The dining tent is 50 x 20 feet. The Wickiup is on Elk Fork at the junction of the Wapiti, the Elk Fork, the Sweet Water and the North Shoshone rivers. Unexcelled trout fishing is found within a hundred paces of the Wickiup. Elk Fork takes its name from the fact that for years the elk have made this vicinity their home. They may be found there the year through. Rates for meals and for lodging will be $1 per meal or lodging for the first day, and for succeeding days, or parts thereof, a rate of $3 per day.” In 1918 another Wapiti Inn appeared on the scene, but little is known of this operation. It was established by Ed. Reighley and Art V. Cunningham, perhaps on the same or nearby the original “Wapiti Inn site. Cunningham later in the year took over Reighley’s share. Newspaper ads indicate it continued to operate off and on at least into the mid-late 1920s. In later years it may have become the Wapiti Valley Inn. Top : Wapiti Inn ca1909. It was also a respite for local hunters, trappers & traders. Bottom Left: Wapiti Inn, ca1907. From Campbells' Yellowstone Guide, 1908. Bottom Right: News article describing demo of Wapiti Inn and buildings being hauled to Pahaska Tepee. [7May1913, Park County Enterprise , Wyo.] Pahaska Tepee A.A. Anderson designed Pahaska Tepee, built by William F. Cody built at the east entrance of Yellowstone in 1903-05. The lodge first opened in 1904, although construction continued into the following year. The main building was built of logs in a T-shape with two stories, bedrooms for about forty people, a good-size dining room, and a large living room with a grand fireplace. A large porch wrapped around the building on three sides. The upstairs housed Cody’s private suite and six other bedrooms. One and two-room cabins were also available and were equipped with cook stove, cooking and eating utensils, and furniture. A general store was also open for guests. In 1910 Col. Cody received shipment of a White Steamer automobile in late June. The 60hp auto was put into service to provide faster and more comfortable transportation from Cody to Pahaska. The first trip was made on July 5, 1910. Col. Cody had intended to put the vehicle into service for the 1909 season, but the vehicle failed to arrive that year. He added two more White Steamers the following season. Left: Pahaska Tepee, ca1920s. Real-Photo postcard. Right: Col. Cody driving a Pahaska Tepee bus, ca1910. [" Pictorial Souvenir of Cody, Wyoming", 1911. A.G. Lucier Photographer ] Louis E. Decker, Cody’s brother-in-law, managed the lodge in 1910 and the following year a log laundry building, a round canvas-topped dance pavilion, rifle range, tennis and croquet courts were added. Two years later a bunkhouse was constructed using logs from the Wapiti Inn. After 1916 the lodge was also used as a lunch stop for passengers on the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co . (YPTCo) touring buses. In 1924 Sylvan Pass Lodge opened and became the YPTCo lunch stop. Pahaska Tepee lodge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and the land is still leased from the federal government. The Coe family currently owns the lodge. The word Pahaska probably comes from the Lakota word for ‘long hair of the head’, which is what the Lakota called Buffalo Bill. Right : Ad for"Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill's Old Hunting Lodge." [Casper Star Tribune , 18Jul1926] Bottom Left: "1697 Interior of Pahaska Tepee, Col. W.F. Cody's Hotel in the Rockies.' [Tammen Postcard, author collection] Bottom Right: "8069 Pahaska, Buffalo Bill's Hotel, on the Road to Yellowstone Park, Wyo." [Tammen postcard, ca1910] Early Cody Hotels By the early 1900's, Cody had at least three lodging houses, in addition to Buffalo Bill's Irma Hotel: Cody Hotel The Cody Hotel was built ca1896 on the north side of the 1300 block of Sheridan Avenue and run by Maxx & Shurtleff in 1900. By 1903 the hotel and saloon was owned by J.B. "Ben" Primm. By 1912, ads in the Park County Enterprise touted a Cody Hotel and Cody Bar, run by H.H. Patchell. Reportedly, it was owned by the Lonnie Prante family who operated the hotel until the late 1930s. Top : Ad for the Cody Hotel, Marx & Shurtleff, Proprs. [Cody Enterprise, 6Sep1900] Bottom Left: Cody Hotel, undated. A sign advertising "The Grill" hangs above the men on the porch. [Buffalo Bill History Center ] Bottom Right: Ad for the Cody Hotel Saloon, Fred Primm. [Cody Enterprise , 5Nov1903 Hart Mountain Inn The two-story Hart Mountain Inn (Hotel) was constructed by David H. McFall at the corner of Beck and 13rd St. around 1897-’98. May Jordan bought the hotel in 1912 and ran it until 1928. Kate Buckingham purchased the Inn ca1953 and operated it into the 1990s. In 2004 new owners dubbed it the Hart Mountain Suites and operated it until 2008. Right : Hart Mountain Inn, early 1900s. [ Pictorial Souvenir of Cody, Wyoming, 1911. A.G. Lucier Photographer ] Bottom Left: Hart Mountain Inn, undated photo. Bottom Right: Hart Mountain Hotel, ca1950s [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , PN891182151601] Chamberlin Hotel The Chamberlin Hotel was built in 1903 on 12th St, a half block off of Sheridan Ave by Agnes Chamberlin who moved to Cody in 1900 to work for W.F. Cody’s newspaper. It was primarily used as a boarding house, but as additions were built and the hotel improved and expanded over the next 15 years, particularly in 1917. In the 19teens & 1920s, a Chamberlin Dentist Office was advertised in the hotel. The hotel was known as the Hotel Chamberlin and Chamberlin Hotel over the years, providing rooms with or without bath and a dining room. An 8-room addition was built in 1920, in time for the new tourist season. Agnes sold the hotel in 1939 and passed away in January 1949. She was a pillar of the community and upon her death the town’s businesses closed for her funeral service. Around 1941, the Chamberlin was renamed the Pawnee Hotel by new owners Hattie and George Evans. After other changes in ownership, it became the Chamberlin Inn in 2005 and is still in operation. Top Right : Hotel Chamberlin, ca1920s. [Chamberlin Inn website] Bottom Right: Chamberlin Hotel in 1959. It was known as the Pawnee Inn at that time. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , P8923394501N Bottom Left: Newspaper ad for the Hotel Chamberlin, Official AAA Hotel, ca1930s. Local Businesses Cody Enterprise From the Semi Weekly Billings Gazette, Aug. 8, 1899: “J. H. Peake, an experienced journalist of Washington, D.C., and an old-time friend of Buffalo Bill, arrived in the city today [Billings] en route to Cody, Wyo.. to establish a newspaper, says the Red Lodge Picket. The plant will reach Red Lodge in a day or two, and Mr. Peake expects to get out the first issue about Aug. 20. It will be called The Cody Enterprise and is to be a seven-column, four page paper, with all home print. Independent, with democratic tendencies, will be the new paper's politics.” The Cody Enterprise, undated. [Courtesy Park Co. Archives, Wyo] Peake established the newspaper in conjunction with W.F. Cody, who funded the project. Over the years the name has vacillated with the Park County Enterprise name, sometimes using both. A number of different owners and publishers have run the paper. Novelist Caroline Lockhart purchased the Park County Enterprise in 1920, changing back to Cody Enterprise the following year. She apparently tired of the business and sold the paper in October 1925 to concentrate on writing and other projects. The newspaper has continued to prosper and had been owned by the Sage Publishing Co. of Cody since 1971. Buffalo Bill Museum The Buffalo Bill Museum was built in 1927 on the current site of the Cody Country Chamber of Commerce and the Cody Country Art League. It was dedicated and opened to the public on July 4 with Cody's niece, Mary Jester Allen, as the first curator. In 1935 Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney donated 40-acre site that later became the Buffalo Bill Historic Center.The Whitney Gallery of Western Art was dedicated in a newly constructed modern facility on the donated site in 1959. Ten years later the name was changed to Buffalo Bill Historical Center and the Plains Indian Collection added and the original Buffalo Bill Museum collection was moved to the new facility. In 1979 the Plains Indian Museum was dedicated and the following year the Winchester Collection was installed and the McCracken Research Library dedicated. The Cody Firearms Museum was added and dedicated in 1981. The Draper Museum of Natural History was constructed and opened to the public in 2002. Name changes ruled the day in 2013 as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center was renamed to Buffalo Bill Center of the West, to more accurately describe the width and depth of the museum’s mission, collections, and programs. In addition, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art became the Whitney Western Art Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History transformed into the Draper Natural History Museum. "Buffalo Bill Museum at Cody, Wyoming. Founded by Members of the Cody Family and the People of Cody, Wyoming." [Burlington Route postcard, nd] "1191 - Buffalo Bill Museum, Cody, Wyoming." [Real-Photo postcard, ca1930s] Ned Frost Nedward W. Frost was born April 11, 1881 in Minnesota and in 1884 came into the Cody country in a covered wagon with his family and settled near what later became Cody, on South Fork of the Shoshone R., moving to Sage Creek in 1888. He reportedly killed his first grizzly bear around the age of seven or eight and began a life of hunting and guiding. By age 14 he was shooting antelope to supply meat houses in Coulson (Billings), Montana. He appears in the 1900 Federal Census for Wyoming. He helped to build the Corkscrew Bridge on Sylvan Pass in the early 1900’s and in 1903 he discovered Frost Cave in Cedar Mountain just west of Cody. His future wife Mary Hughes was born February 1881 in Chicago, Ill. and was the sister of Margaret Hughes, who married Fred Richard in 1909. Ned and Mary were married January 20, 1910 at the home of Fred Richard. The couple’s first son Nedward Mahlon was born around 1911. He was followed by Richard J. about 1918 and Jessie W. circa 1921. Ned passed away Nov. 19, 1957 after several months of ill health. He was considered by many to be the foremost big-game hunter of his time. See my Frost & Richard Camping Co . web page for additional information. Left: Nedward W, Frost [1915 Frost & Richard Camping Co. brochure] Right: Ned Frost Prince Albert of Monaco on a bear hunt in September 1913. [Buffalo Bill History Center , Jack Richard Collection] Announcement of new Frost Curio store in the Irma Hotel, 1920. [Northern Wyoming Herald , 14Apr1920] Frost Curio Ned Frost began operating a Curio Shop in the lobby of the Irma Hotel in March 1920. The Park County Enterprise reported on March 3 that, “The room at the Irma Hotel, formerly used as a sample room, has been leased to Ned Front for the period of one year from March 1 and will be fitted up as a curio shop, to be conducted by Mr. Frost.” In the spring of 1921, Frost enlarged his shop at the Irma by extending a wall out 12’ toward the sidewalk. The shop was only open during the tourist season, closing for the winters. Comparison of the Irma Hotel before and after the expansion of the Frost Curio Shop in 1923. Note addition at arrow on right. A sign for the Irma Cafe hangs above the old cars at right. [From Real-Photo postcards, author's collection] Ned Frost Curion Store at Irma Hotel closing for season. [Cody Enterprise , 26Sep1923] He constructed his Frost Curio Shop on Main Street across from the Irma Hotel in 1927 in time to be ready to open for the summer season, usually around 19-20h of June. The store was operated in conjunction with the curio shop and specimen room established by his wife Mary in 1916 at the Burlington Cody Inn. In 1946 son Richard Frost retired from the Army and took over management of the business. NED FROST COMPLETING CURIO SHOP AT DEPOT Ned Frost has almost completed the construction of a new curio shop which is to be located to the west of the road and south of the tracks at the Burlington station, and soon will have the new structure In readiness for the summer tourist trade. Mr. Frost plans to operate the place in conjunction with hls curio and souvenir room in the lobby of the Cody Inn and will have on sale soft drinks, sporting goods such as there Is demand for from the rail tourists and other necessities for which there Is a demand at the depot. [ Cody Enterprise, 25May1927] Top : 1932 ad for the Frost Curio Shop. [Casper Star Tribune, 13Mar1932] Left: Frost Curio Shop as it appeared in 1952 [Buffalo Bill Historic Center ] Right: Interior of the Frost Curio Shop, 1950s. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center ] Frost Cave This cave high upon Cedar Mountain (now called Spirit Mountain), was discovered by Ned frost and his pack of hunting dogs while chasing mountain lions in January 1909. The dogs spotted a bobcat and chased it to a small opening in the mountain. Ned thought it just a bobcat lair, but soon after entering, realized it was a cave. In one of his reminisces, he reflected that, “I didn’t smoke in those days and I had only a few matches I kept striking them as I followed the barking dogs but when I got down to three matches, I stopped to get my bearings and I couldn't see the daylight through the entrance any longer and I was in black darkness. I guess I never felt so lonely or lost before or since. But I found an old letter in my vest pocket, tore it into strips and twisted them into quills and back-tracked. I noticed the beauty of the cave in the small light made by my light—it looked like something in a huge block of ice—with frost glistening everywhere. On a later trip I found the “frost" was the stalactites and stalagmites formed by the lime from the old extinct geysers." A few weeks later Ned, along with Will Richards, and 10-12 other men went back in to explore the cave. They carried ropes, lanterns, lamps, candles and other necessities, and spent over 5 hours in the cave and figured they explored several miles worth. Later that year President Taft issued a proclamation on September 21, creating the Shoshone Cavern National Monument, the 2nd national monument in Wyo. Locally, it was mostly referred to as Frost Cave. On May 17, 1954, after years of lobbying by Cody officials, the federal government delisted the monument and turned it over to the City of Cody. The cave was renamed Spirit Mountain Caverns. Top: Caving party in 1909. At center is Buffalo Bill, to his right is Ned Frost, with perhaps his wife. [Wyoming State Archives] Right: Grand opening of Spirit Caverns, September 16, 1957. [Buffalo Bill History Center ] On Sept. 16, 1957, after jurisdiction was turned over to local control, the cave was officially opened as Spirit Cave, with a grand opening ceremony. Claud Brown leased the cave and operated tours for about a decade, but never invested enough money to make it successful. The cave was abandoned in the late ‘60s and another lease was issued in the early ‘70s to develop the area, but little happened. In Sept. 1977, the site was turned back over to the Federal government and is currently under jurisdiction of the BLM. The entrance to cave is locked and permits required for entry. Cody Street Scenes through the Years Top: Aerial view of Cody ca1904. Right: Aerial View of Cody ca191. [Postcard H.H. Tammen #8070] Top: Main Street, Looking West, Cody, Wyoming [H.H. Tammen #11095, undivided back] Bottom: Main Business Street - Cody, Wyo., Ca1930s, F.J. Hiscock Real-Photo postcard Top: 1224 - Main Street and Business District, Cody, Wyo. Buffalo Bill's Old Home Town, Rattlesnake Mountain in the Background, circa late 1940s. [Sanborn PC #1224 Top: Main St., Cody, ca1920s. Real Photo postcard. Bottom: Cody, Wyo., Main street, ca1940s, F.J. Hiscock Real-Photo PC. Top : Main Street, Cody, circa early 1950s [Sanborn PC #65916] Dam Brought Boom . . . [and Pleasure Palaces] Selected Early Saloons and Dens of Iniquity Poker Nell & Blue Chip Kate From the Billings Gazette, May 22, 1938 It was during the "growing period" of the west that the old saloon [Cody Exchange] was built. However, Cody's first hey-day came during the construction of the Shoshone dam in 1907 and it was then that Poker Nell entered the scene. Mrs. Katherine Primm, dubbed "Blue Chip Katie" by the boys who tried to "take" her in faro, founded one of the town's first establishments of pleasure in the old building. She and her husband, Ben, for a time had a virtual monopoly on the local custom in liquor, gambling and license until another woman muscled in with a similar establishment directly across the street. The latter is remembered only as Poker Nell. Through the years, her fame has lived in the minds of the region's old timers for her ability to keep up a vociferous, cross-street argument with her competitor. During the wild boom years at the opening of the century there was plenty of business for both houses. However, when things were dull, Poker Nell and Blue Chip Katie would pass unpleasantrles back and forth across the street to while away the hours. Men who worked on the dam still remember the "acid*’ of their comments and tell of richly increased vocabularies after listening to the women exchange amenities. However, Nell and Katie never finished their debate and it became only a memory when the town continued to grow with the subsequent invasion of a dozen more saloons. Cody Enterprise, 20Jun1901 Poker Nell Poker Nell, who name may have been Nell Chadwick, in her days before Cody, had tramped around the state, plying her proficiency at poker, and perhaps other talents. One time in Casper she attended a party at which she met a young dentist by the name of Will Frackelton, who also enjoyed a good round of cards. The next day, Nell approached him and commented, “You sure put it over high, wide and handsome last night and dealt them a hand from all over the deck.” Smiling, she became more serious, “Now let’s get down to what I want done.” In her extended hand were two perfectly matched diamond rings, perhaps a half-carat each. “She asked eagerly: Will set these in my front teeth? . . . I can afford it. I took the boys to the cleaners these past few nights.” After a bit of ethical pondering, the dentist agreed to the job, noting it would probably invoke a good deal of pain. Shrugging it off, Nell responded, “You know what I want, Doc. Go to it.” It was a tedious process, involving replacing the teeth with porcelain-faced crowns with gold foil backing. But the process was successful and Nell went back to her work sporting a dazzling set of choppers, impressing both the women and men folk. [From, “Sagebrush Dentist,” as told by Wm. Frackelton to author Herman Gastrell Seely] Unfortunately, Poker Nell’s time in Cody was limited, as newspapers in September of 1908 sadly not that had been to the asylum for the hopelessly insane. The praised her qualities, “A a woman naturally possessed of a bright intellect, well educated and vivacious, a charming conversationalist, her path on the border land led to an unhappy ending.” Nell was eventually released and some sources have said she changed her ways and ran a Ladies Emporium in Cody. She was a partner to and eventually married Harry Bruce, and they may have worked the Last Chance Saloon. Her demise is as yet unknown. The Cody Exchange and Saloon Ben Primm and his wife Katherine (1857-1932), or Katie, established this saloon and gambling house sometime in the late 1890s. A 1938 Billings newspaper article dubbed it, “one of town’s first establishments of pleasure.” It seems Ben ran the saloon and pool room, while “Blue Chip Katie” ran the gambling and faro tables. Ben Primm died in December 1904 and Katherine in 1932. The state of Wyoming officially outlawed gambling in 1901, although in the smaller and more remote towns the practice continued for years. In 1906 Mayor Schwoob cracked down on gambling in Cody and 12-15 persons were charged with violations. Katie’s business must have greatly suffered, but the saloon continued to operate until at least 1913. At some point after that, the building was rehabilitated and remodeled under the direction of Mrs. Wm. F. Cody to establish an opera house for the culturally needy. “But the town didn't take to culture. Mrs. Cody’s well-meant plans could overcome the wind but they couldn't overcome the preference of customers who chose to find their entertainment in Cody's 14 saloons,” commented a 1938 news article in the Billings Gazette. A gas station later replaced the opera house and the buildings finally torn down in 1938. Left: Saloon Hold-Up article [Great Falls Tribune , Mt., 23Dec1902] Right: Cody Exchange Saloon, Ben Primm Propr., 1903 Cassie Waters Cassie came to Cody with her father Joe Welsh after they settled in Otto. In 1907 Cassie married an engineer on the dam project. When her husband died, Cassie started a “Ladies of the Night” house on Salsbury Street. She obtained liquor licenses to operate as a saloon, but with “extras” on the side. Her “house” was generally known as Cassie’s Place, and at various times she used several different last names, including, Waters, LaFay, McGhan and Stevens. On Nov. 27, 1911, young Art Spicer, a local cowboy came into Cassie's and claimed to have been drugged by two men and his bankroll of $110 stolen. After his discovery, he blamed the women in the saloon and drew his revolver and started firing at Cassie, missing her head by a mere 4 inches. Another women also had a close escape. An officer arrived around 1:30am and arrested Spicer and took him off to jail. The young man broke loose and ran, but the deputy stopped him with a bullet in the calf. He was later fined $5 and $3 in costs for firing a weapon in a house within city limits, and warned against getting into trouble again. After a fight broke out in her saloon in December of 1916, she was charged with operating a house of ill-fame,” and a number of her ‘girls” were accused of frequenting a house of prostitution. Cassie was soon after acquitted of the charges due to testimony by the local marshal and sheriff. n the early 1930’s, Cassie and another madam, Ida, were asked by the city to close their establishments. Cassie decided to move to the West Strip and in 1933 Cassie’s Supper Club was open. It was a very popular night club with dancing, liquor and later on, food was served. A bourbon and water sold for 50 cents a glass. Cassie did the color scheme in orchid after her daughter “Orchid”. Cassie died in April 1954. In 1955, the Nelsons took over Cassie’s. Cassie was remembered by close friends as a lovely lady who always helped people who needed a helping hand. Cassie's continues to remain in operation to this day. Left: "Fight Ends in Arrest of Soiled Doves." [Northern Wyoming Herald , 7Dev1916] Left: Ad for Cassie's Supper Club [Billings Gazette , 19Mar1997] Right: Undated photo of Cassie's with a Yellowstone White Motor Co. Model 706 bus in front. Etta Feeley Etta Feeley, born Alice Edwards in Black Hawk Co., Iowa, January 31, 1871 (per Find-a-Grave) came to the Cody area around 1902. She had previously plied her female trade in Denver and Billings. She opened her house that became known as the "White House on Bleinstein Ave., between 15th & 16th streets. Reportedly, the Cody Enterprise printed a gracious invitation in 1902 to the men of Cody, "You are respectfully invited to attend the opening of my new residence at Cody, Wyoming, November 1, 1902, Miss Etta Feeley." Not long after, the "Green House" opened next door sporting Cassie Waters as the Madam. The street would become known locally as "Crimson Way." Both houses operated until sometime in the 1930s, although Etta had retired previous to those times and moved to Clark, Wyo. She later took on the nom de guerre of Alice Leach, the name Leach taken from former husband Thomas Leach. She passed away Aug. 13, 1960 at age 90 in the Cody Hospital, and was buried in Cody's Riverside Cemetery. Cody Stampede The beginning of the Cody Stampede tradition is said to have started with Clarence Williams of Cody in 1919. The events occurred June 22-25 and were originally designed as a celebration for the opening of the East entrance of Yellowstone Park and a remembrance of Buffalo Bill Cody and the passing of the Wild West. No doubt it also served as a victory celebration of sorts for the end of WWI and a return to normal life. There were rodeo events, music, dances, games, parades and other such activities to amuse the public. No doubt the esteemed John Barleycorn was also in attendance to help liven things up. Bottom: Old car advertising the Cody Stampede, ca1920s. Right: Advertisement for the 2nd year of operation of the Cody Stampede. [Park County Enterprise , 23Jun1920] The following year the phrase “Stampede Days” was used to describe the celebratory events. Miss Carolyn Lockhart, publisher of the Cody Enterprise , was quoted, "that they will put the "Stamp" in Stampede or bust something." A Wild West show was also promised that was hoped to rival those in the Pendleton Oregon and Cheyenne, Wyo. events. It was planned to coincide with the 4th of July holiday - July 5-7, 1920. Featured events included rodeo events for men and women, parades, and the other traditional activities, including bar-hopping. In 1921 the events were held July 4-6, and the slogan adopted by the stampede committee was, "We'll Put ’Er On Wild." "And In their efforts to live up to this promise they turned the town loose and she was a wild time for all." Top Left: Mrs. Altuff Wins Cowgirl Race, Cody Stampede, ca1925. [Doubleday Real-Photo PC ] Top Right: Roman Standing Race Cody Stampede, ca1925. [Doubleday Real-Photo PC] In 1938 Carly Downing, a Wild West show performer, reportedly started the Cody Nite Rodeo, or "Pup" rodeo, as it was called then. The Nite Rodeo quickly became an important part of the Stampede and the Cody community and has continued on a nightly basis during the tourist season. Over 100 years have passed now, and the events continue to thrive and thrill audiences and participants alike. Right: Cody Stampede Rodeo at Cody Fairgrounds, 1935. Parade celebrating the "Days of '49" [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , PN3161617] It’s winter in Wyoming And the gentle breezes blow Seventy miles an hour At thirty-five below. Oh, how I love Wyoming When the snow’s up to your butt You take a breath of winter And your nose gets frozen shut. Yes, the weather here is wonderful So I guess I’ll hang around I could never leave Wyoming I’m frozen to the ground! anonymous

Yellowstone Jack The Life and Times of Legendary Pioneer Jack Baronett By Robert V. Goss Paperback Imprint: Riverbend Publishing Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 16, 2025 Language ‏ : ‎ English Print length ‏ : ‎ 216 pages ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1493091824 ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1493091829 Available from Amazon and other vendors, Historians have dubbed Baronett prospector miner, explorer, adventurer, soldier of fortune, scout, hunter, guide, and Indian fighter—all monikers befitting his adventurous wanderlust life. Despite all these wanderings, he eventually discovered what would be his true home—southwest Montana and Yellowstone National Park. Jack Baronett was an important figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park. In his early life he traveled the world, prospecting and mining in Australia, Africa, China, and Alaska. He traveled to the Yellowstone region in 1864—eight years before the Park was established—to join other early prospectors searching for gold and exploring the geyser basins. His first claim to fame came in 1869 when he and a partner rescued Truman Everts , a lost, near-death member of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Yellowstone expedition . After 1872 he served as early assistant superintendent in Yellowstone, a scout for the US Army, and one of the founders of Cooke City, MT . As a notable guide in the park, his patrons included Generals Sherman, Sheridan and Strong, President Chester Arthur, George Bird Grinnell, and William Henry Jackson . They all used Baronett’s Bridge, the first bridge built over the Yellowstone River in 1871. When news of the 1897 Alaska Gold Rush became known, Baronett joined the thousands of hardy and stalwart miners shipping north in search of gleaming fortunes. But would he be successful? Robert Goss dedicated over thirty-five years working in and around Yellowstone National Park while living in Gardiner, Montana . He was employed by the Yellowstone Park Co. and its successors for thirty years before retiring from Xanterra Parks & Resorts in 2010. Additionally, he served as purchase agent for an underground gold mine at Jardine, Montana , formerly known as Bear Gulch. With this experience, he became familiar with local and Cooke City mining history. An avid historian, he has studied and researched Yellowstone history extensively. Mr. Goss has self-published seven books that focus on the early concessioners and pioneers. He also authored or co-authored twenty-three articles featured in Yellowstone History Journal, Yellowstone Science, Annals of Wyoming , Motor Coach Age, Points West, Montana Pioneer , and other publications. He also co-authored Arcadia Publishing: Images of America - Livingston Montana with Elizabeth A. Watry. For media inquiries, please contact Alyssa Griffin: agriffin@globepequot.com . Built in the spring of 1871 by Collins Jack Baronett and some miner friends, his bridge is believed to be the first bridge built across the Yellowstone River. “Yellowstone Jack” also went by John H. Baronett, sometimes spelled Baronette, Gone for over 100 years now, the bridge was located about 200 yards upstream from where the Lamar River empties into the Yellowstone. It was built as a toll bridge for the miners, hunters, and freighters traveling to the mines of Cooke City . The operation, including Baronett’s nearby cabin & outbuildings cost about $4,000. During the Nez Perce war of 1877 , much of the log work was burned. Jack Baronett and Philetus W. Norris partially rebuilt the bridge in the following year. During much of this period of time Baronett was off on many gold prospecting expeditions in various parts of the West, and partners John Ponsford and J.L. Sanborn operated the toll bridge for him. In 1880 Baronett replaced the stringers, floor braces, and iron work at a cost of $2,000. In the early 1890s the government later refused to issue him a permit to continue operating the bridge and the Army summarily took possession of the structure in 1894. It continued to be used until a new bridge was constructed upstream in 1903. The old bridge was finally burned around 1906 and torn down in 1911. After a prolonged and expensive legal battle, Baronett received $5,000 from the government for his bridge. Traces of the old Baronett Bridge remain today, along with the old road into Yancey’s Hole .

Cinnabar Montana was the original Gateway to Yellowstone National Park from 1883 to 1903. It was served by a 50 mile spur line from the Northern Pacific RR main line passing through Liivingston. Many thousands of tourists passed through the portals of Cinnabar enroute to Wonderland. Gateways to Wonderland Cinnabar, Mont. & The Northern Pacific RR Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Valley of Cinnabar, ca1883. A Boudoir-Series Cabinet Card by photographer Carleton Watkins. The Early Days . . . . The small community of Cinnabar was located three or four miles north of Gardiner and was the temporary end-of-line station of the first railroad service to Yellowstone National Park. It was the primary gateway to the park from 1883 to 1903. The town’s name derived from nearby Cinnabar Mountain, named during the mid-1860s by miners who originally thought the ‘red streak’ on the mountain was the mercury ore cinnabar. In August 1870, the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition observed the formation and named it The Devil's Slide. . A traveler in 1874 noted that Cinnabar Mountain was, “prominent for its height and isolation from it compeers, and significant from the fact that the Devil took a slide down its Eastern slope when he was apparently red-hot, leaving in his wake a well-defined trail that can be seen for fifty miles, having the appearance of fire-clay.” [Bozeman Avant Courier, 4Sep 1874] Devil's Slide, photographed by Wm. Henry Jackson in 1871. The Bozeman Weekly Chronicle published a Song of Cinnabar Waters on April 18, 1883, based on an unfortunate drunken row, when David Kennedy shot his boon companion James Armstrong. The "Vanderbilt" was a silver watch willed to “Davie” in the event of James’ death. It may have been penned by William Davis, who was deemed "The Poet Laureate of Yellowstone." A portion of the song follows: CINNABAR. Long, long ago, one could easily see, Yellowstone Valley had been on a spree: The mountains were raised, the canyons were sunk, And old Mother Earth got terribly drunk. The devil got as drunk as a devil could be And slid to the bottom of Cln-na-bar-ee! Fill up your demijohn, fill up your can, A health to the devil, damnation to man ! Give Davie my Vanderbllt, let him go free, To slide when he pleases down Cln-na-bar-ee! Not long ago, It was Sunday, and we Sent three of our boys down for Cln-na-bar-ee Mad-day Is moon’s-day, each emptied his cup, Reason ran down, and our passions ran up. Bullets were flying, and two entered me, Perhaps I am dying, from Cln-na-bar-ee. Beginnings of Cinnabar City . . . Abel Bart Henderson, who began prospecting around Yellowstone in 1867, started building a road in 1871 from Bottler’s Ranch near Emigrant to Mammoth Hot Springs. He acquired land around Stevens Creek and he and his brothers established a ranch in 1877. Clarence Stevens, George Huston, and Joe Keeney all owned parts of the land at various times. Huston and Keeney purchased part of the Henderson Ranch at Stephens Creek Nov. 19, 1883, which totaled 116.45 acres. Apparently Keeney retained some land for himself and built a ranch, and they resold the rest later that year to Carroll T. Hobart, a Northern Pacific RR Superintendent and manager of the Yellowstone Park Improvement Co. A plat map was created and the site became the town of Cinnabar. Construction on the Northern Pacific's Park Branch Line began in April of 1883 from Livingston to Cinnabar and was open for business on September 1 of that year and in 1884 began in earnest transporting tourists to enjoy the breathtaking beauties of Wonderland. The Cinnabar Town Site Co. was later incorporated in 1895 by J.D. Finn, H.J. Hoppe, and A.J. Campbell. Reportedly, Hugo Hoppe and family moved into the Cinnabar area ca1883, where Hugo created his freighting company to haul goods from the new railhead in Cinnabar to and from the mines at Cooke City, Montana. He also engaged in other enterprises over the years. During 1884-1885 Hugo managed the new National Hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs. He managed the Cinnabar Hotel from Jan.-Jun. of the following year. More of that later. Cinnabar Townsite in 1884. The town is still quite desolate at this point. The building behind the rail car at left may have been the Wakefield-Hoffman stables. The first year or so, the NPRR used two sleeping cars and a dining car for travelers until other accommodations were available. [F. Jay Haynes photo, Montana Historical Society ] Undated photo of the H.J. Hoppe Ranch, just south of Cinnabar. The view is toward the Yellowstone River. [Billings Gazette, 7Sep1958] The Northern Pacific RR Moves in . . . . A land dispute regarding Buckskin Jim Cutler's mining claims between Cinnabar and Gardiner prevented the railroad from extending the line to Gardiner, the desired destination. A small town quickly grew up around the Cinnabar depot and provided basic visitor services. The post office opened in 1882, in anticipation of the railroad's arrival and a small depot was soon built to accommodate travelers to the park. The Butte Miner announced on Aug. 29, 1883 that, "The Yellowstone National Park branch of the Northern Pacific railroad is now completed to Cinnabar, 51 miles south of Livingston, and will be open for business on Sept. 1st, after which time parties can go directly to the park without staging." GARDINER DEFEATS CINNABAR FOR THe YELLOWSTONE LINE Gardiner, located within a few Inches of the line of the Yellowstone park, is to have a railroad within a few weeks, the Northern Pacific having decided to extend Its park branch from Cinnabar to that town at once. These two towns are only four miles apart, but ever since the park branch was built, the Cinnabars have had the best of It. There are only 250 of them when they are all at home, which is not often, but notwithstanding the small number they have been up and doing. Think of a town of 250 persons having its own electric lighting plant and water works! Gardiner has both, and in their possession the place bears the distinction of being the only one of its size in the United States that can afford such high class luxury. Heretofore Cinnibar [sic] has been the jumping-off place for Yellowstone park tourists, but hereafter it will take off its hat and with bland smile and a low courtesy exclaim, “After you, my dear Gardiner! [Butte Daily Post, 13 May1902] Beginnings of the Stagecoach Era . . . George W. Wakefield and Charles W. Hoffman of Bozeman established the Wakefield & Hoffman stage line early in 1883 and provided service from Cinnabar to Mammoth and into the park under an exclusive agreement with Yellowstone Park Association (YPA). The Helena Independent Record announced on July 2, 1884, that, “this week, the coaches, jerkies, and single and double "buckboards, numbering about forty vehicles in all, belonging to Wakefield & Hoffman, were moved from Bozeman to Cinnabar and Mammoth Hot Springs, to be in readiness for the accommodation of park tourists.” They had previously operated from Livingston to Cinnabar until NPRR’s line was open to Cinnabar. Top Right: Wakefield & Hoffman's Stage Line ad. 25Jan1884, Livingston Daily Enterprise . Bottom Right: Geo. W. Wakefield's Bozeman and National Park Stage Line letterhead from Dec. 16, 1883. Top: Northern Pacific RR train at the station in Cinnabar, 1894. The locomotive in number 418. [F.J. Haynes photo, Montana Historical Society ] Bottom: Passengers alighting from train and loading on coaches for a trip to Wonderland, ca1896. The Depot is in the background. [Burton Holmes Travelogues, 1905 version] Top: Passengers unloading from a Northern Pacific RR car Cinnabar, ca1896. [Burton Holmes Travelogues, 1905 version] Bottom: Train passengers loading on coaches for a trip to Yellowstone, ca1896. The building on far left appears to be Wakefield & Ennis office, who conducted camping excursions into Yellowstone 1896-1897. White bldg on far right is the W.A. Hall Store, with the Cinnabar Store to its left. [Burton Holmes Travelogues, 1905 version] Beginning in the 1884 Yellowstone summer season (June to mid-Sept), trains ran daily from Livingston to Cinnabar, in both directions transporting tourists in and out of Yellowstone. (During the off-season trains ran one to three days a week, depending on demand) Wakefield bought out Hoffman at the end of 1885, and was the primary stage operator until he was squeezed out late in 1891. Most visitors utilized the services of the authorized transportation carrier of the Yellowstone National Park Improvement Co. (Yellowstone Park Association in 1886 and Yellowstone Park Transportation Co in 1892). With these companies passengers would ride in Tally-Ho stagecoaches led by a team of six horses from Cinnabar to the National Hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs. From there smaller 4-horse, 8-10 passenger Abbot Downing Concord coaches would carry the guests around the park, staying at different hotels for 5-6 nights before returning to Cinnabar and the train to Livingston. Other transportation/camping companies for the traveling public were also available, including, A.W. Chadbourn in 1884, the Wylie Camping Co. by the 1890s, a number of smaller private coach companies and by the late 1890s, the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. Wylie and Shaw & Powell utilized portable tent camps with all the comforts possible, and were located at all the major points of interest, with Lunch Stations along the route. Some tourists opted to hire their own carriage and these “sage brushers” traveled the park on their own accord. These companies all operated out of Cinnabar until 1903. W.W. Wylie Camping Co . Cinnabar ad in the Helena Independent Record , 14Aug1896 A.W. Chadbourn information from the Livingston Enterprise Souvenir , 1Jan1900 Shaw & Powell Camping Co. information from the Livingston Enterprise Souvenir, 1Jan1900 With the formation of the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co (YPTCo) in 1892, and their pressure to create transportation monopoly in Yellowstone, Chadbourn and many of the other small, private transportation operators were kicked out of the park after the 1893 season, however Wylie managed to continue his operation and Chadbourn and a few others managed to regain their privileges. Freight operations also developed to service the hotels in the park, the Army at Ft. Yellowstone, and the mines at Jardine, Cooke City, and Horr. Hugo and W.M. Hoppe were operating the Cinnabar & Cooke Transportation Co. at least by 1886, hauling freight from the railhead at Cinnabar to the mines in Cooke City and stops in between. They also hauled freight for YPA. National Park Hack & Express Line Frank M. Hobbs and Lawrence Link Livingston Enterprise , 9Sep1884 Cinnabar and Cooke Transportation W.M. Hoppe Livingston Enterprise , 4Dec1886 Cooke Transportation Line A.T. French Livingston Enterprise , 30Nov1889 Geo. Eastman of Rochester, New York, together with his mother, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Scott Hubbell and Dr. E.W.. Mulligan and wife passed through town [Yakima WA] on the west bound overland Saturday morning, The party has been on the road for the past three weeks stopping at all points of interest, but remaining most of the time in Yellowstone Park. Their itinerary for the next three weeks will be via Portland, Vancouver, Bampf Springs [Banff] and St. Paul thence back to Rochester. Eastman has a national reputation derived from the great kodak which he perfected and Walter Scott Hubbell is considered one of the greatest lawyers in Western New York. [Yakima Herald, WA, 22Jul1902] Mr. George Eastman of Kodak fame is now touring the west accompanied by a party of friends. The party is traveling on the private Pullman car Pilgrim. Mr. Eastman was to have come west over the C.P.R. [Canadian Pacific RR], but owing to the recent suspension of traffic he came west from Rochester, New York, over the Northern Pacific. He returns East over the C.P.R., making stops at Banff, Field [Yoho Nat'l Park] and the various other mountain resorts ls on the line of the railway in this province. [The Province, Vancouver, 15Jul1902] Coaches on road between Cinnabar and Gardiner, July 1902. One of the few known images of stages on that section of road. [Courtesy Eastman Museum , 2006.0126.0072] Coaches on road between Cinnabar and Gardiner, July 1902. The carriage at left appears to be from one of the various camping companies. [Courtesy Eastman Museum , 2006.0126.0069 & 0070] Northern Pacific Pullman Cars at Cinnabar, July 1902. The building at right may have been a freight depot at the east end of town. [Courtesy Eastman Museum, 2006.0126.0069] Left: George Eastman and Walter Walter Hubbell along the road from Cinnabar to Gardiner. Hubbell was a close friend and vice-president of the Eastman Kodak Co. [Courtesy Eastman Museum, 2006.0126.0065] Right : Maria Eastman, George Eastman's mother, and her nurse aboard Coach 38, Yellowstone Park Transportation Co., at an undisclosed location in Yellowstone. [Courtesy Eastman Photographic Collection Y119] A Lady's Trip to the Yellowstone Park By O.S.T. Drake A Brief Description of the Cinnabar Hotel in 1887 ". . . Livingstone, on the Northern Pacific Line, is the station whence we took our departure for the National Park, by a short line 57 miles in length, which deposited us at Cinnabar, ten miles from the Mammoth Springs . . . Cinnabar, where the line terminated, consisted of a wayside saloon and a few huts. From here we drove to the Mammoth Springs" "That night [after leaving Canyon on their return] we slept in tents at Norris' Camp, breakfasted early and departed, reaching the Mammoth Springs again at noon ; then on to Cinnabar; the scenery very lovely. High on a sharp rock above the Yellowstone river we spied the eyrie of an eagle, which resembled a mass of sticks on the edge of a perfectly inaccessible rock. There sat the eagle, showing her white throat, sunning herself in her majestic solitude. The hotel at Cinnabar turned out to be a little timber house, consisting of a bar and back parlour, and two or three bed-rooms above. A married couple kept the house ; the wife said she had never had a lady under her roof before. They gave me a very clean bed-room, provided with the only jug and basin in the house. There was no door, but she nailed a sheet over the door-way and unnailed it in the morning ; the food was excellent, and the good woman waxed quite pathetic in her regrets over the fact that we were hardly likely again to meet in this world. Next morning we took the train at Livingstone, and pursued our journey to New York." From: "Every Girl’s Annual" 1887. Edited by Alicia A. Leith Reminisce from Al H. Wilkins, Yellowstone stage driver, as told to Grace Stone Coates Great Falls Tribune, 23 Feb 1933. IN 1885-86 the little town of Cinnabar was a lively place. It was the terminus of the Yellowstone park branch of the Northern Pacific railroad, where tourists transferred to horse-drawn coaches. Just across a little divide four miles away the town of Gardiner was coming into being. At Cinnabar the late Hugo Hoppe was in business. He ran stage lines in the park and on the Cooke City road on the side. Joe Keeney was keeping one of the two or three saloons In the place and running a boarding house. The late Billy Hall was running a store there, as were the Hefferlin brothers. There were a few other business houses and a few private dwellings. It was a lively place. A man could get anything from a black eye to a horse race. These were wild and wooly days, with little law and less order. Horse racing was the common Sunday amusement and sometimes the races resulted In a “drunk” being killed. But no one thought much about it. When an accident happened, the body was burled and the program went on. A man could get quick action on his money in Cinnabar, whether in a stud poker game, a foot race or a horse race, and the sky was the limit. Affairs of Business . . . A number of business operations were conducted in Cinnabar between from 1883 - 1903. Although the community got off to a slow start, businesses increased their presence as tourist crowds increased. Some of these businesses are listed below, in no particular order. Obviously not all operated at the same time, and several are the same but with different owners/managers: Hugo J. Hoppe, among the earliest gold miners at Virginia City Mt., he came to Cinnabar in the mid 1880s and received title to 160 acres of land in the area. He formed the Cinnabar and Cooke Transportation Co. and by 1885 had reportedly established the somewhat crude log Cinnabar Hotel that came under the ownership of several individuals over the years including his son Walter, who had been managing the saloon associated with the hotel. A stable and blacksmith shop was also a part of the hotel operation. Cinnabar Hotel The history of the Cinnabar Hotel(s) is confusing at best, with a multitude of owners/proprietors over the years. Joe Keeney, one of the original land owners in the area, established a hotel with related stables, barns, etc., at least by 1885, also and guided early visitors through Yellowstone. He also maintained a saloon in connection with the hotel. The Livingston Enterprise noted in June 1886 that H.J. Hoppe had been leasing the hotel for the first six months of 1886, and that Keeney was regaining proprietorship at the end of Hoppe's lease. A year later the paper again announced that Keeney was operating the hotel, when the Livingston Enterprise described him as, "the irrepressible proprietor of the Tourists’ Pleasure Resort.". He was again noted as running the hotel in 1887 in conjunction with a saloon and livery stable. In December 1888, the Enterprise disclosed that, "Joe Keeney, of Cinnabar, has sold his hotel and saloon business, at that place, to A T. French. The deal was conciliated in Livingston on Thursday, both parties being here." French later passed it on to M.T Williams in December 1889, who sold it to John F. Work in April 1890. In May 1891, Work "disposed of his interest in the Cinnabar hotel, furniture and fixtures. to William A. Hall for a consideration of $900. Mr. Hall, who has been manager of that hostelry during the past year, will make material improvements in the service to accommodate the increasing business." As noted in a photo below, the author believes Hall made substantial physical changes to the hotel/store, both interior and exterior. In June 1892, H.J Hoppe was listed as 'managing' the hotel. The article also mentioned that Joe Keeney was running a lodging house and eating house that was "liberally patronized." Confused yet?? It has been written that sometime after 1892, the Hoppe family gained control of the Cinnabar Hotel (which one?) and operated it through 1903. Some sources say it was run by the family after that point in time, perhaps to sagebrushers or other travelers not using the railroad. Lee B. Hoppe , Hugo’s son, operated the Cinnabar Store, advertised in 1892 as the only store in town. T.J. Loughlin & F.R. Brazil operated a restaurant and saloon in the mid-1880s. W.A. Hall , Golden Rule Cash Store beginning in 1892 and operated camping outfit with teams, wagons & drivers. The W.A. Hall Co. housed a general store, a beer hall and a restaurant. Hall closed the store down and moved his stock to Gardiner in 1903 He also operated a store at Aldridge. O.M. Hefferlin of Livingston operated the OK Store for time. Larry Link , later of Gardiner fame, ran a saloon and pool hall with Alfred R. Christie. He reportedly also operated the Link & George saloon. Smith & Holem Stage & Transportation , "a specialty of catering to the desires of tourists in furnishing local camps with hacks, carriages and saddle horses for their conveyances. Competent drivers and guides are provided, with headquarters at Cinnabar, Montana." 1903 M.A. Holem , "This general store has had a successful business career, first starting in August, 1897, with a small stock in a room at the corner of Main street and South avenue. By trying to please the public in honest prices and just deal ings, M. A. Holem was forced to establish herself in larger quarters, now occupying the post office building near the Park line depot. Hobbs & Link , National Park Hack & Express Line, 1884 Earley & Holmes , Livery Feed and Sale Horses, ca1883-84 W.W. Wylie , who operated the Wylie Permanent Camping Co. into and around Yellowstone, maintained a barn and livery for his equipment to transport visitors on tours of the park. Shaw & Powell arranged camping trips into the park from the Cinnabar Depot and no doubt had some transportation facilities in the area. A.T. French operated the Cooke Transportation Line in the late 1880s. A.W. Chadbourn provided passenger service to Yellowstone in 1884 and later operated a park camping company in conjunction with his business. Wilbur Williams , Daily Stage & Express, Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cinnabar Wakefield & Hoffman , Yellowstone Park stagecoach operations. Wakefield & Ennis , operated camping tours into Yellowstone for at least 1896-1897. M.T. Williams , ran the Cinnabar Hotel for a time. During 1898 the Report of the Acting Superintendent of Yellowstone listed the following parties from Cinnabar licensed to guide camping parties into the park: AW Chadbourn, CC Chadbourn, EC Sandy, CT Smith, Frank Holem, Adam Gassert, WJ Kupper, Henry George, JW Taylor, HM Gore, RH Menefee and GW Reese. 1900 Census . . . The Census of 1900 listed 94 persons living in Cinnabar. Occupations was were varied, but many falling into the category of Teamsters, Park Guides, and Day Laborers. There were, of course a smattering of bartenders/saloon keepers, store clerks, a couple of blacksmiths, a hotel keeper, carpenter, coal miner, and a barber. Many folks did not list an occupation. Cinnabar Hotel ads from the Livingston Enterprise in Jan 1886, 1889, and 1891 respectively. Left Top: Cinnabar Hotel (center left) and O.K. Store on right, ca1890. [Courtesy Autry Museum] Left Bottom: Cinnabar Hotel, ca1890. [Livingston Enterprise Souvenir , iJan1900] Right: W.A. Hall General Merchandise store, ca1895. There is a restaurant in the building and the A-B-C Saloon. The Cinnabar Store is to the right. [Livingston Enterprise , 20Jun1933] Below: Cinnabar townsite, ca1890. The taller building right center is the Cinnabar Hotel. The white building to its right may have become the O.K. Store a few years later. The image has been cropped for better visibility. [Photo courtesy of the Doris Whithorn Collection, Yellowstone Gateway Museum] Upon careful study of the windows and door of the store to the immediate left of the Hotel (above left), and the W.A. Hall store, the author believes that building later became the W.A. Hall General merchandise store (above right). It would have been added on to the left and upper floor and front remodeled. In May of 1891, the Livingston Enterprise noted, "John F. Work has disposed of his interest in the Cinnabar hotel, furniture and fixtures. to William A. Hall for a consideration of $900. Mr. Hall, who has been manager of that hostelry during the past year, will make material improvements in the service to accommodate the increasing business. Left Top: Lawrence Link Saloon and Pool Hall [Livingston Enterprise, 4Jun1892] Left Bottom: Loughlin & Brazil Saloon and Restaurant [Livingston Enterprise Souvenir , 25Apr1885] Top Left: Earley & Holmes Livery & Stables [Livingston Daily Enterprise , 24Apr1883] Top Right: Frank Holem, Blacksmithing & Horseshoeing. [Livingston Enterprise, 26Mar1903] The Coal Mines . . . Horr (named Electric after 1904) was the site of the coke ovens of the Park Coke and Coal Company. The name was bestowed upon it in honor of either Harry Horr, the discoverer of the coal mines in the vicinity, or Major Jos. L. Horr, who in 1884 opened up, the coal mines. On Oct 22, 1887, The Livingston Enterprise announced the shipment of the first three carloads of coal on the Park train to Livingston and Butte. The village itself came into existence in 1888 as a result of the commencement of operations there by the Park Coal & Coke Co. The coal was mined nearby in a community that acquired the name of Aldridge in 1896. On July 1, 1888 the Horr post office opened with Laura A. Pinkston as postmistress. During the nineties the Montana Coal & Coke company became the owners of the property and by the year 1900 quite rapid advancement was made in the little village owing to the increased activities of the company. [An Illustrated history of the Yellowstone Valley, Western Historical Publishing Co., Spokane WA, 1907] Cinnabar was also an important rail station for the gold mines of Bear Gulch/Jardine and Cooke City areas. Mining supplies were carried to Cinnabar from all over the country and delivered by various freight carriers in Cinnabar for transport to these areas. Gold, silver, and other ores and bullion were likewise transported by rail from Cinnabar, as was travertine from the quarries above Gardiner. Left: Post card view of Electric, formerly Horr, with the coke oven in front. The Yellowstone River is in the far background. Cinnabar was a few miles up the valley to the right. Closing of the mines at Aldridge spelled doom for the town of Electric and by 1915 the post office closed. Right: Post card view of the town of Aldridge, located up in the mountains and situated along a lake. The town of Lake was in existence by 1894. It had also been called Little Horr and The Camp at the Lake, and was later renamed Aldridge. Labor problems closed down the mines in 1910, with the post office closing by the end of the year. The Final Days . . . . In 1902 the land dispute with Jim Cutler was finally settled and the rail line continued on to Gardiner as originally planned. This move rang the death knell of the town of Cinnabar, and the small community quickly faded away after that time and the once bustling town turned into a ghost town. Cinnabar was removed as a station stop on May 3, 1903, and the post office was closed shortly after on June 15. An effort was made by the railroad to change the name of Gardiner to Cinnabar, to maintain the existing 20-year legacy of that station name, but the proud residents of Gardiner soundly defeated that effort. Many of the Cinnabar buildings were moved into Gardiner, while others were transported to Horr. The rail depot was loaded onto a flatcar and hauled into Gardiner where it was used as the freight depot. The only remaining evidences of the site today are some depressions in the ground, a few foundation stones, and broken pieces of glass and ceramics scattered over the flats. Billings Gazette , 10Apr1903 Butte Miner , 30May1903 1920 View of Gardiner. The Cinnabar Depor can be seen at left within the circle. Cinnabar - The Western White House . . . In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt engaged on a grand western tour, taking him to Chicago, north through Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota. Roosevelt and his companion, famed naturalist writer John Burroughs, arrived at Gardiner, Montana by train on April 8, 1903. The two men were greeted by their host, acting-superintendent Major John Pitcher. According to the Livingston Enterprise on Aug. 7, “President Theodore Roosevelt will arrive in Livingston tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock from Billings. He will leave Billings at 5:40 o'clock. The president and his party will remain in Livingston only fifteen minutes and will then proceed to Cinnabar, at which place he will arrive at 12:30 o’clock and vyill be met by Troop C of the Third cavalry, Major Pitcher commanding. All of the party traveling with the president, with the exception of John Burroughs and Dr. P. M. Rixey, surgeon general of the navy, will remain in the private train at Cinnabar.” While the President was making merry on his wanderings in Wonderland, the remainder of the party left stranded in Cinnabar seemed to not be particularly thrilled with their plight and the area. The Butte Daily Post commented on the 10th that, “Cinnabar, near the entrance to the Yellowstone National park, the present seat of the executive offices of the nation, isn't an attractive place. It has no public parks, no theaters, no extensive society, no charming homes, no palatial hotel. In fact, there isn’t much at Cinnabar except a depot, a few houses, a store, a livery stable, two saloons and, at present, a bunch of exceedingly bored gentlemen from Washington. The president's special train stands on a siding near the depot, and in it the aforesaid bunch lives and eats and drinks and smokes and wonders what on earth to do. All hands sit around all day and deplore in fervid language the fate which keeps them tied up at a place like Cinnabar. They look down on the river towards Horr and the Devil's Slide meets their eyes—but the devil refuses to slide for their edification. They look up the river and they see only bare hills, with some snowpeaks rising in the distance, but there no longer is anything interesting in the view. Now and again some miners come over from Horr and whoop things up a little at one of the two saloons, but they refuse to go to the length of fighting or doing anything actually exciting.” Roosevelt and his party, guided by Thomas Elwood Hofer, headed out the next morning for a tour of Yellowstone. On April 16, after a return to Fort Yellowstone, the presidential party again packed up the camp and traveled to the geyser basins in a horse-drawn sleigh, accompanied by Park concessionaire Harry Childs. The sleds eventually reached Norris Geyser Basin, where the party spent the night at the Norris Hotel. Proceeding the next day to the Fountain Hotel, they continued on to the Upper Geyser Basin where he watched the eruption of Old Faithful geyser. After viewing the famous geysers in the Upper Geyser Basin, Roosevelt returned to the Norris Hotel for another night’s stay, working their way from Norris to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone The President's Western Trip Harper's Weekly, 4Jul1903 Click to enlarge. President Roosevelt's Special Train at Cinnabar, Montana Underwood & Underwood Stereoview Click to enlarge. As the trip ended, Roosevelt returned to Mammoth Hot Springs, where he agreed to speak at the Masonic cornerstone-laying ceremony on the 24th for the future archway located at the northern entrance to Yellowstone, which would later bear his name. In his speech dedicating the arch, Roosevelt praised Yellowstone. “The geysers, the extraordinary hot springs, the lakes, the mountains, the canyons, and cataracts unite to make this region something not wholly to be paralleled elsewhere on the globe,” Roosevelt proclaimed. “It must be kept for the benefit and enjoyment of all of us.” Boarding his train after the ceremony, he headed north to Livingston and east toward Washington D.C., making a multitude of 'whistle-stops' along the route.bound east for Omaha. It had been a proud and exciting few weeks for the folks of Gardiner and Cinnabar Post Script: The Cinnabar & Clark Fork Railroad Late in 1883 efforts were made by the mining interests in Cooke City and the NPRR to extend the Park Branch line beyond Gardiner to the mines in Cooke City. This feat would have required passing through the northern border areas within Yellowstone Park. It became a volatile issue and stirred 10 years of debate in Congress. Cooke City, the greatest mining district of Montana, as described by the Livingston Enterprise , reported on Jan 5, 1884, “... It is believed that Congress will grant the right of way through the park with little opposition, as the road will run along the ... border of the park and interfere with no point of interest. This would be a great boon to Cooke City and would increase the value of her mineral discoveries to an incalculable extent. ... Cinnabar would also have a great accession of prosperity ... even without the ore reduction works the township proprietors propose to erect.” Two weeks later the Enterprise noted incorporation of the line, “The company is to build and operate a railroad from Cinnabar to Cooke City ... and it also has for an incidental object the erection of ore reduction works at Livingston. The names of the incorporators as they appear in the certificate are Col. Geo. O. Eaton and Geo. A. Huston, of Cooke City, D.E. Fogarty and Major F.D. Pease, of Livingston, and George Haldorn, of Billings, and beside those a glittering array of Eastern capitalists, some of them of national fame, are connected with the company.” The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reported on the situation on 23Jan1884, “It was known as the “Bullion Railroad Company” with Capital Stock of $1,000,000 and Articles of Incorporation were filed in Jan 1884 at Helena. By February 1885 a bill was working its way through Congress that is to segregate the northern tier of Yellowstone Park into private lands so that the railroad from Cinnabar to Cooke City could build along that section of land. Many miners, speculators and profiteers in Gardiner were awaiting news that the bill passed so that they could file claims on the most valuable pieces of property for themselves; either as homesteads, mining claims or for speculative purposes to resell to the railroad or other potential businesses. Although the bill had merely passed the House and had not yet been considered by the Senate, through some communication error, word was put out that the bill had passed and rapidly spread through the local community. Dozens rushed out to file location notices, including, George Huston, Joe Keeney, A.L. Love, C.T. Hobart, Hugo Hoppe, Park Supt. R.E. Carpenter and assistant park superintendent S.M. Fitzgerald. Needless to say, none of the property claims were valid as the bill never did pass the hallowed halls of Congress.” Various controversial efforts to build the railroad that were hotly debated continued until 1892. Finally, Thomas F. Oakes, president of the NPRR, finally declared at the end of that year, “his company had thoroughly examined the mines at Cooke City and the various routes to them, and that under no circumstances would his company build a road to them.” Case closed – much to the relief of Yellowstone enthusiasts.

History of the Fountain Hotel in Yellowstone National Park. Opened in 1891, it served the tourist trade for about 25 years, before closing after the 1916 season. Hotels in the Yellowstone Fountain Hotel - 1891-1916 Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Fountain Hotel, from a double-oval postcard by FJ Haynes. Construction of the Fountain Hotel began in 1889 by the Yellowstone Park Association on a small rise on Fountain Flats, close to the Fountain Paint Pots, facing Fountain geyser. It has sometimes been called the Fountain Geyser Hotel. It replaced the old Firehole Hotel, located nearby at the junction of Nez Perce Creek and the Firehole River, which was abandoned in June. It became the first overnight stop for travelers from both the north and later the west entrances of Yellowstone. The Fountain Hotel opened in 1891, the same summer YPA opened a new hotel on the shores of Lake Yellowstone. The structure cost $100,000 and featured electric lights, steam heat, and piped in hot water from a nearby hot spring. Capacity was 350 guests and the interior walls were calcimined with material from the paint pots. Eventually the exterior was painted yellow. The park hotel association now had three 1st class hotels in the park to serve park visitors - the National Hotel at Mammoth and Lake Hotel. Reau Campbell, in his Campbell’s Complete Guide to Yellowstone, 1909, describes the Fountain Hotel: “There are electric lights and steam heat, with the cheerful accessory of a log fireplace in the lobby. The house is three stories, with rooms light, cheery and well ventilated. The dining-room is particularly a cheerful one. It has been said that the walls of the rooms were tinted with material taken from the Paint Pots, and from their soft colors we may believe it. The fine sulphur baths of the Fountain are in grateful remembrance of all who have had the good fortune to enjoy them; the water comes from one of the hot springs near the Paint Pots at an elevation sufficient to send the water to the bathrooms on the second floor of the hotel.” The Fountain Hotel.—This elegant and modernly constructed hotel, is pleasantly situated on the east side of the valley, commanding an extended view of the surroundings. Its appointments are tirst class throughout, electric light, steam heat, and the only hotel in the Park having natural hot water baths. It is the first hotel reached by visitors entering the Park from the west. The adjacent streams are stocked with “Loch Leven” and “Eastern brook” trout, and with the many natural curiosities in this vicinity one can profitably spend several days at the “Fountain.” [Haynes Guide, 1898] Map of the Lower Geyser Basin. From Campbells Guide to Yellowstone, 1909 The Fountain Hotel, No. 115. Published by Haynes-Photo in 1908. In the mid-late 1800, "Taking the Waters" was a popular past-time for folks who believed the mineral hot spring waters were a restorative to body and mind. The water that was piped into the Fountain Hotel was also believed by many to have these properties. If you look closely at the photo at left (click to enlarge), one can see the pipeline (center) that ran from Leather Pool to the hotel. The 1905 YPA brochure claimed, "Here also one may obtain the privilege of bathing in the naturally heated waters of Mother Earth, for the baths at the Fountain Hotel are supplied from a pool of hot sulphur water nearby. These baths will be found extremely refreshing and invigorating, and Doctor Howard Mummery, F. R. S., of London, gave it as his opinion that the hot water that supplies the baths at the Fountain Hotel contains properties that will most effectually act as a remedial agent in case of kidney complaints. Bright’s disease and all kindred ailments. These baths should be continued for one or more weeks to obtain the full benefit of their medicinal value." Top: Rare view/sketch of the lobby of the Fountain Hotel. YNP Scrapbook] Bottom: Front of hotel with stagecoaches. Los Angeles Co. Museum, SCWHR-P-002-2498 Top: Fountain Hotel with Coach [YNP Archives #147588)] Bottom: Rare view of the back side of the hotel. [YNP #20129827] The Bears of Yellowstone One of the popular features of Yellowstone National Park was the legion of bears. Early on, bears were attracted to the hotel dumps at all the park hotels, Mammoth excepted. The first "bear shows" originated at the Fountain Hotel garbage dump, perhaps a 100 yards in the woods behind the hotel. According to a 1904 Yellowstone Park Asso. brochure, this iconic bear photo, "was made by the young son of a former manager of the Fountain Hotel." The manager is believed to be Ellis J. Westlake, who served from 1896 through 1900. His son's name was John, who would have been 16-20 years of age during that time. At some point the "Association" and YP Transportation Co. (both were partly controlled by Hary Child in 1901), began using the photo for the bear-in-Circles logo. The original photo showed the bear standing amidst a plethora old tin cans, but they were eventually "photoshopped' to look like cut logs. F.Jay Haynes published the postcard shown below in 1908, and also in latter years. From Our Friends, the Bears, by James E. Tower, Good Housekeeping, 1901 “At the Fountain Geyser hotel the black bears allow the Kodak fiend to get within thirty or forty feet of them, while feeding. I saw seven bears there in a group, including a mother and two cubs. Not even the rattling of the stage and the sound of human voices prevented a large black bear from coming in full view of a stage load of us, in the woods near the Grand canyon. The expression on a black bear’s face when a snap-shot intruder creeps to within thirty or forty feet, is a study. He gives the visitor a side glance, munching the while on his food, as much as to say: "Well, I guess you’re harmless: this piece of meat is too good to leave, and there wouldn’t be a thing left of you, anyway, if you should get too fresh and compel me to make trouble.” Dooley, a silver-tip cub tied to a tree at the Grand canyon hotel, was so wroth because I snapped my camera at him that he "had it in for me,” as the boys say, the rest of the day: glaring at me, turning his back when he thought I was trying to photograph him. He snapped at visitors - quite pardonably. He was to return to the woods and his mamma in the fall, for silver-tips cannot be tamed, it is said.” Bears feeding at an unknown park dump, tourist nearby, ca1910. [Museum of the Rockies, MOR #92-41-2 From: Book of a Hundred Bears , Frederick Dumont Smith, Rand McNally, 1909 And here we saw our first bears. All the Park hotels have a garbage pile, where the refuse from the kitchen is dumped once a day, and here the bears come from the woods for meals “a la cart(e).” The garbage place at the Fountain is some distance from the hotel, and that summer a particularly ugly old she-grizzly and two cubs had taken possession of it, and it was considered unsafe to go near them. Two of the soldier guards stand there with their riHcs anti heavy service revolvers to keep us from approaching too closely and to guard against the bears. This reassures us. We know they are wild bears; that there is no hippodrome about it. Your first sight of a real wild bear there in his native woods gives you just a little thrill. It is not like a caged or menagerie bear. You realize that there are possibilities of danger and when, just at dusk, they came galloping down the hill—three of them, a mother and two half-grown cubs—it was an event. The mother was very suspicious and, when she stood up to sniff for danger, she looked as big as the side of a house. PIPER IS LOST IN THE PARK Missing From the Fountain Hotel Since Monday Night He Mysteriously Disappeared THOUGHT TO BE INSANE Not a Trace of Him Can Be Found and It Is Feared That He Has Fallen Into Some of the Many Bottomless Holes. All Hope of His Rescue Given Up A Squad of Cavalry Has Been Tirelessly at Work on the Search. Special Dispatch to the Standard. - Livingston, August 2, 1900 Another day has gone by and still there has been found no trace of J.R. Piper, [L. R. Piper] the man who wandered away from the Fountain Hotel in the national park last Monday evening. Searching parties, consisting of soldiers, stage drivers, hotel employees and tourists, have scoured the country in the vicinity of the Fountain hotel since Tuesday morning, but they have been able to discover no trace of the missing man. It seems as if the earth had opened and swallowed him, and, indeed, it is not unlikely that he has stumbled blindly into one of the many pools or bottomless cauldrons of seething mud that are so numerous in the Midway geyser basin. So read the headline of Montana’s Anaconda Standard newspaper of August 3rd, 1900 - a Yellowstone mystery that has never been solved. No trace of Piper’s body was ever found and nothing was ever heard of him again. Leroy Piper was a mild-mannered bank cashier at a bank in St. Mary's, Ohio. Piper's "rich uncle" had died the previous year in California, and Piper was on his way west to help straighten out affairs, and hopefully collect his inheritance. Riding a Union Pacific train, he and a few friends stopped at Salt Lake City to make a side trip to Yellowstone Park. They rolled into Yellowstone Station at the west entrance and proceeded to Fountain Hotel for the first night. On the evening of July 30, 1900, Piper wandered downstairs to the dining room. He ate a leisurely dinner, purchased a cigar from the lobby newsstand and stepped into the night to enjoy a pleasant smoke and fresh mountain air on a peaceful evening . . . . . . and disappeared into the mists of time - never to be seen again, and nary a trace of him was ever found. Still a Yellowstone Mystery to this day. The Man Who Wandered Away:- A Yellowstone Mystery, an article by this author, is a vailable in "Annals of Wyoming " Autumn 2008, Vol. 80, No.4 Left: Fountain Hotel in 1896, Keystone-Mast photo Right: Touring car with Fountain Hotel in background, undated. Prior to the opening of the Old Faithful Inn in 1904, guests often stayed two nights at the Fountain with a day trip to Old Faithful in between. After the Inn opened, the stay was only for one night. With the advent of the motorized bus fleet in 1917, travel times were shortened considerably and the trip from Mammoth or West Yellowstone to Old Faithful could be made in a single day, eliminating the need for facilities at Fountain. The hotel closed after 1916, a mere 25 years of operation. It stood empty and deserted for over 10 years when permission was received to tear it down. It vanished into the past in 1928. Today, little remains of the old hotel - a few crumbled concrete foundation walls, water pipe fragments, concrete supports for the old generator cabin, remains of the old bear dump with sparkling pieces of old glass, pottery, and rusted cans. Left: Article about objects found during the demo of the hotel in 1928. [Star Tribune, Minneapolis, Mn., 17Aug1928] Right: Photo of the foundation supports for the old generator house. Photo by author 2005 SLY MOUSE GHOST OF PARK HOTEL The Davenport Iowa Democrat and Leader, June 13, 1928 Yellowstone Park, Wyo - (AP) At six o'clock of every cold, raw, winter evening a bell in room 203 of the Fountain Hotel would ring. Every night at six o'clock a frightened, but conscientious caretaker made his cautious way to room 203, only to find it empty. Finally even the caretaker's earnestness could not stand the spectral twilight calls, and he fled the hotel in the company of a park photographer. The old hotel was remodeled the next spring, and the workers found that a mouse had made its nest in the wall of room 203 over the wire leading to the bell. It had nibbled off the insulation as that every time it touched it the bell rang. The regularity of the ghostly rings testify to the excellent character of the rodent. Even this explanation has not entirely put down the evil reputation of the hotel, and native, park rangers and general park employees have held for 20 years to their belief in the "haunt." Demolition of the building this spring, however, is expected to lay the ghost forever.

An early history of boating in Yellowstone National Park, beginning in 1871. Discussed are the several individuals and companies that transported tourist Early Boating on Yellowstone Lake ca1871 - early 1920s Copyright 2021 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Yellowstone Lake Picturesque America, 1874 by Harry Fenn The Annie - First Vessel on Yellowstone Lake The first documented boat to ply the waters of Yellowstone Lake was the Annie, fabricated by members of the 1871 F.V. Hayden Expedition. The small craft sailed to Stevenson Island on July 29 of that year. Hiram M. Chittenden, in his 1895 book “The Yellowstone National Park”, described the occasion: "The first boat on the Yellowstone Lake was a small canvas craft 12 feet long by 3-1/2 feet wide. Dr. Hayden records that it was christened The Annie, by Mr. Stevenson, in compliment to Miss Anna L. Dawes, the amiable daughter of Hon. H.L. Dawes.” The persons in the boat are James Stevenson and Henry W. Elliot Left Top: Woodcut of The Annie. from Picturesque America, 1874 Left Bottom: The Annie, Wm. H. Jackson Photo, 1871. Library of Congress #95514177 Dr. F.V Hayden described the day in a report published by the Chicago Tribune , 4Oct1871: “It lay before us like a beautiful mirror, its surface reflecting the sunlight with dazzling brilliancy . . . We had with us the frame of a boat, and covering this with canvas, launched the first craft that has ever floated on the bosom of Yellowstone Lake. Mr. James Stevenson with one of the members of the party, were the first to sail in it. They landed on one of the largest of the islands, and as mr. Stevenson was the first to put his foot upon it, we named it Stevenson's Island." There are early reports of a Canadian trapper by the name of Henri Le Bleau, or Louis Bleau, who built a small raft and sailed to Stevenson Island, but these cannot be wholly verified. The story is noted by Helen G. Sharman in her, "The Cave on the Yellowstone, or Early Life in the Rockies,” published 1902. Eugene Sayre Topping and The Sallie 1874 is the next year in which a boat appears on the waters of Yellowstone Lake. Eugene Sayre Topping , in his 1883 history “Chronicles of the Yellowstone,” describes the event: "In June of this year [1874] Frank Williams and E.S. Topping, furnished with a whipsaw, canvas, and rigging, went up the Yellowstone to its lake. There they sawed out lumber to build a row boat, and a yacht, which they rigged in sloop form. They launched the latter on the twentieth of July . . . They advertised that the first lady to come up should have the privilege of naming the yacht. Two parties from Bozeman, each having a lady, came in at nearly the same time. These ladies, Mrs. W.H. Tracy and Mrs. Arch Graham, were each named Sarah, and they compromised by naming the yacht Sallie , and took a cruise in commemoration of the event." Right: The Sallie on Yellowstone Lake. At front is Frank Williams, with E.S. Topping at the rear. The "Sarahs" are seated with their husbands and two other men. Photo by Joshua Crissman. The Helena newspaper described the occasion a bit more picturesque, “The way the boat came by its name was this: Mr. Topping advertised that the first lady who sailed therein should have the naming of it. It so chanced, however, that two of Bozeman's most plucky ladies came for a ride at the same lime. It further chanced that both ladies were named Sarah, so the differences between them were split and they called it “Sallie," which name Mr. Topping gallantly accepted, and forthwith painted the same on the boat's end.” Left: The Sallie on Yellowstone Lake. Stereoview produced by W.I. Marshall from Joshua Crissman's original photo. The two men had been issued a permit to operate boats on the lake in1874. In May 1875, Frank Williams drowned in the Yellowstone River near the current city of Livingston Mont. Topping and another man constructed a cabin and boat dock at Topping Point, west of the Lake Outlet. They built two boats, one called the Topping and the other the Naiad Queen . In Greek mythology, the Naiads were a type of female spirit, or nymph, presiding over fountains, wells, springs, streams, brooks and other bodies of fresh water. He operated on the lake for about three summers, and in the fall 1876 joined other Montanans in the gold rush in the Black Hills, Dakota Territory. The Topping boat was reportedly dismantled and abandoned in 1876, and the fate of the Naiad is unknown. T.E. Hofer and the Explorer Having some experience with sailboats on Long Island Sound, Thomas Elwood “Uncle Billie” Hofer and his cousin decided to build a boat and during the winter of 1879-80 gathered up tools and materials. During the summer of 1880 he stayed in E.S. Topping's old cabin and began construction of his “Sharpie," whip-sawing his lumber in the same pit that Topping had used. He ended up with a sailboat 20' long, 6' wide and 2-1/2' deep which they named it the Explorer. Park Supt. Philetus Norris used it in 1880 to circumnavigate Yellowstone Lake, and determined that there would be “…little danger attending trips around the fingers, thumb, and palm of the lake…” Although reportedly Norris wrecked the boat near Topping Point on his return. According to Scott Herring in his "Yellowstone's Lost Legend" about Billy Hofer, the men built an un-named second boat for William Pickett that was 30-35' long. The craft apparently carried 8 men without an issue. It was used for several years, until unattended one day, it made the ride down the Yellowstone River by itself to float over Yellowstone Falls to its doom. T.E. Hofer at his cabin near Gardiner, ca1880. He was born around 1849 . Self-portrait, courtesy Brigham Young Univ., Ut. From the Helena Independent Record , 12Sep1880: “The Hofer Bros have put a strong and safe sail boat on the Yellowstone lake, in which, for a consideration the tourist may enjoy a ride on that beautiful sheet of water.” U.S. Geological Survey Boats in 1885 There were two government boats on the lake in 1885. The second was the US Pinafore, a small craft tested on Swan Lake by Daniel Kingman of the US Army Corps of Engineers before being used on Yellowstone Lake. It was built by Road Foreman E.L. Lamartine and floated on Swan Lake Aug. 22, 1885. Others aboard the craft included Mrs. Lamartine, Jennie and Mary Henderson, and two others. After its trial run, the vessel was hauled to Yellowstone Lake for use by Kingman and his men on Yellowstone lake. The Pinafore seems not to appear again in the records after its trial run. August 22, 1885). The first boat was another USGS craft that has as yet remained un-named. The story of its fate is below: On Sept. 5, 1885, USGS surveyors M.D. Scott, Amos Scott, E.C. Quackenbush, and J.H.. Renshaw were sailing the craft on Yellowstone lake when a sudden storm came up. About 100 yards from shore, the boat was suddenly struck by lightning, which knocked all of the men unconscious. Upon awakening, they found M.D. Scott dead after being struck through the head, and a hole burned through the bottom of the craft. The others made it safely back to shore and buried Scott on a bench close to the lake. According to the Butte Weekly Miner on Sept 26, 1885, “the father and two brothers of the deceased stated that they were on the way to Bozeman to recover the remains and convey them to the old home for final interment.” Their home was reportedly in Illinois. Renshaw wrote a letter published in the Bozeman Weekly Chronicle on 16Sep1885 describing the event: KILLED by LIGHTNING I have to inform you of the death ot your friend, M. D. Scott, under the following circumstance. On the afternoon of Sept. 5th he, with myself, Mr. E. C. Quackenbush, and Mr. Amos Scott, were out sailing on the Yellowstone lake, when there came up a sudden thunder shower and our boat was struck by lightning. We were all stunned, remaining unconscious for some time. When we regained consciousness we found poor Dick dead, he evidently having been killed instantly. The bolt had struck the top of his head, passing down over his breast and left side, tearing his clothing into shreds, then on down to his feet and out through the bottom of the boat. Upon recovering I found my right arm partially paralyzed and slightly burned, but otherwise I was not injured; the other two gentlemen escaping without any physical injury except the natural shock of the nervous system. Fortunately we were close to the land, so with a few pulls with the oars we were able to reach the shore and escape the rapidly filling boat. We buried Dick yesterday afternoon on a bench near the lake, overlooking the scene of his tragic death and of his last faithful services. Will you be kind enough to inform his friend Mr. Yerkes, of the Bozeman Chronicle, that the circumstances of his death may be made public. Very Respectfully, Jno. H. Renshaw.. Ela C. Waters - The Zillah and The EC Waters E.C. Waters came to the park in 1887 with E. C. Culver from Billings, where Waters was a businessman with interests in the Headquarters Hotel. He became general manager of the Yellowstone Park Association hotels in 1887, serving until 1890 when he was removed from that position. YPA was granted a lease to operate boats on the Yellowstone Lake in 1891 and allowed Waters to manage the new boat/ferry operation. Around that time a new road was being built over Craig Pass from Old Faithful to West Thumb. A ferry service would eliminate the tedious and dusty ride from the Thumb Lunch Station to the Lake Hotel and the "The Zillah" was put into service for that purpose. Waters built a house and boathouse in front of Lake Hotel that first year. Top Right: Ela C. Waters, undated. NPS photo Bottom Left: E.C. Waters residence, undated. YNP #199718-277 Bottom Right: YP Boat Co. office and store, ca1917. YNP #199718-278 Waters was not a particularly well respected personage or businessman and was apparently not in good favor with park or Interior officials. He was `encouraged’ to leave the park in 1907 by the army. According to Bartlett’s “Yellowstone – A Wilderness Besieged,” a notice was posted by Supt. Gen. Young stating that, “E.C. Waters, President of the Yellowstone Lake Boat Company, having rendered himself obnoxious during the 1907 season, is…debarred from the park and will not be allowed to return without permission.” In 1907, Tom Hofer and his T.E. Hofer Boat Co. took over the contract upon Waters’ exit. The Zillah was in service from West Thumb to Lake Hotel until around 1909-10 when Hofer brought in the new ship “Jean D,” and replaced the Zillah for the ferry service. The Zillah The Ulysses, was built in 1884, either in La Crosse or Iowa, sources seem to differ. Col. Wm McCrory had the boat built to provide service on Lake Minnetonka in eastern Minnesota. His railroad lines extended to Excelsior and Minnetonka Beach on the lake. The boat sections were shipped to the lake and assembled on site. Unfortunately her draft was 3', a bit too much for the shallow shoreline. It also tended to list a bit a full speed (16mph). The steamer was purchased in 1888 by Dr. Kenedy and Howard Trumbull, who served as captain, and renamed her the Clyde. Due to her unsuitable draft, it was put up for sale and purchased in 1889 by Charles Gibson, owner of the Yellowstone Park Association. The ship was brought from Michigan to Yellowstone in segments in 1891. The steel-hulled, 40-ton steamer was acquired to provide tourist transportation on Yellowstone Lake. It was 81’ with a 14’ beam, and could carry 120 passengers and crew. An article at right from the Gardiner Wonderland on 21Sep1905 described the tedious process of getting it to Yellowstone Lake. The Zillah’ was assembled on site by Amos Shaw (of the Shaw & Powell Camping Co ) to provide ferry service from West Thumb to Lake Hotel. It was an interesting alternative to the somewhat bland stagecoach ride from Thumb to Lake. E.C. Waters would pay the stagecoach drivers fifty cents for each passenger the driver convinced to take the ferry, and then charged passengers $3.00 for the boat ride. The Zillah made its first run on June 22, 1891 with a crew of government road workers. Shaw captained the boat for the 1891-92 seasons. Waters bought the boat company from Yellowstone Park Association in 1897, and obtained a 10-year lease from Interior to operate the ferry The ship operated on the lake for about 20 years, but had deteriorated over time and was replaced by the Jean D around 1910. The Zillah sat at the Lake boathouse until at least 1922, and probably later. Right: The Zillah and Lake Hotel. [Haynes Double Oval postcard, ca1907] Zillah at the dock in front of Lake Hotel (not shown) At center is the Waters residence. [Haynes photo, Mont. Hist Soc. #10774] Zillah at Dot Island. Wm. H. Rau glass slide The final deposition of the Zillah remains unknown. Some sources have claimed that the ship was scuttled in the Lake somewhere off the coast from Lake Hotel. However, the Submerged Resources Survey conducted on the lake in 1996 was unable to find any remnants of the boat on the lake’s bottom. Park Historian Aubrey Haines has commented that he saw a notice that the craft may have been cut up and sold for scrap in 1929. The mystery remains . . . From the Jackson Hole News , July 22, 1971: Del Jenkins, former stagecoach driver in the park, recalls the days when the steamship [Zillah] was in use. He was driving four-horse stages in 1898 and often let off passengers to make the easier ride by steamship, instead of the longer stagecoach route around the lakeshore. "The owner of the boat used to pay me 50 cents a head for bringing them to the boat," he said, "and I was mighty glad to get rid of the dudes. It made the stagecoach a lot lighter." The route across the Lake to Thumb was only about 15 miles by boat, and a lot longer and rougher by the road. "It was wonderful for the horses," recalled Del, "but a lot of people didn't want to go on the boat 'cause it cost an extra three dollars." Del thinks the good ship Zillah ran about 10 years. Then someone thought they would get rich quick and built a bigger one to hold 500 passengers [The EC Waters]. The built it all in front of the Lake Hotel but the park would never approve the passenger load and it was never licensed." The EC Waters With the increase of tourist trade by the early 1900s, the deteriorating Zillah, and fears of competition, E.C. Waters decided to expand his boat operations. Waters brought plans and materials for a 140’ by 30’ wooden hulled steamship to Yellowstone Lake in 1904. The new vessel, larger than Zillah, was constructed and launched at the Lake docks boathouse in 1905. Accounts vary on its size, but range from 125-140’ long and 25-30’ beam, capable of carrying 400-500 passengers. It was used part of the 1905 season, but the regulators, the U.S. Steamship Navigation Service, refused a permit for the 500-passenger capacity that Waters demanded. Consequently, it was supposedly never used again and sat beached on a protected cove on the east side of Stevenson Island for many years. The cove was thought safe from the winter lake ice, but in 1921, strong winds and the ice breakup pushed the boat up onto the beach. Some of the machinery was removed around 1926 and the boiler unit was used to help heat Lake Hotel for some 46 years. Reportedly some Lake area winterkeepers set fire to the aging craft in 1930. Some of the wreckage remains to this day. Left: Rare photo of the EC Waters under construction at Yellowstone Lake. [Author's Digital Collection] Right: Steamboats Zillah in front, EC Waters at rear. Note elk antlers atop the Zillah. [ Barkalow #6898 postcard, advertising Union Pacific RR] Steamer E.C. Waters on the lake. [Tanner Souvenir Co. postcard] Steamer E.C. Waters wreck at Stevenson Island. Note holes in hull, where equipment apparently been removed. Excerpts from an article in the Gardiner Wonderland , 21Sep1905 THE NEW BOAT LAUNCHED Amid Stirring enthusiasm the New Boat “E.C. Waters” Was Launched on Monday Morning Upon Yellowstone Lake “The new boat, "E.C. Waters," was launched upon the beautiful Yellowstone Lake on Monday morning at exactly 8:45 o'clock after the reading of a short address by F.D. Geiger, editor of Wonderland, which had been previously prepared by the Hon. John T. Smith of Livingston. The new boat slipped from its moorings into the deep lake with great ease and comfort and looked perfectly at home upon the deep blue waters of the highest lake in the whole world . . . A crowd of about 300 people witnessed the launching of the new boat and all expressed themselves well pleased with their trip to the lake to witness and listen to the ceremonies at the launching of the greatest boat the northwest ever had. . . .The christening of the boat was done by Miss Edna Waters immediately after the conclusion of the launching ceremonies . . . At the word she smashed a large bottle of champagne over the bow of the new boat and sent it joyfully out into the deep blue water, at the same time giving it the name that will henceforth for ages to come revere the name of the man who has been the cause of its existence, and who will pass into history as one of the west's greatest promoters. In building the new boat Mr. Waters has placed into her hold the best machinery obtainable. He has built the new boat at the total cost of nearly $65,000, almost a fortune.” Curios from the Waters Boat Company The company sold a collection of curios in the office/store. Among those included decorative plates with scenes from the Lake. Two image designs are known of at this point in time = one of a man standing in the tres looking at the Zillah sailing on the lake. The other depicts a woman and man, perhaps E.C. Waters & his wife, fishing in the famous "Fishing Cone." There are various styles of plates, but the images seem to remain the same. Even an ash tray with the Fishing Cone was available. All had a trademark label on the bottom, to the effect of "Made in Germany for M.B. Waters, Yellowstone Park, Wyo." The Wheelock company was a United States distributer of decorative china, while the manufacturer was in Dresden. The "M.B." no doubt stands for "Martha Bustus" Waters, Ela's wife. Perhaps she was in charge of the curio department. According to Thousand Islands Life website, "Wheelock was not the manufacturer of souvenir china, as some believe, but the importer. Because Germany and Austria had the raw material to produce high quality hard paste porcelain, those two countries were the major source of souvenir china. The procedure was as follows. The scenes or pictures were selected in the area where they were to be sold, usually from postcards. They were then sent to Europe for processing. The next step was to make a transfer print of the picture which was then applied to the china. Initially the pictures were black and white but later many were hand colored at factories. Eventually transfer prints were done in color eliminating the step of coloring by hand." A search of internet auctions reveals Wheelock china made for H.E. Klamer's General Store and other businesses selling custom souvenir china in or around Yellowstone. The T.E. Hofer Boat Company Thomas Elwood "Billy" Hofer came out West in 1872, spending five years in the Black Hills and Colorado. He arrived in the Yellowstone area in 1877 and in 1878 began guiding and outfitting tourist and hunting parties. He and his brother built a 20’ sailboat called the Explorer in 1880. An ad in the Bozeman Avant-Courier (8/19/1880) described it as "strong and safe . . [with] A competent man in charge, who will, at all proper times, be ready to accommodate all who desire to take pleasure excursions." He and his brother (or cousin) also built a second boat as described in a previous section. One of Billy Hofer's boats at a dock, ca1908 [Campbell's Yellowstone Guide, 1909] In the intervening year, Billy Hofer concentrated on his guiding, hunting, photography and trapping skills. Seeing an opportunity after E.C. Waters was ingraciously escorted from Yellowstone, he received a 10-year lease on Nov. 12, 1907. He was permitted o operate up to 10 power launches and 50 rowboats and dories on Yellowstone Lake, mostly purchased from the Truscott Lake Boat Company of St. Joseph, Michigan. He formed the T.E. Hofer Boat Co. the following year, buying out the E.C. Waters operation. Articles of incorporation were filed in March of 1908, and included three directors: Hofer, W.A. Hall, and C.N. Sargent, businessmen from Gardiner . His company also operated the ferry service with the ‘Zillah’ from West Thumb to Lake Hotel. It has been said that his boats carried odd names with unknown origins such as: Busha, Etcedecasher, Ocotta, Lockpitsa, Espear, Esportutse, Wood Tuk Colle, Bedupa, and Sata. He also provided fishing boats for hire to visitors, and operated a small store that sold or rented fishing tackle and gear, grain, hay, and other basic tourist supplies. Financing for the buyout of the E.C. Waters business and operation of the company was obtained from Harry Child of Yellowstone Park Association and the railroad companies. Hofer apparently was not a great businessman, and by 1910 the company was failing, despite carrying close to 6000 tourists on his launches that year. Sensing an opportunity, Child used his financial interests to squeeze Hofer out of business. Child took over Hofer's operation and created the Yellowstone Park Boat Company the following year. The park transportation system became motorized in 1917 and the new auto stages traversed the road from West Thumb to Lake Hotel quicker and more comfortably, making the ferry service unnecessary. Left Top : "Boat Landing Near Lake Hotel." Depiction of two of Hofer's motor launches for tours and fishing. [Haynes postcard No. 168, ca1910] Left Bottom : Glass slide of the Jean D tour boat, purchased ca1909. "The Jean D" This new gasoline launch was placed into service in 1909-1910 by Tom Hofer. The ship was twin-screw, 120hp and featured an enclosed hardtop rear deck with storm windows. The capacity was 150 passengers. It was the only one of the launches with an easy name - the others was blessed with obscure names. A brochure ca1912, stated that the Jean D. left Lake Hotel every morning at 8:30am, arriving at West Thumb at 10:30am. The return trip began at 1:00pm and docked at Lake Hotel at 3:00pm. Top Right : Jean D at West Thumb. [YNP #40348] Bottom Left : Newspaper article about Hofer's boat operation. [Evening Star, Wash. DC, 22Aug1909] Bottom Right : "The Steamer at the Thumb of Yellowstone Lake. [Stereo Travel Co. stereoview, ca1912] Brief Notes on Early Boat Captains Amos Shaw , was raised in Michigan and had sailed on the Great Lakes prior to his arrival in Montana in 1890. He supervised the construction of the Zillah at Lake and captained the ship from about 1891-1893. E.C. Waters, who also grew up in Michigan, is not known to have had any significant nautical experience prior to adventures at Yellowstone. John Hepburn was a captain of the Zillah from about 1891 to 1909. He homesteaded land south of Emigrant, Mt., and was a prominent rancher by 1921. He remained in Paradise Valley until his death in 1959. Capt. Royal O. Bigford, of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin (no doubt a neighbor of sorts to Waters), reportedly was a captain for eight seasons with E.C. Waters, including the seasons 1906-07. He also captained his own boat the "Laura May " on Lake Winnebago (near Fond du Lac) and also another boat called the "O'kipoji." Bigford passed away in early March of 1939. The Zillah with Capt. Amos Shaw at the helm. The Shaw family was later involved with the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. [Montana Standard, Butte, 10Sep1972] At Livingston, the gateway to the Yellowstone Park, is found one of the prettiest western depots, and an incident transpired here which shows how small our country is and the surprises it has in store. It was the meeting with Captain Bigford. of Fond du Lac, and his crew of ten men who had just finished the season’s work in the park and were thus far on their trip to their homes in Fond du Lac and Oshkosh. Captain Bigford had charge of the steamers on the lake last season, and will probably occupy the same position the coming year. [The Gazette (Stevens Point, WI), Feb. 6, 1907] Yellowstone Park Boat Company This company was created by H.W. Child , Wm. Nichols , and E.C. Day on May 27, 1911 after taking over the T.E. Hofer Boat Co. in 1910. Child, as was his usual practice, obtained financing from the NW Improvement Co. (subsidiary of NPRR) to buy the operation. The new company was permitted to operate motor boats, power launches, rowboats and dories. Dock sites were obtained at Lake Hotel and West Thumb, along with a 10-year lease in 1913. They operated the ferry until 1917 when the motorized bus fleet made the ferry unnecessary and unprofitable. The Zillah was dry-docked until 1926 when it was stripped and sold for salvage. A boathouse was built in 1928 just below the Fishing Bridge for canoe,rowboat and tackle rentals. The following year a 25' Cris-Craft Runabout was purchased. Wm. Nichols became head of the firm in 1931 upon the death of Harry Child. The company continued to offer sightseeing trips and in the 1920’s added speedboats for hire and provided trips to Stevenson Island for fish fries. The speedboats Adelaide , Adelaide II, and Marion were placed in service in the early 1930s and carried about 11 passengers. However, the Adelaide suffered an engine explosion in August 1937. Luckily no one was injured and the boat managed to limp back the 200’ to the shore. Deemed not salvageable, she was sunk in the lake in September. Other boats were acquired during this era, but documentation is scant. The YP Boat Co. operated until 1936 when it was merged into the Yellowstone Park Co. Other boats were acquired during this era, but documentation is scant. Right Top : One of the Adelaide speedboats. There were at least two Adelaide boats in the 1920-1930s. YNP #8743] Right Bottom : Another of the Adelaide speedboats. [YNP #124208] From a 1936 National Park Service brochure: “Speed boats, launches, rowboats, and fishing tackle may be rented from the Yellowstone Park Boat Co. Launches, including the use of fishing tackle, cost $3.50 an hour. Half-hour speed-boat trips on Yellowstone Lake will be made for $1 a person. You can rent a rod, reel, and landing net for 50 cents a day. A boat trip, including fishing and fish fry at Stevenson Island, is a popular feature.” Three Cris-Craft boats were purchased in 1938 - 19’ and 25’ Runabout speedboats, and a 37’ partly-enclosed Cruiser. The Osprey, a 30’ Cris-Craft Seaskiff with twin 230hp Mercury inboard engines was launched in 1957. The Miss Yellowstone , a 30’ Inland Laker was acquired in 1967. The following year the Lake Queen set sail, a 46-passenger boat that was claimed to be the largest boat on the lake since the E.C. Waters . TWA Services (who took over the YP Co.) acquired the Anna in 1982 , a 35’ Holiday Mansions Super Barracuda. It was a houseboat that could sleep 8-10 people. In 1989 the Osprey , Miss Yellowstone , and Anna were put on the auction block and sold. The Lake Queen II was purchased in 1994 from Munson Manufacturing Co. It could seat 49 passengers and was powered by three Mercruiser Bravo 7.3L I/O engines. For Additional information on the early boats in Yellowstone, see the "Yellowstone Lake Submerged Resources Survey" Left: Fishing Bridge and the Boat House to the left, with floating dock and canoe/rowboat & tackle rentals, ca1937. Built in 1935, it replaced an earlier structure. [Haynes postcard #37763] Center : Boat House at West Thumb, 1951. [YNP #51-423] Right : Boat House at the lake in front of Lake Hotel, ca1953. [Haynes postcard 53K393 Left : The Lake Queen in 1987. [Jackson Hole Courier, 26Aug1987] Bottom : The Lake Queen II, undated [YNP Jim Peaco photo]

History of the McCartney Hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs, opening 1871 - the 1st hotel in Yellowstone. The Cottage Hotel opened in 1885 in competition to the park hotel company, but was forced to sell out in 1889. Many historic photos. Hotels in the Yellowstone McCartneys Hotel - Cottage Hotel Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. McCartney's Hotel Mammoth Hot Springs McCartney & Horr Hotel at mouth of Clematis Gulch, near the edge of the Mammoth Terraces. [YNP #10594] James C. McCartney was born ca1835 in New York and first came to the Montana Territory in 1866; no doubt to join others in the quest for gold. It is thought he first passed through Yellowstone in 1869 and joined the Cooke City gold rush the following year. The 1870 Federal Census for Gallatin County listed him as 34 years of age and his occupation as carpenter. He became a co-owner with Harry Horr of the first lodgings available in the park. In 1871 they claimed a homestead of 160 acres at the mouth of Clematis Gulch in Mammoth on July 5 and built two cabins that year. Harry R. Horr , also known as Henry Horr, he was born Sept. 20, 1842 in New York. By 1870 he was employed at Fort Ellis as a civilian employee of the post trader’s store. When Truman Everts was lost in the fall of 1870, Horr and two soldiers accompanied George Pritchett back to Yellowstone to help transport Everts to Bozeman. The cabin used as a hotel was a 1-story log building, 25 by 35 feet with an earth-covered slab roof. Guests were required to provide their own blankets and slept on the floor. During a Yellowstone visit in 1874, Lord Dunraven commented that it was “the last outpost of civilization –that is, the last place whiskey is sold.” A third cabin and outbuildings were erected the following year. A crude bathhouse was also built on the nearby Hymen Terrace and five plank shacks were eventually built containing wooden bathtubs. In 1873 McCartney received a 10-year lease from Interior and Horr released or sold his claim to McCartney. Horr later went on to found the Horr Coal Co. and town of Horr a few miles north of Gardiner. McCartney’s cabins were the only lodging available in the park until George Marshall built his hotel in 1880 in the Lower Geyser Basin. According to the Helena Weekly Herald on July 22, 1875, a Post Office was established at Mammoth with J.C. McCartney as Postmaster Ad for G.W.A. Frazier's stage service to Mammoth in 1873. They advertised to carry Invalids to soak in the reported healthful hot spring water.The following year Zack Root took over the route. [Bozeman Avant Courier, 13Jun1873] Below: View of McCartney's Hotel taken by Ole A. Anderson, who sold coated specimens nearby. Probably taken mid-to-late 1880s. {Anderson Family Collection] Right: McCartney's Hotel in Yellowstone Park , stereoview photo taken by FJ Haynes, no date. Around 1874, John Engesser, who ran a restaurant and boarding house in Bozeman, came to Mammoth to take over management of the McCartney Hotel. Jim McCartney was probably managing the bath-house and saloon. Zack Root’s Express stage line made weekly runs from Bozeman to Mammoth Hot Springs to carry passengers, mail, and freight. Old timer George Huston and Frank Grounds operated a pack train service from Mammoth into the heart of Geyserland. A Bozeman newspaper in 1874 described the hotel operation: “"The hotel, in connection with the springs, run by Mr. John Engesser, an experienced landlord, assisted by his good wife, presents as good fare as can be had at any hotel in the Territory. The bath rooms are fitted up in excellent style, and are sufficient to accommodate almost any number of visitors. A handsome club house has been put up this season, with a bar attached, which is stocked with choice liquors, cigars, etc. A billiard hall will be added next season . . . as a place of public resort for health and pleasure; the Mammoth Hot Springs have a more promising future than any other place in the country.” [Bozeman Avant-Courier, 18Sep1874] T.W. Ingersoll stereoview of the bath-houses at Mammoth Hot Springs. The sign atop to building read "HOT SULFUR BATHS." Click to enlarge. The phenomenon of “taking the cure” became widespread throughout the eastern United States in the 1800s. Claims were made about these “curative waters” that touted an array of medicinal values that would purportedly benefit a wide variety of ailments, including those of the kidney, bladder, liver, stomach, skin, and nervous diseases. By 1850 resorts such as Saratoga Springs, New York, White Sulfur Springs and Hot Springs in Virginia, and Hot Springs, Arkansas had become celebrated social and cultural “hot spots” for the affluent crowd. The waters of Mammoth Hot Springs were advertised to have these same types of benefits. McCartney and Horr capitalized on this phenomenon with building and advertising bath-houses. Newspapers often spoke of “Invalids” going to the park to help restore their ills. Note the advertisement above. Left: Description of McCartney's Hotel on May 8, 1873 in the Helena Weekly Herald. Click to enlarge. Right: Lantern slide taken of the hotel with building additions and an elk antler fence, undated. McCartney’s status in the park and his relations with the administration were unstable at best and he was encouraged to leave the park on an involuntary basis on claims he was trespassing. McCartney eventually settled along the northern park boundary and Gardner River around 1879 in the area that would become the town of Gardiner. He was the town’s first postmaster in 1880 and later became unofficial ‘Mayor’. He was the man who introduced President Roosevelt at the dedication ceremonies of the new Roosevelt Arch in 1903. After McCartney’s official eviction from the park around 1881, the government used his cabins and burned some of the outbuildings. McCartney claimed to own the buildings until 1883, when Supt Conger officially took possession of them in April. George Henderson and his family moved into one of the cabins in 1882, and operated the post office and store for a few years in another. McCartney finally received $3,000 in 1901 in compensation for his park holdings that were taken away from him. In a legal claim to Interior in 1891, McCartney described his buildings: 1-story log dwelling with 4 rooms, 25’ x 35’; 1-story log dwelling house 30’ x 20; log barn, with squared logs, 30’ x 15’; 1-story hewn-log building 30’ x 25’; squared-log building 20’ x 16’. A 50’ x 16’ stable was also on the property. A Chinese man named Sam Toy, set up a laundry in the hotel in 1902. He was well-liked in the community and operated successfully until the building burned down on December 4, 1912. Cottage Hotel Mammoth Hot Springs George Henderson , or G.L. Henderson, was born in Oct. 8, 1827 in Old Deer Scotland and immigrated to the US with his family in 1846. He was hired as an assistant superintendent to Supt. Conger in June of 1882 and moved to Yellowstone with his children. He arrived with his son Walter J., aged 20, and daughters Helen L., aged 28, Jennie A., aged 18, Barbara G., age 21, and Mary R., age 12. They moved into the Norris Blockhouse and the following year lived in one of McCartney’s old hotel buildings. G.L Henderson and his family built this large log hotel in 1885, located near the present service station at Mammoth. The original building measured 36’ x 40 in size. The 10-year lease was in the name of Helen and Walter Henderson and they opened the hotel on Christmas Day 1885. Two years later they added a 2-1/2-story addition with 75 rooms and a capacity of 150 guests. The addition was built by Wm. Doughty, David Stratton, Wm. North, and Charles Stuart. Henderson's Log Hotel in Early Days, Y.N.P. Stereoview by the Ingersoll View Co., ca1903. Photo was probably taken ca1890 Advertising cards later describe the hotel as having 55 rooms, hot sulfur baths, trained guides, and elegant Quincy carriages for touring. GL is listed as the Manager and the hotel is described as a summer and winter resort for health and pleasure seekers. “Science and experience prove that the mountain air, mineral water and sulfur baths are great remedial agents for all pulmonary, gastric and kidney disorders.” “Carriages, Saddle Horses, Camping Outfits and Competent Guides furnished to all points of interest in the park.” Rates are $2.50/day, or $10.00 per week. [YNP, Ash Collection, Cottage Hotel Advertising cards] In January 30 of 1886, the Livingston Enterprise, published an article written by G.L. Henderson describing the new hotel and its assets: "There are two hotels, the National is an immense four story structure and will, when finished, accommodate 500 tourists. This hotel having been closed several times on account of financial difficulties the Department of the Interior granted another lease to Helen L. and Walter J. Henderson on which they have erected the Cottage Hotel, containing now 20 rooms finished and in good order, all warm and cosy and somewhat in the style of the Swiss Chalet. This novel structure will, when finished, contain 75 rooms, single and double, suitable for families and individuals. It is intended for a health and pleasure, summer and winter, resort and will accommodate, when completed, one hundred and fifty guests. This hotel is sheltered by the foot hills of Temple Mountain from the north and west winds." On June 13, 1885, the Livingston Enterprise reported that, Advertisement for Coated Specimens at the Cottage Hotel Museum at Mammoth. [Yellowstone Guide and Manual, published by GL Henderson, 1885] "Henderson Town consists of seven houses and will soon have an eighth. The Misses Henderson expects to furnish cottages and board to that portion of the traveling public who intend to remain a few days or weeks in Wonderland during the hot season. They aim to make their hotel cottages and Cottage Hotel home-like and attractive both as to comfort and economy." The advertisement to the right for the Cottage Hotel Museum was published in 1885, prior to the completion of the hotel. It is probable the museum was temporarily located in one of the "hotel cottages" mentioned above. Cottage Hotel tour of the terraces next to the Liberty Cap formation. Perhaps GL Henderson leading the tour. The side of the carriage reads "Cottage Hotel." Several family members assisted GL in the new touring business, conducted out of the hotel. Helen Henderson, also known as Nellie, became the first female guide and carriage driver in the park, while other guides included her husband Charles Stuart as well as Henry Klamer, who later married Mary Henderson. [YNP #693] Yellowstone Park Association carriages preparing to head into Wonderland. The photo is dated 1898 - the YPA bought out the Cottage Hotel Association in late Spring of 1889. George henderson continued to work for the new company on a promotional basis. Unable to compete with the pressure applied by YPA, the Hendersons sold the hotel operation to the Yellowstone Park Asssociation in 1889, but George continued to manage it for a short time afterwards. Part of the sale agreement stipulated that GL Henderson and his wife, or any one of the Cottage Hotel Asso members would be able to ride any train of the NPRR for free for the rest of his life. GL also agreed not to re-enter the hotel or transportation business in the park for a period of time. He was to receive a $150/month stipend for his work in promoting the park and the hotel association. These clauses were made in order for YPA to buy the hotel at a reduced price; from $40,000 to $30,000.The hotel closed down in 1910 and was remodeled in 1921 for use as an employee dorm for Yellowstone Park Hotel Co. It was torn down in May 1964. Cottage Hotel in 1930. It was 45 years old at this point and beginning to show its age. [YNP #31100] Sketch of Cottage Hotel made by an unknown employee, who obviously was not impressed with the building's condition. Epilog: In 1896 Jennie Henderson Ash, married to transportation company man George Ash, established the first general store in Yellowstone. The current Delaware North store at Mammoth is the descendent of the store after numerous changes and ownership. Jennie retired in 1908 and her brother Walter and brother-in-law Alex Lyall took over the operation until 1913 when George Whittaker purchased the business. Mary Henderson married Henry Klamer, who had assisted with the Cottage Hotel operation and in 1897 they opened a general store at Old Faithful, which is still in business by the Delaware North Co. Mary sold the store in 1915 to Chas, Hamilton after henry died in 1914. George Henderson died in 1905 in Chula Vista, Calif - his retirement home.

Pictorial history of the Old Faithful Camp, Old Faithful Lodge, and Old Faithful Camper Cabins, and Old Faithful Snow Lodge, dating from 1917 to present. Lodges in the Upper Geyser Basin Old Faithful Lodge - Camper Cabins Snow Lodge Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Old Faithful Camp The current Old Faithful Lodge is a descendent of the Shaw & Powell Camping Company that operated in the park from 1898 to 1916. Starting out with a "moveable camps" operation, they received permission in 1913 to build permanent camps in Yellowstone Park, following after the pattern of the Wylie Permanent Camping Company. Within two years Shaw & Powell had erected permanent facilities at most of the main park locations, including, of course, Old Faithful, where they had a ring-side seat near Old Faithful Geyser and the Old Faithful Inn. View of Old Faithful Camp taken from the Crow's Nest atop Old Faithful Inn, ca1916. Notice the tents to the left of the main pavilion. [YNP #02784] In 1917 organization changes in the park mandated by the Department of Interior combined all the permanent camp operations into one company that became known as the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. It was jointly run by both the Wylie and the Shaw & Powell companies. The Wylie Camp near Daisy Geyser was abandoned and the Shaw & Powell Camp became the primary camps facility with tent cabins and eventually camper’s cabins. 1917 was also the year motor cars ruled the roads and the stage era fell by the wayside. Although private vehicles were allowed in the park beginning Aug 1915. Undated photo of the Old Faithful camp pavilion. Note a type of auto garage/shed has replaced that section of tens shown in above photo. [Real-Photo postcard] In 1919 Howard Hays, who had been instrumental in the promotional efforts of the Wylie Camping Co., bought out the company with partner Roe Emery and renamed the operation Yellowstone Park Camps Company. In 1920-21 a recreation pavilion was constructed that was used for dances by the tourists and other purposes. There was a charge for the dances, netting the company some additional income. The Caldwell Tribune (Id), reported on May 26, 1921 reported, “At Old Faithful, the permanent camp has been further improved by the erection of a large amusement hall, where a fine orchestra will be employed to entertain guests and campers from a nearby automobile camp.” Fifty new cabins were constructed in 1921-22 that increased the capacity by 20%. The Supt.’s Annual report noted that a “delicatessen tent, 20x40 feet was constructed in the public automobile camp adjacent to Old Faithful Camp. This delicatessen served prepared cooked foods such as soups, roasts, hot biscuits, muffins, pies and cakes, also fresh milk.” Top: Photo of Old Faithful Camp from a 1918 YP Camping Co. brochure. It is surrounded by military-type rows of tent cabins. Bottom: The original lodge building stands right center. The new recreation pavilion is barely shown at right. [YNP # 36502] Top: Original lodge on left with new recreation pavilion on right, ca1922-24. [YNP #185327-420] Bottom: Alternate view of lodge (L.) and recreation hall (R.) [YNP #185327-417] Fifty new cabins were constructed in 1921-22 that increased the capacity by 20%. The Supt.’s Annual report noted that a “delicatessen tent, 20x40 feet was constructed in the public automobile camp adjacent to Old Faithful Camp. This delicatessen served prepared cooked foods such as soups, roasts, hot biscuits, muffins, pies and cakes, also fresh milk.” Operating the company until 1924, the YP Camps Company made many improvements to the lodge at Old Faithful, and to their lodges at Mammoth, Canyon, Lake, and Roosevelt. The 1922 Superintendent's Report revealed that ". . . 50 new cabins are in process of construction which will increase the capacity of that camp [OF] more than 20 per cent. The new recreation pavilion was operated during the season and proved a successful addition to the entertainment features at the camp. A delicatessen tent, 20 x 40 feet, was constructed in the public automobile camp adjacent to Old Faithful Camp." Ed Moorman, Gen. Mngr. of the Camps Company claimed the deli opened in 1920. A section of a new dining room was built in 1923 that became part of the present lodge building. Left: Color postcard view of the Rec Hall (center) and the original lodge to the far left, 1924. [Haynes PC #24076] Right: Old Faithful Camp Dining Room, constructed 1923. It became a part of the new OF Lodge structure in 1927-28. [Haynes PC #24080] In 1924 Vernon Goodwin, who had been manager of the Alexandria and Ambassador hotels in Los Angeles, purchased the Camps operations, with financial backing by Harry Child, for $660,000. Child, who probably was the majority owner, and, as he had done in past ventures, kept his involvement anonymous. Although the name technically became the Vernon Goodwin Company, in practice the Yellowstone Park Camps Company name endured. Around 1927-28, Goodwin renamed the company Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. Up until that time, the Old Faithful operation was simply known as the "Old Faithful Camp," or the “Old Faithful Permanent Camp,” and by 1927 was called Old Faithful Lodge. One tourist in 1926 remarked, “Near Old Faithful Geyser stands the hotel called Old Faithful Inn and the cabins and bungalows which constitute Old Faithful permanent camp. These cabins, electric lighted and heated by wood-burning stoves, are ideal for complete relaxation, rest and sleep. The social assembly and dining halls are in separate buildings from the sleeping rooms, and provided with fireplaces.” [2Mar1927, Pittsburgh Daily Post] 1926 Yellowstone Park Camps Co. brochure. Camping out Deluxe The Yellowstone Park Camps make a friend of every guest. For more than a generation they have been serving Yellowstone visiters and serving them well. The lodges and camps have personality. They have the vacation spirit. The unique bungalows, the great rustic central buildings, lobbies and amusement halls, the campfire festivals, the hospitable dining rooms, the community singing, the dancing parties, the free guide service, the college boys and girls who serve you with right good will, the restful, cordial informality and active friendliness—the real "Out-West Americanism" of the camps—these make up the fabric of an outing adventure which will share interest with the wonder and grandeur of Yellowstone itself. If you are taking a vacation for a "change," and to see different sorts of things and to enjoy new kinds of experiences; to leave routine, humdrum and ruts behind, go through Yellowstone Park "The Camps Way." You will have a real vacation. Originally, lodging facilities for the guests consisted of canvas tents. They were gradually reconstructed to include wood floors and partial wood sidewalls. Eventually the cabins became constructed entirely of wood with log posts and rafters. Many new cabins were added over the years, 200 of them between 1924 and 1929. Top Left: Rows of wooden cabins near the Lodge ca1928, Haynes PC #28188. Top Right: Cabins view ca1964 - they are not so regimented as the original layout. [Haynes PC #64k013} Camping Out Deluxe "The Camps are located at the main centers of scenic interest. In each lodge, guests come first to great central buildings, which house lobbies, dining halls, social assembly rooms, business headquarters, curio shops and many of the usual facilities of hotels and clubs. Surrounding the main buildings are the small lodges—of one-room, two-room and four-room capacity. They are of three types—(1) log, (2.) rustic clapboard, (3) bungalow-tents—all substantially built, comfortable and well furnished. Each lodge is heated by a rustic wood-burning stove (for nights and mornings are cool in the mountains), the beds are full size and of high quality, the furniture plain but adequate. The dining rooms serve wholesome, well-cooked food." [ 1926 Yellowstone Park Camps Co. brochure] Old Faithful Lodge Around 1926-27 construction began on a complex that would include a lobby, offices, curio shop, soda fountain, picture shop, barber shop, and new recreation hall. The new building was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood, who was responsible for the design of the Dining Lodge in West Yellowstone and numerous other buildings in carious national parks. The construction incorporated elements of some of older buildings with some other older structures being demolished. The lodge featured massive log construction and stone pillars with ample windows facing directly toward Old Faithful Geyser Orchestras entertained guests during the evenings on a regular basis. Nightly entertainment was held in an outdoor theater located along the banks of the Firehole River. Around that time Vernon Goodwin changed the name of the company to Yellowstone Park Lodges & Camps Company, retaining that name until 1936 when it was incorporated into the Yellowstone Park Co. with the hotel and transportation operations. Top: Old Faithful Lodge, newly constructed, 1928. [Haynes PC #28029] Bottom: Front end of OF Lodge Rec Hall, facing toward the current parking lot, with rustic cabins. [Haynes Photo] Top: Old Faithful Lodge Lounge, with rustic wood work, 1928. [Haynes PC #28182] Bottom: OF Lodge Recreation Hall on right of lodge building, 1984 [HABS Photo] In 1939-40, single, duplex, and triplex cabins were constructed, making a total room count at that time of 638. Up until that time, the cabins were laid out in a linear, organized fashion, but the NPS required them to be rerganized in a more natural manner, following topographic features, with curved, narrow roads. Running water was added to the cabins in the 1940's. In the ensuing years many older cabins were moved to other locations or razed. During the mid-1960s, the Lodge became known as the Old Faithful Motor Lodge, following in the steps of the “motel” phenomenon. When the Yellowstone Park Company operation was sold to the Goldfield Corporation in 1979, the official building inventory listed "162 cabins & other bldgs," not including the dorms and residences. In 1997 there were 133 guest cabin units available. In 1982 the complex was added to the national Register of Historic Places. Left: Undated photo of one of the employee orchestras that played in the Lodge recreation hall [NPS #133444] Right: Guests dancing to a band or orchestra ca1939 in the recreation hall. [1939 NPRR Brochure] Old Faithful Camper Cabins With its beginnings in the early 1920s, the Old Faithful Camper Cabins seemed to have been an offshoot of the nearby public auto camp that had opened in 1920 by the National Park Service, along with the Old Faithful Camp/Lodge. Hundreds of housekeeping-type cabins were built to house the hordes of visitors to Yellowstone. Most of these cabins probably provided a bare minimum of services and facilities and guests generally had to provide, or perhaps rent blankets, sheets, and towels. The cabins allowed visitors to prepare their own meals, furnish their own bedding if desired, and have their automobile adjacent to the cabin. These facilities were for those who did not wish to sleep on the ground or cook over an open fire, giving them the convenience and economy of camping without the burden of packing a tent. The operation was run by the YP Camps Company until around 1927 when the name was changed to YP Lodges & Camps Co. To help relieve congestion and provide additional visitor services, the NPS began constructing a “Promenade” in the early 1920s. It was a 2-lane boulevard, separated by a center divider with rocks and trees. It ran from the Ranger Station what would become the Hamilton Upper general store in 1929. It was close to public campground and OF Lodge, and concessioner buildings began to line the Promenade. Facing Old Faithful geyser, Jack Haynes established his store on the right-hand corner closest to the geyser basin in 1927, and the same year the YP Lodge & Camps company built a log cafeteria across the boulevard from Haynes. Left: Log cafeteria built by the Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. in 1927. It was located on the Promenade across from the Haynes Photo Shop. The Billings Gazette claimed on Dec 4, 1926, that the building was being constructed and would accommodate 500 guests. [Courtesy Wyoming State Archives, P2012313] Right: View of the cafeteria in 1951. It would be razed sometime after the 1980 season. [YNP #51-389] In 1929 a main office building that included visitor services, laundry, shower baths, housekeeping facilities and other conveniences was erected on that left side of the Promenade, on the corner closest to the new Hamilton Store. In between to two buildings were some 40 cabins, a comfort station, and employee laundry. Across the boulevard were located a woodshed, a repair garage for the transportation company, and bath facilities. By the 1930s there were 400 cabins associated with the operation, mostly located directly behind the Upper Store in a large area now occupied by the new Snow Lodge. In later years some of those cabins were removed to allow for employee dorms. The Camper Cabins main office and Housekeeping office in 1929, soon after construction. A girl's dorm occupied the upper level. [YNP #31195] Left: The Camper Cabins main office and Housekeeping office in 1951. Note the Promenade next to the Office that ran toward the edge of the Geyser Basin. [YNP #51-389] Right: View of the cafeteria in 1951. It would be razed in Dec. 1980, at which time it was said to seat 160 people. [YNP #51-389] Yellowstone Park Co. Plat map of the Camper Cabins area . The Cafeteria is on the Promenade, far right center, to its left is the Cabin's Office and Girl's Dorm. Across from the Cafeteria is the Haynes Photo Shop. Lower Center is the Hamilton's Upper Store. In 1957 a new Cabins Office & Dorm (Snow Lodge) was built in the cabin area above the Ham's Store. The Haynes Photo Shop was moved next to the old Snow Lodge in 1974. Eventually all the buildings were removed from the Promenade and the area returned to a more natural state. [Map courtesy Xanterra Engineering Archives] Click on left map to enlarge, and Click on right map to bring up magnifier. Headlines from the Wednesday, June 26, 1955 edition of the Idaho Falls Post Register newspaper described the fire carnage that destroyed the Old Faithful Camper Cabins Office in 1955: "A spectacular early Wednesday morning fire razed the Old Faithful girls domitory and office, sending 35 pajama-clad girls scampering for safety in the cold night air . . . Shortly after the fire was discovered at 3 a.m. some 35 girls living in the dormitory were hurried out of the burning building. They escaped in ony their nightclothes and huddled near by watching the flames consume all their belongings. Origin of the fire was not immediately determined but it is presumed it started in the laundry in the girls dormitory." Luckily no one was hurt and many of the "homeless girls" were taken by cars to West Yellowstone for housing. The article said that the office also housed an automatic laundry, showers for the guests, and stored blankets and other equipment for the cabin units. With the 4th of July weekend right around the corner, it definitely put a crimp in the ability of the Camper Cabins operation to adequately serve their guests.” The 1956 Superintendent’s Report noted, “The Yellowstone Park Company proposes to spend some $325,000 for new construction and new equipment in 1956 which will include $160,000 for a new office building providing laundromat, private showers and girl’s dormitory in connection with the Old Faithful tourist cabins to replace the building destroyed by fire last June.” Losing those important visitor services, guests were directed to the nearby OF Lodge until the lodge could be opened. Some cabins and other buildings were razed in 1957 to make room for the new lodge, which contained a lobby, registration desk, dining room, and rooms for employees upstairs (this facility was torn down in 1998). The lodge was completed by the end of the year and opened for business in 1957. That same year, an A-frame shaped building was erected across the road from the new lodge, and served as tourist laundry facilities and public showers. It would later (also in 1973) become known as the Four Seasons Snack Shop. Upper Left: Headline from the Idaho Falls Post-Register , June 29, 1955 Bottom Left: Photo of the aftermath of the fire that destroyed the dorm and office building. [YNP #34546-3] “The fire which occurred on June 29, 1955 and completely destroyed the new laundromat and shower baths in connection with the Old Faithful tourist cabins, robbed visitors of a much needed service in this area. However, the new shower baths which became available late in the 1955 season in connection with Old Faithful Lodge proved very popular throughout the summer as did the laundry service and shower baths which became available this summer at West Thumb. A new building was constructed this summer to replace the burned-down building in the Old Faithful Tourist Camp area so that laundry service and shower baths will again be available there next summer.” Jackson's Hole Courier, 24 Jan 1957, p3 The new Cabins Office facility, containing cabin registration area, lobby, public laundry, and shower baths. An employee dorm occupied the second floor. [YNP Photos, (L.) 193429-130, (R.) 193429-129] 1956 aerial night-time view of the Old Faithful area. It has been enhanced to better illustrate the mass of cabins and buildings. It was taken after the fire and before the new lodge was built. The new Cabin & Office/Dorm was built across the street from the old site, and next to the Hamilton Store. The OF Lodge is to the left of Old Faithful, out of the photo. Click to enlarge. [YNP #10737] Old Faithful Snow Lodge In the winter of 1971-72, the Yellowstone Park Company opened the Camper Cabins/Dorm building for use during the winter for snowmobilers and other winter guests. Bombardier slowcoaches that could carry 10-12 guests operated from park entrances at Mammoth, West Yellowstone, and Flagg Ranch near the southern entrance. Guests stayed in the 30 upstairs dorm rooms, with a capacity of about 90 persons. Cross-country ski tours were available along with day trips to the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Advertising covered newspapers across the country and the name Old Faithful Snow Lodge came into being. The operation was a success and by the winter of 1973-74 twenty-four nearby cabin units with private baths were winterized and put into service for winter guests. Buffet-style dining was available in the "Snowshoe Room" and guests could warm themselves in the lobby around the free-standing fireplace or have a cocktail in the lounge. Photo of the Old Faithful Snow Lodge in late Spring, undated. The Billings Gazette announced on Oct. 24, 1971, that, “Plans announced by Yellowstone Park Co. for winter visitor facilities at Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park marks what could be the beginning of more extensive use of the nation's oldest and largest national park It may also be a boon to Jackson. West Yellowstone and Gardiner, communities near the three park entrances which will get winter use. Richard H. Ludewig, director of marketing and sales for Yellowstone Park Co., said the Old Faithful plans mark a long-term and extensive investment by the company to "develop another season in Yellowstone. ’ but added the firm is only "guardedly optimistic' about future expansion. YP Co. will have 36 units available at Snow Lodge at Old Faithful, each to serve two or three persons at a cost of $18 a night for one, $26 for two or $35 for three including dinner and breakfast. The company will provide snow coach transportation from the North. West or South entrances and has special package plans for stays of three days and two nights, the latter two including some time at park entrances. The National Park Service will maintain roads and a new visitor center at Old Faithful will be open.” The old Camper Cabins Laundry & Shower A-frame, built in 1957, converted to the Four Season Snack Shop for the winter of 1973. It was used summer and winter seasons until 1998, when torn down during the construction of the new Snow Lodge. Left: Photo ca1974, YNP #03268 - Right: Undated/uncredited photo during summer season A 1990 NPS Winter Use Plan Environmental Assessment noted, “The Old Faithful Snow Lodge was originally designed as an employee dorm. It offers 29 rooms without baths in the lodge, 34 rooms with baths in detached cabins, and 37 units with baths at the Snowshoe employee dorm. Food service facilities include a dining room (99 seats), a fast food outlet (40 seats), and a bar (25 seats). Concession employees dined in a temporary modular unit attached to the rear of the lodge .” Old Faithful Snow Lodge dining room, winter 1978. [YNP #09949] Fourteen guest cabins and some employee cabins (one of which the author summered at in 1975) burned in the ‘Fires of 1988.’ New ‘Western’ cabin units were built the following year to replace those and other cabins that had been removed. As time went on, the old Snow Lodge became unable to meet the needs of the increasing number of winter guests. In the words of a 1990 NPS Winter Use Plan Environmental Assessment: “The Snow Lodge is poorly designed for winter use, functionally obsolete for visitor lodging, and aesthetically incompatible with the rustic character of the historic Old Faithful buildings.” It was torn down April 20, 1998 in preparation for a new lodge to be built on the same site, and many tourist cabins were also removed to make space for the new operation. The New Snow Lodge A new "Snow Lodge," designed by A&E Architect of Billings, Montana, arose from the rubble of the old lodge and was built in two phases, the first segment opening for the winter season of 1998-99. There were initially 52 guest rooms, restaurant and lounge, 2-story lobby fireplace, hardwood floors, heavy recycled timber construction in the lobby, and exterior log columns. The second phase of the lodge opened for use about a year later with 48 additional guest rooms. This "new" Snow Lodge remains in operation from about early May-October and mid-December to early March and is operated by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Note: When the new Snow Lodge becomes "history" after 50 years or so, more information will be added - but certainly not by me - LOL

Yellowstone Post Cards Vol. 2 Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Visit my Home Page to see which of my pages are completed and available. It's a long trip . . . Thanks for your patience.

History of the various hotel companies that operated in Yellowstone National Park. Includes Yancey's, Yellowstone Park Association, Yellowstone Park Hotel Co., and Yellowstone Park Co. Yellowstone Hotels & Lodges - The Companies Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Yellowstone Park Improvement Co. (YPIC) Organized on Jan. 18, 1883 by Carroll T. Hobart, Rufus Hatch, and Henry Douglas. Hobart and Douglas originally signed an agreement with Ass’t Secretary Interior Joslyn on September 1, 1882 that assured them a monopoly on the park hotel business. However, they lacked sufficient financial backing and teamed up with Hatch in 1883. The company received approval for leases of 4400 acres, a complete monopoly on park concessions, and almost unlimited use of park resources for their operations. Hobart was appointed vice-president while Hatch and his friends provided initial financial backing in the amount of $112,000. After the extent of the lease provisions became public, Sen. Vest canceled most of these provisions on March 3, 1883. A new contract was signed that included leases for 10 acres spread out among seven different locations. Tent hotel facilities were opened for the summer at Canyon (near the present Upper Falls parking lot), Norris, and Old Faithful (near the west end of the present Inn parking lot). Construction of the National Hotel in Mammoth began in the fall of 1882 with a partial opening on August 1, 1883. The company however, suffered financial problems and went into receivership in May of 1884. Hobart remained as manager, but the following year they went bankrupt. The NPRR bought out the assets at a receiver’s sale and created the Yellowstone Park Association in 1886 to run existing operations and build new hotels. Yellowstone Park Association (YPA) Created in 1886 by the Northern Pacific RR to take over the properties and operation of the bankrupt YPIC. The heads of the company included Charles Gibson, Nelson C. Thrall, Frederick Billings , and John C. Bullitt. NPRR officials held at least 60% of the shares. The YPA received a 10-year lease on April 5, 1886 and agreed to build hotels at Canyon, Lake, Norris, and complete the hotel at Mammoth by the beginning of 1887. They opened Norris Hotel in 1887, but it burned down soon after opening and was replaced by smaller, temporary facilities until 1901. The contract also gave the company a boat concession on Yellowstone Lake, but they did not use it until 1891 when E. C. Waters began managing the Yellowstone Lake Boat Co . and provided ferry service from West Thumb to the Lake Tent Hotel. In 1886 YPA obtained the Firehole Hotel and built a tent hotel at Lake Outlet. They bought out the Henderson’s Cottage Hotel at Mammoth in May of 1889. That year construction began on the Lake Hotel , which opened in 1891. Trout Creek Lunch Station opened in 1888 with Larry Matthews as manager. In 1890 construction started on the which opened the following year. The Trout Creek Lunch Station closed after the 1891 season and was replaced by the West Thumb Lunch Station. In 1898 Charles Gibson sold all of his shares to Northern Pacific Ry , making them sole owner of YPA. The NPRy then sold the stock in June to the Northwest Improvement Co., an NPRy subsidiary. Harry Child , Edward Bach , and Silas Huntley purchased the company in 1901 with financing from the Northwest Improvement Co. Huntley died in Sept. of 1901 and his stock reverted to NWIC. Bach sold his shares to NWIC in 1902. The Old Faithful Inn opened in June of 1904 while Child acquired additional shares in 1905 to obtain 50% ownership of YPA. He acquired full ownership in 1907 with loans from NPRy. On December 9, 1909 Child had the name of the company changed to the Yellowstone Park Hotel Co. At that time Child’s son Huntley became vice-president and son-in-law William Nichols became secretary of the company. From The Anaconda Standard , Montana, April 6, 1901 "St. Paul, April 5. The Yellowstone Park Association this afternoon sold out its entire belongings and interests in the National park to the Yellowstone Park Transportation company, which consists of S.S. Huntley and E. W. Bache [sic] of Helena, Mont., and H.W. Childs of St. Paul, the consideration being close to $1,000,000. Among the items being transferred were the Mammoth Hot Springs hotel recently built for $200,000: the Fountain hotel, $100,000; Grand Canyon hotel, $100,000, and Lake hotel, $75,000, besides four lunch stations and other property. J.H. Dean, president of the old company, will be manager of the new and the transportation company is now purchaser of all the property in the great national park." [excluding of course, the general stores and camps operations] Yellowstone Park Hotel Co. (YPHCo) Formed Dec. 9, 1909 by H.W. Child to take over the operation of the Yellowstone Park Association, which he also owned. Son Huntley Child was chosen as vice-president and son-in-law William Nichols became secretary. In 1910-11 the company built the grandiose new Canyon Hotel, incorporating the old hotel within the structure. They remodeled the National Hotel at Mammoth in 1911-13, adding a new wing, eliminating the top floor and creating a flat roof. After the end of the 1916 season the Park Service granted the company an exclusive monopoly on the park’s hotel concession with a 20-year operating lease. The Fountain Hotel, Norris Hotel and West Thumb Lunch Station were closed down after that season. Hotels remained in operation at Old Faithful, Lake, Canyon, and Mammoth. YPHCo built no new hotels after this time, but numerous renovations and additions were conducted at all locations. Child re-negotiated a new 20-year lease in 1923. The lease stipulated that the company would be allowed to operate and maintain inns, hotels, laundries, barber/beauty shops, baths, swimming pools, skating rinks, tennis courts, golf links, pool halls, bowling alleys, and souvenir sales. Fortunately some of these activities were never carried out. Child remained head of the YPHCo until his death in 1931, when Wm. Nichols took over the helm. At that time Vernon Goodwin became vice-president and Hugh Galusha was retained as controller. The company remained in control of the park hotels until 1936, when the company was merged with the Yellowstone Park Boat Co., Yellowstone Park Transportation Co., and Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. to form the Yellowstone Park Company. Yellowstone Park Co. (YPCo) Formed in 1936 under the direction of Wm. Nichols, with Vernon Goodwin as vice-president, Mrs. Harry Child was a principle stockholder. The company was formed by the mergers of the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co., Yellowstone Park Hotel Co., Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co., and the Yellowstone Park Boat Co. The company received a 20-year lease in August. Nichols remained President with Huntley Child Jr. and John Q. Nichols becoming VPs in the 1950’s The new company embarked on an ambitious reconstruction plan at Mammoth. The old hotel was torn down, except for the North Wing, and a new lobby/office complex was built along with a restaurant, recreation hall, café and tourist cabins. Nichols obtained one final loan from Northern Pacific Ry in 1937 that was paid off in 1955. In 1956 son John Q. became company president and Nichols became Chairman of the Board until his death in 1957. Financial problems plagued the company in the 1950-60’s and maintenance and upkeep of the buildings and equipment suffered terribly. Nichols even sold off his interest in the Flying D Ranch in 1944 to help pay off company debts. The Park Service enacted the Mission 66 plan in 1956 to improve visitor facilities at all parks by 1966. The plan required YPCo to built lodging and marina facilities at Grant Village, a new lodge and cabins at Canyon, and a new marina at Bridge Bay. The company refused to participate in Grant Village and the marina at Bridge Bay, although they did build, against their wishes, the new Canyon Village facilities that opened in 1957. They were also forced to close Canyon Hotel, which had been making them money. These ventures drained their finances terribly. They did however; manage to obtain the operating lease for Bridge Bay Marina in 1964 after the government finished construction. Wm. Nichols died in 1957 and for the next nine years the company underwent a series of changes in management and the board of directors. Park Service Director Hartzog notified the company on October 8, 1965 that the government intended to terminate YPCo’s contract due to their inability to upgrade and build new facilities as directed. The Child-Nichols family finally sold the company to Goldfield Enterprises on February 4, 1966 for 6.5 million dollars. Goldfield became a part of General Host, Inc. the following year and they retained the name of Yellowstone Park Co. They received a 30-year lease based on promises to spend 10 million in facility upgrades in 10 years. This new company refused to honor its contract promises to upgrade and improve visitor facilities, and buildings park-wide continued to deteriorate. The Park Service, increasingly frustrated by General Host’s dismal record of service in the park, canceled the contract in October of 1979 and paid 19 million for all of YPCo’s park buildings and assets. TWA Services received the new concession contract later that year and changed the name of the company. Left: Yellowstone Park Co. Letterhead, ca1950s Right: Yellowstone Park Co. Sticker Logo, ca1960s Xanterra Parks & Resorts The story of Xanterra Travel began in 1876 when talented visionary Fred Harvey struck a deal with the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad to open restaurants (and later hotels and gift stores) at rail stops for weary travelers making their way west. The Harvey empire was sold in the late 1960s to Hawaii-based Amfac Resorts. In 1988 in Yellowstone, the TWA Services name was changed to TW Recreational Services, Inc. Amfac, Inc. bought out TWR Services in 1995 and later became known as Amfac Parks & Resorts. In 2002, the company name was changed to Xanterra Parks & Resorts, and the company was acquired by The Anschutz Corporation in 2008. In 2013 Xanterra Parks & Resorts won the contract to operate concessions in Yellowstone National Park for another 20 years.

Yellowstone's Gateway Communities Click on Link above to begin your tour. Yellowstone’s Gateway Communities The existence of the gateway communities has been viewed historically (incorrectly I think) by the early military authorities and the Park Service as a sort of ‘necessary evil’. From the earliest days these towns, which have provided many of the necessary visitor services, have also provided a relatively safe haven and a base for a variety of social misfits whose interests were generally contrary to the best interests of the park. Some of the biggest problems in the early days were the poachers of wildlife, and exploiters of park resources. There were also the occasional stagecoach robbers, and trouble-making drunks that had to be taken care of by the authorities. Until 1894, there were no effective laws governing the park, and no judicial system to deal with the lawbreakers when apprehended. Usually the most the authorities could do was to evict a troublemaker from the park and confiscate his gear. It was a small price to pay in return for some of the profits that could be made by selling buffalo heads, game meat, etc. Passage of the Lacey Act in 1894 provided for legal protection of the park’s features and established a working judicial system. Although this did not stop wrongdoing, as no laws will, it helped tremendously to control the problems and at least gave the military authorities the power to punish these people. Problems such as ‘horn-hunting’ and poaching continue to this day, as certain locals, and of course out-of-towners, look to the park’s resources to help supplement their incomes. Gardiner , because of its lower elevation, lack of significant snows, milder climate and easy access, became the first gateway community in the early 1880’s. The area was traversed frequently starting with the fur trade in the 1820-30’s. Gold miners passed through the area in the 1860’s, with the precious element being discovered on Bear Creek in 1866 by Joe Brown. Gold ore was discovered in the hills around Jardine about 13 years later. The early exploration parties also passed through the area in 1869-72 as they followed the Yellowstone River into the park. These included the Folsom-Cook-Peterson, Washburn, and Hayden expeditions. The impetus to development came in 1883 with the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad to Cinnabar, 3 miles north of town. Even though the railroad did not reach town until 1902, Gardiner continued to prosper. It became the center of freighting activities not only for the park, but also for the gold mines at Jardine and Cooke City. It was the primary entrance for tourist travel through the park for many years. The town provided much labor for the road crews in the park, and for the transportation and hotel companies, and still does. The town also provided entertainment for the soldiers of Ft. Sheridan/Yellowstone in the form of bars, gambling, and houses of ill repute (much to the chagrin of the commanding officers no doubt). Amenities necessary for the comfort of the tourists, Sagebrushers, outfitters, hunters, and locals were also well provided for. West Yellowstone came into being around 1907 with the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad. It was originally called Riverside even though it was not located at the river’s side, and the name was confused with the soldier station and stage station located a few miles inside the park. Two years later the town was renamed Yellowstone. It retained this name until 1920 when, to eliminate confusion it was changed again, this time to West Yellowstone. The west entrance of the park had been used since the early days of the trappers, who followed the course of the Madison River in search of beaver. Gold miners followed this route in the 1860’s, and by 1873 the “Virginia City and National Park Free Wagon Road” was built. By 1879 Gilmer & Salisbury were running stagecoaches from the UPRR station in Spencer Idaho into the Lower Geyser Basin. Although the post office was established in 1908, it was not until 1913 that lands were removed from Forest Service ownership in order to form the townsite. The town served primarily as a summer resort and fall hunting retreat until the early 1970’s when the Old Faithful Snow Lodge began operating for the winter season, and the Park Service began grooming the roads for snowmobiles. Cooke City , located near the northeast entrance, had its beginnings as a mining town, with gold being discovered in the area around 1869-70. It was originally named Miner’s camp in 1872, changing to Clark’s Fork City and Galena, before becoming Cooke City in 1882. The only real way in or out of the area was the trail from Gardiner through the park. The road to Cooke City was marginal at best until the early 1920’s, and even then the road would be impassable to wagons most of the winter. This area did not really become a ‘gateway community’ until the mid-‘30s when the road over Beartooth Pass was completed. This road was then advertised by the railroads as the ‘most spectacular’ entrance to the park. NPRR had a branch line into Red Lodge and bus service was available from there. This road is still generally only accessible mid-June through September because of the deep snows on the 11,000’ pass. Like West Yellowstone, their basic season is summer and fall, but it has become a very popular winter snowmobile resort. The closest gateway community to the east entrance is about 50 miles distant at Cody Wyoming . This town came into existence in the late 1890’s with help of the famous Buffalo Bill Cody, the railroad and agricultural interests. The first known white man to see the area was John Colter who passed through the area in the winter of 1807-08. The designation Colter’s Hell actually came from this area, not Yellowstone Park. Around 1902 Wm. Cody opened up his ‘Irma Hotel’, and established a trading company, campground and newspaper in town. He built Pahaska Lodge and the Wapiti Inn hunting lodge at the east entrance of the park. That same decade was fairly momentous for the new town, as the Chicago, Burlington, & Quincy railroad arrived, a road over Sylvan Pass into Yellowstone was built, and construction started on the Shoshone Dam and Reservoir outside of town. In 1912 Holm Transportation Co. started regular passenger service to Yellowstone, and four years later the Cody-Sylvan Pass Motor Co. became the first motorized transportation company to enter the park. They traveled as far as Lake Hotel where the guests were transferred to stagecoaches. The following year the stagecoaches gave way to the automobile and a new era was begun. The town is home to the world-famous Buffalo Bill Museum, Plains Indian Museum, and the Winchester Collection. Although seasonal in nature, the area has a variety of other business interests to help keep the town thriving year-round. Jackson Wyoming , although really a gateway community to Grand Teton National Park, has been included here because of the many historical ties the area has to Yellowstone. Colter is reputed to have passed through the area in 1807-08, and the area was well known to the fur trappers. The 1860’s saw gold seekers, but paydirt was never really found here. The Hayden Expedition explored the area in 1872 and ‘78. James Stevenson and Nathaniel Langford of the 1872 expedition claimed to have scaled the Grand Teton that year. However, Wm. Owen and his party who scaled the peak in 1898 disputed that earlier claim. The first known permanent settler arrived in 1884, but growth in the valley was slow. Access to the valley was difficult and the nearest railroad was over the mountains to the west in Idaho. The primary economy of the valley in the early days was ranching, cattle, horses, and dudes (probably the more profitable of the three). As with the other communities, poaching was a well-established custom for many years. In 1929 Grand Teton National Park was established and was expanded considerably in 1950. The first ski area was founded in 1946, and about 20 years later the Jackson Hole Ski area was established. The area now competes successfully with many of the renown ski hills of Colorado and Utah. The communities of Jardine, Aldridge, Electric, and Horr have been included mostly because of personal interest by the author. They have never been considered gateway communities, although they had considerable impact on the town of Gardiner in the early days. Gold ore was discovered on Crevasse Mountain near Jardine in 1879. In 1898 the post office was established and the town was quite a bustling little metropolis. Mining for gold, along with tungsten and arsenic was somewhat sporadic over the years. When the cyanide plant burned down in 1948, that was the end of any prosperity until 1988 when gold production started up at Mineral Hill Mine. That too was short-lived, closing down in 1996. Aldridge, Horr and Electric were relatively short-lived towns. Horr was founded in 1888 the service the nearby coal mines. It changed its name to Electric in 1904 because, as the old joke goes,“…the women were tired of living in Horr houses.” Aldridge, also related to the coal boom, was established in 1894 and was first called Lake. The coal mines shut down in 1910, and by 1915 both post offices had been closed down. By then many of the businessmen had already moved their operations into Gardiner, having seen the handwriting on the wall.

History Frank Jay Haynes (F.J. Haynes), the Official Photographer of Yellowstone, and his son Jack Haynes, "Mr. Yellowstone," who operated the Haynes Photo Shops in Yellowstone National Park for about 85 years. Yellowstone Storekeepers - Haynes Photo Shops Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Frank Haynes and the Haynes Photo Shops - 1884 to 1967 Frank Haynes discovers Yellowstone . . . . Frank Jay Haynes was known as the "Official Park Photographer" for many years in Yellowstone. He was the parks' most famous photographer and he and his family operated the Haynes Photo Shops for 83 years. He was born in Michigan in 1853 and opened his first photo studio in Moorhead, Minnesota in 1876. He later moved to Fargo, ND and eventually to St. Paul Minnesota, where he maintained a studio for many years. The Northern Pacific RR employed him in 1875 to take promotional pictures along their new route from Minnesota to the West Coast. During these tours he discovered Yellowstone Park on a visit in 1881 with park superintendent Philetus Norris. He returned in ensuing years on photographic jaunts, and was appointed Official Photographer of the Yellowstone Park Improvement Co. He opened up his first photo studio at Mammoth in 1884. Thus began his memorable career in Wonderland. Left: the Haynes Photo Shop at Mammoth Hot Springs, ca1890. Right: Business card for "F. Jay Haynes & Bro." in St. Paul, Minn., ca1883. His "Bro" was Fred E. Haynes, official photographer for the St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Manitoba Railway Co. Top Left: The Haynes Photo Shop at Mammoth Hot Springs, 1898, after addition at right new paint job. Note the antler fence. [Courtesy Montana Historical Society .] Top Right: Haynes rented studio space in the lobby of the National Hotel at Mammoth in 1886. [YNP #14325] Palace Car Studio Haynes bought a railroad car from the Northern Pacific RR in 1885, and had it outfitted as a traveling photographic studio, complete with darkroom. NPRR hauled the car over their lines from Minnesota to the West Coast so that Haynes could take pictures of the towns and countryside for promo tional purposes. He named it the Haynes Palace Car and operated it until 1905 when he sold it back to the railroad. The Haynes Guidebook In 1890 Haynes began publishing the 'Haynes Guidebook', an authoritative manual describing the many wonders of the park. Included were mile-by-mile travel logs, maps, information about camping, animals, geology, history, roads and, of course, the hot springs and geysers. These books, which were produced almost every year until 1967, were profusely illustrated. The year 1900 began the era of 'picture post cards' in Yellowstone when Frank, also known as F. Jay, began issuing postcards of Yellowstone. These cards became very popular with the tourists and hundreds of thousands of them were produced over the years. Haynes' Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Deliveries . . . In 1929, Jack Haynes arrived at the Montana Cycle and Supply motorcycle dealer in Billings to buy five new Harley-Davidsons with sidecars. Haynes wanted drivers of the olive drab painted motorcycles, equipped with sidecars, to pick up tourists’ film and race it to his processing lab where the film would be developed and printed overnight. The next morning the riders would carry printed photographs back to Haynes’ other Photo Shops so tourists could have their photographs the next day, a quick turnaround in 1929. The Harleys purchased were the JDH model, “which could hit 85 mph and get 80 miles to the gallon. The motorcycle had a 74 cubic inch V-twin engine and sold for less than $400. That price is equivalent to almost $6,000 today.” He hired 4-5 drivers, had them trained, and they were off. The timing of purchase and service was unfortunate, as the Great Depression soon hit the country. But J.E. Haynes struggled through the economic crisis successfully. Over the ensuing years, more of his photo shops were equipped with photo processing plants and the unique Harley service was no longer needed. [Info from the Billings Gazette, 7July2019, retrieved online 20July2020] Top Left: Interior of the Haynes Palace Car, a photography studio that rode the rails. See the Car exterior at top of page. Top Right: Cover of a Haynes Guide, 1927. Author's Collection Bottom Left: One of the five Harley Motorcycles purchased by Jack Haynes in 1929. Photo by Don Devore, Billings Gazette, 7Jul2019 The Haynes Store Elk Fence From the Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 10, 1897 A FENCE OF ELKHORNS - MOST PICTURESQUE AND ONLY ONE EVER BUILT Three Hundred Antlers Used - Three Hundred More Needed to Complete It - Located in Yellowstone Park More than Three hundred elks have unwillingly contributed their magnificent antlers to beautify the inclosure [sic] around the studio of F. Jay Haynes, at Mammoth Hot Springs, in Yellowstone park. It is believed to be the only fence made of elk horns in the world. Mr. Haynes, with three of his men, collected and carefully selected these trophies; they all have twelve points, and many have the royal fourteen. From twenty to twenty-five thousand elk winter in Yellowstone park, and the greater percentage of these are males. About the 1st of April is shedding time, and it is easy enough to gather the shed horns, if one but ascertains the whereabouts of the animals at that time . . . . No one is allowed to remove these specimens from the park, as it is a National reservation, unless permission be granted by the superintendent. Mr. Haynes obtained a permit for the collection used for his fence with the proviso that they are to be kept in the park. Although there are now three hundred horns in this unique fence, as many more have to be added to complete it around the enclosure Early expansion of the business . . . . In 1897, F.J. Haynes built a log cabin studio across from the front of the Henry Klamer general store. That studio was used until 1930 when it was abandoned and later moved to another location where it was converted into a photo-finishing plant. A new photo shop was erected in 1927 at the tourist cabin area between the Hamilton Upper Store and Old Faithful Geyser. It was moved in 1974 to a spot near the old Snow Lodge (in front of what would later become the new Snow Lodge.) The Photo Shop in front of the new Snow Lodge was later moved, renovated and relocated to a spot between the new visitor center and OF Lodge for use as a museum for the Yellowstone Park Foundation. At Old Faithful, Jack Ellis Haynes constructed a working model of Old Faithful Geyser in 1916 that erupted hot water to a height of 3 feet every 3-4 minutes. Reportedly six other units were built and sent to the Northern Pacific RR and other places for advertising purposes. A few years later a siren was installed at the shop that announced the impending eruption of the real Geyser. Top Left: The Haynes Photo Shop at Old Faithful, across from the Klamer General Store, 1913. It measured 50'x24' and was expanded in 1911 and remodeled in 1923, Top Right: Diagram for Old Faithful Jr. mechanical geyser built by Jack Haynes for display at his studio. From 1916 Haynes Guide. Left: Albumen print of the Old Faithful studio, ca1890s. Bottom Left: OF photo shop, located in the tourist cabins area, 1951. It was moved in 1974 - see photo to right. Bottom Right: Fires of 1988 threaten the entire Old Faithful village. A few cabins were burned at the rear, but luckily no significant buildings burned. When the new Snow Lodge was constructed in 1997-98, the old Snow Lodge was razed and the back section of the photo shop removed. Changes at Mammoth . . . . F.J. Haynes opened up his first photo studio at Mammoth in 1884 and in 1896 leased space for a small studio in the lobby of the National Hotel. In 1903 he moved his Mammoth Photo Shop to the base of Capitol Hill where an addition was built in 1910. A new facility was erected in 1920, and enlarged in 1923. A new photo shop studio and office were built in 1927-28 at the base of Capitol Hill. The original house/studio, along with the elk horn fence were torn down. A garage and darkroom were added in 1929. The old shop of 1920 was converted into a residence (currently used as Xanterra management residence Top Left: T he Haynes Picture Shop at Mammoth in 1920. This new building replaced the 1884 shop built across from the National Hotel. The structure is currently used as housing for Xanterra Parks & Resorts management personnel. J.E. Haynes Postcard #20118 Top Right: Haynes Photo Shop at Mammoth. This building replaced the earlier store at Mammoth and opened in 1929. The old shop nearby, was converted into a residence. Haynes Postcard #34059 Bottom Left: Picture shop at the Mammoth Auto Camp. It was established in 1927 and remodeled in 1934. Haynes Guide, 1936 Bottom Right: The Picture shop was at the far left of the large Cafeteria building, which was run by Pryor & Trischman at that time. 1939, YNP #185327-414 The Picture Shops at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone Top Left: Picture Shop at Canyon Auto Camo, Haynes Guide 1922. Top Right: Interior of 1922 Picture Shop. Haynes Guide 1922 Middle: 1924 Picture Shop relocated to near the Brink of the Falls. Haynes Guide 1924 In 1895, Frank Haynes opened a small studio inside of the 2nd Canyon Hotel. It presumably closed when the new hotel opened in 1911. F. J. Haynes secured a lease for one acre of land in 1914 at or near the Grand Canyon for building a picture shop, but this lease was apparently never used. A picture shop was established in 1917 in a small government building at Canyon until the building collapsed under heavy snow in early spring 1922. A new store opened that June at the auto camp. A new store was built in 1924 on the site of the old log Soldier Station, closer to the Brink of the Falls. The store was remodeled and a photo-finishing lab added in 1929. A temporary employee dorm was built the next year. The photo shop was remodeled in 1938, and the photo-finishing lab removed. The store remained until 1957 when modern facilities were constructed at the new Canyon Village complex. From the 1927 Haynes Guide, "Haynes Picture Shop at Grand Canyon is situated at the right of the road beyond the platform and stairway leading to the brink of the Upper Pall. Pictures, post cards, films, developing and printing service, and books of the park, are available here. This shop, the newest and largest of all, was completed before the opening of the 1924 season, and replaces the former shop situated in the public automobile camp." Top Left: Picture Shop at the new Canyon Lodge in Canyon Village, 1957. {Haynes Studios Inc. postcard, #K57040] Top Right: The new Haynes Picture Shop in Canyon Village, 1962. [Haynes Studios, Inc. postcard # K62006] In 1957, at the behest of the NPS and the Mission 66 plan, all of the concession operations at the old Canyon Junction [current Upper Falls parking lot area] were moved to the new Canyon Village. Construction had begun in 1956 and by July 1, 1957, the new Canyon Lodge and a portion of the guest cabins were opened, along with the Hamilton' Store. Construction on the new Haynes Picture Shop was delayed until its opening in 1960. From 1957-1959 a small Haynes photo shop served the public in the new lodge building. In 1968 Isabel Haynes, widow of jack Haynes, sold the Hanes Picture Shops to Hamilton Stores and the Haynes name disappeared from the park. The Picture Shops at Fishing Bridge & West Thumb Top Left: Haynes Picture Shop at Fishing Bridge, 1929. YNP #29904. Jack Haynes constructed a building 60x60 feet in size at Fishing Bridge auto camp to house Haynes’ picture shop, mess and photo finishing plant. Top Right: Fishing Bridge Picture Shop in 1936. Haynes Guide 1936. This building was absorbed into the Hamilton Store operation in 1967, still as a photo shop, and was removed in 1990. Bottom Left: Cabin being hauled to West Thumb from Fishing Bridge for a new Picture Shop. It was moved in 1938 to a spot near the road junction, and again in 1943 to a location near the ranger station. YNP Photo. Bottom Right: West Thumb Photo Shop in 1951. YNP #51-419 The Picture Shops at Tower and Roosevelt Top Left: Jack Haynes opened up a new photo shop at Tower in 1917 in the former Yellowstone-Western stage building that was greatly remodeled and enlarged in 1927-28 and replaced with a new studio in 1932. Haynes PC #22625 Top Right: The Picture Shop at Tower was remodeled and greatly enlarged in 1927. The building was described as: log trimmed, 1-story shop (2,000 sqft) and living quarters (1,960 sqft); dimensions 90'x44'. It featured a 12-foot marble soda fountain and 2,000w Kohler electric light plant. 1951 Photo, YNP #51-430. Left: A family of visitors to the Tower Photo Shop in 1935. Keystone-Mast Stereoview. Bottom Left: Picture Shop at Roosevelt, 1936. Bottom Right: Picture Shop at Roosevelt, 1951. YNP #51-528 The Family Due to his failing health, Frank Jay Haynes passed the business on to his son, Jack Ellis Haynes in 1916, after 32 years of operation. F. Jay, Yellowstone’s premiere photographer, lived only for five more years, and passed away in 1921 at age 68 from heart disease. Jack, later known as "Mr. Yellowstone", successfully managed the business for about 45 years. The operation underwent continual expansion and improvements throughout the years. Due to the consolidation of the transportation and camping companies for the 1917 season, the Haynes were forced to sell their shares of the Wylie Camps and Yellowstone-Western stage company. Upon the death of Jack Haynes in 1962, his wife Isabel ran the business until 1967, when she sold the entire operation to Hamilton Stores. By the time the business was sold in 1967, there were 13 photo shops in the park. In 1970 Isabel Haynes donated the Haynes collection of photos, negative, equipment, ledgers, etc. to the Montana Historical Society. Personal and business papers not related to the studio were donated to Montana State University Library in Bozeman, MT. Left: Frank Jay Haynes, ca1920 Right: Jack Ellis Haynes, 1935. Haynes Photo #36372, Univ. of Montana, Bozeman. For Information on the F.J. Haynes stagecoach operations, Monida-Yellowstone and the Yellowstone-Western companies, please check out my Stagecoach Pages For information on F.J. Haynes financial involvement in the Wylie Camping Company, please visit my Camps Pages .

Robert Edgar - Stage Driver The "Real" Geyser Bob Copyright 2024 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author.

This is an introduction the varied histories of the hotels in Yellowstone Park from 1872 to the late 1900s. Yellowstone's Hotels & Lodges Click on Link above to begin your tour.

Early history of the Northern Pacific's "Yellowstone Park Line" to Cinnabar and Gardiner, Montana, and their providing access to Yellowstone Naional ark from Livingston, Mt. Yellowstone's Supporting Railroads Northern Pacific RR Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. The Northern Pacific Railroad - Yellowstone's First Rail Access A Pictorial History of the Early Days Jay Cooke Jay Cooke, born in 1821, was an American financier, whose firm raised more than $1 billion in loans for the federal government during the American Civil War. After the war Cooke undertook to raise $100 million for the projected route of the Northern Pacific Railroad from Duluth, Minnesota, to Tacoma, Washington. Cooke became head of the Northern Pacific RR in 1868 and served until 1873. However, the financial burden was too great, and the firm went bankrupt, thus precipitating the panic of 1873, which brought rail building to a standstill until 1879. Cooke's firm never reopened, but Cooke, through mining investments, repaid his creditors and accumulated another fortune within seven years. Frederick Billings took control of NPRR in 1879 and rail building began again at a rapid rate. He was suceeded in 1881 by Henry Villard who oversaw the completion of the rail line in August of 1883. A Last Spike Ceremony was held at Gold Creek, Montana, 59 west of Helena, on September 8. Prior to the 1870 Washburn Expedition, Cooke hired Nathaniel Langford as a sort of publicity agent to help spread the word of the wonders of the western lands that the railroad would be passing through. Cooke City was named after Jay Cooke by the miners in that area in an attempt to attract a rail line to the gold mines there. The Northern Pacific Railroad . . . The NPRR was formed in 1864 when the company was awarded the rights to build a rail line from Lake Superior to Puget Sound. As incentive, Congress granted them about 10 million acres of land along the proposed route. Construction began in 1870 but progress was halted for six years when the Panic of 1873 caused most all rail construction in the US to come to a standstill. The line finally reached Livingston Montana in the fall of 1882 and was completed across Montana to the West Coast in early fall of 1883. That year the Park Branch Line was built from Livingston to Cinnabar and became the first rail access to the park on September 1. Cinnabar was about 3 miles north of Gardiner. A land dispute between the railroad and 'Buckskin Jim' Cutler prevented the rail line from coming all the way into Gardiner. The railroad was the owner or part owner of the hotels in the park until 1907 when H.W. Child acquired all the remaining shares. Beginning in 1883 the railroad attempted to build a line along the northern end of the park to the gold mines of Cooke City. The controversy over the proposal raged on for over 10 years before the railroad finally backed off on the plan. Cinnabar, Mont. Station. Both photos courtesy Burton Holmes Travelogues, 1905 The company was reorganized in 1896 and became known as the Northern Pacific Railway (NPRy). They continued to provide loans and financial backing for the construction and operation of the hotels and transportation fleet in Yellowstone into the mid-1900’s. In June 1902, the company extended their Yellowstone Park Line to Gardiner, with the first passenger train arriving in early July to a temporary depot and loading platform. A rustic log depot was erected in Gardiner at the end of Northern Pacific’s ‘Yellowstone Park Line' in 1903. Robert Reamer, architect of the Old Faithful Inn, designed the building and the firm of Deeks & Deeks was awarded the $20,000 construction contract on April 27, 1903. The rail line was extended into Gardiner and opened June 20, 1902. A temporary depot was used until the new edifice was completed. Visitors exiting the building looked upon a pond and the new stone Arch built at the entrance to the park that same year. The Gardiner Wonderland newspaper commented on July 3rd that, “For the first time the regular passenger train on the Park branch ran into Gardiner and unloaded its passengers at the temporary depot and platform erected in the western part of town. Many of our citizens went down to greet the train and witness the fruition of their long deferred hopes, It may be said now that Gardiner is the terminus.” The Roosevelt Arch Located at the north entrance to Yellowstone. It was built near the Gardiner Depot in 1903. The Arch was constructed out of native stone from a design by architect Robert Reamer. Theodore Roosevelt dedicated it on April 24, 1903 and by September visitors were able to drive through the Arch via stagecoach to enter the park. A stone gatehouse was built near the Arch in 1921 and used as a check-in station until it was razed in 1966. The Arch is also known as the North Entrance Arch. Top Left: Construction of Roosevelt Arch 1902. YNP #16174 Top Right: Roosevelt Arch, 1904. YNP #29448 Gardiner Depot A temporary depot was used until the new edifice was completed in 1903. The rustic log depot building erected at the terminus of Northern Pacific’s ‘Yellowstone Park Line' was designed by Robert Reamer, architect of the Old Faithful Inn. The firm of Deeks & Deeks was awarded the $20,000 construction contract. Upon completion, visitors exiting the new depot could gaze upon a pond and the new stone Arch built at the entrance of Yellowstone Park. Left Top: Construction of the depot in 1902. YNP #16174 Left Bottom: Depot & Arch, Haynes Sepia Post Card, ca1905 Right Bottom: Stages in front of depot. Real-Photo post card, undated. Goss Collecction An excerpt from a 1904 edition of the Railroad Gazette boasting about the new NPRR Depot: "The station at Gardiner was designed to harmonize with the other structures [Arch, etc]. It is essentially rustic and is built of native materials. The foundations and lower parts of the walls are rough boulders. The walls above, including the platform shelters are made of unbarked logs. The roof trusses, gables and ceilings are finished with similar material. The interior contains a large waiting room with fireplace, ticket office, express office, baggage room and toilet rooms. The rustic effect is also carried out in the interior, the doors, windows, settees, chandeliers, hardware, etc., all being in keeping with the general design. The projecting ends of logs are smoothed and polished, and where lumber is used for finishing it is of high grade and finely polished. Wrought nails, bearing on their heads the trade-mark of the company, are used wherever they will show. The fireplace at the end of the waiting room is broad and forms a pleasing feature of the interior." The Northern Pacific RR adopted the Monad Logo 1893. It was patterned after the Chinese Yin-Yang symbol. The two comma shaped halves represent the dual powers of the universe – two principles called Yang and Yin. Their primitive meanings were: Yang, light; Yin, darkness. Philosophically, they stood for the positive and the negative. The bottom of the logo reads "Yellowstone Park Line". The company's headquarters were in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Wonderland of the World The Northern Pacific Railroad began publishing "The Wonderland of the World" guidebook of Yellowstone in 1884 in order to advertise their services. It featured imaginative colored images on the covers. The brochures were supplemented with photos by F.Jay Haynes, Official Photographer of the Northern Pacific RR. It published yearly until 1906 with articles on Yellowstone and other points of interest along the NPRR’s route through the Northwest. Covers from the 1885 and 1897 issues of Wonderland. The Northwest Improvement Company The Northern Pacific Railway sold their interest in the hotels in Yellowstone to their subsidiary, the Northwest Improvement Co. in 1898, making that company the sole owner of the Yellowstone Park Association stock. NWIC continued to be the front company for the NPRy’s financing of H.W. Child’s enterprises in the park for many years. In 1917 financial backing was done jointly with the NPRy, Union Pacific, and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroads NWIC was also responsible for the opening of the travertine quarries near Gardiner in the 1930’s. The last railroad loan was obtained in 1937 and was paid off by 1955. Yellowstone Comet A Depression-era train between Chicago and Seattle, the Yellowstone Comet was a joint operation of the Northern Pacific and Burlington railroads. Splitting at Billings, Montana, the train offered access to the park via either Gardiner or Cody, Top Left: Yellowstone Park ad from the Wonderland brochure in 1900. Top Right: Poster art from the Northern Pacific's "Yellowstone Park Line." Bottom Left: Brass fob for the Yellowstone Park Line. Bottom Right: Conductor's Badge worn on the Yellowstone Park Line.

History of the Canyon Hotel & Canyon Lodge that operated from 1886-1957 in Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone - Canyon Hotels & Lodges Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. Canyon Hotel 1st Canyon Hotel This crude wooden structure was located in thick timber above Lower Falls, near the current Brink of Lower Falls parking lot. It was built in 1886 by the Yellowstone Park Association (YPA). This building housed the office, dining room, kitchen, and lobby. About 70 guests could be housed in nearby tents. It was permitted by the Army for the 1886 season only, but remained in use until a larger hotel was opened in 1890. [Photo courtesy of Montana State University, Haynes Photo Collection] 2nd Canyon Hotel This hotel was located on the hill above the Grand Canyon, near where the current Xanterra horse operation is operated. The building contained 250 guest rooms and featured steam heat. Problems with the foundation necessitated repairs in 1896 and 1901. Twenty-four rooms were added in 1901. The hotel was in operation until 1911 when it was incorporated into the construction of the new Canyon Hotel. Top Left: Front of 2nd Canyon Hotel, Haynes post card No. 144 Top Right: Close-up of front of 2nd hotel, Wyoming State Archives, Stimson Collection Bottom Left: Colorized slide of the image to the right. Bottom Right: Haynes Photo, YNP #143227 3rd Canyon Hotel This grandiose structure opened in 1911 with 375 rooms that accommodated 500 guests. It incorporated the 2nd Canyon Hotel into its floor plan, located on the left end of the hotel. The hotel was designed by Robert Reamer and construction continued through the winter of 1910-11. The cost was over $750,000 and financed by the YP Hotel Co. and Harry Child, who obtained loans from the Northern Pacific RR. Capacity was expanded to 600 guests in 1922 and a new wing was added in 1930-34 increasing total capacity to 900 guests. The perimeter was reported to be one mile long, and orchestras played nightly in the expansive lounge area. The hotel closed down after the 1958 season and guests were forced to stay in the new Canyon Village Lodge cabins. This magnificent building burned down in 1960 during demolition, the cause of which was never officially determined. Magnificent New Hotel in Yellowstone Opened Butte Miner, August 5, 1911 (Special Correspondence to the Miner.) Grand Canyon Hotel, Yellowstone Park, Wyo., Aug. 2 - The formal opening of the great lounging room of the new Canyon hotel in Yellowstone park, which marks the completion of the $700,000 structure, was celebrated tonight by a ball, in which the guests of the hotel, campers in the park, fisherman, hotel employees and everybody else within a radius of 50 miles, joined. The hotel is unique among all the resort hotels in the world, and the mammoth lounging room is the most striking feature. This room, 186 feet by 95 feet in dimensions, is finished in natural birch and furnished with large upholstered and willow pieces of original patterns designed by Mrs. H.W. Child. The floor coverings are rugs, especially made in Austria, the large middle rug being 56 feet by 25 feet. The color scheme is green and brown, with an occasional dash of red. The lighting effects are secured by a series of specially designed lanterns suspended from the great beams overhead.. . . [The hotel] was built under incredible difficulties, and every pound of material within this great structure, which stretches along the mountain side for 700 feet and is full five stories in height, was brought in by freight wagons and sleds from Gardiner, 40 miles away, and for several months through snow drifts 10 to 12 feet in depth, with the thermometer far below zero for weeks at a time. The hotel has 450 rooms, 75 bath rooms and every modern convenience, including electric elevators. Left Top: Exterior View, Detroit PC 71062 Right Top: Exterior view, Bloom Bros. PC YP60 Left Middle: Entrance ramp, Haynes PC No.220 Right Middle: Lounge from Office, Haynes PC No.10172 Left Bottom: Tea Room, Haynes PC No.217 Right Bottom: Hotel Office, Haynes PC No.10150 Canyon Camps & Canyon Lodge The Canyon Camp was built on the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. site, located near the current Uncle Tom's Parking Lot. It was operated by the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. from 1917-1919, the Yellowstone Park Camps Co. under Howard Hays from 1920-24, and taken over by Vernon Goodwin that year, who retained the same name. In 1928, Harry Child bought out all the camps operations and they began being called ‘Lodges’ with the name changing to Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. until 1936. Goodwin was retained and managed the camps operation. The hotel, transportation, boat, and camps operation’s were reorganized and the name was changed to Yellowstone Park Co. Top Left: Canyon Lodge Exterior, Haynes PC 15040 Top Right: Canyon Lodge Cafeteria, 1951. YNP #29658 Bottom Left: Canyon Lodge Lobby, YNP #133440 Bottom Right: Canyon Lodge Demolition, late 1950s. YNP #59672 New tent cabins were erected in 1923-24 and the log lodge building was greatly expanded in 1925. Twenty-four new 12’x14’ cabins and five 12’x12’ permanent lodges were constructed in 1927. The lodge and cabins were closed down in 1957 with the opening of the new Canyon Village. The area was later cleaned up and rehabilitated and only a few relics can now be found in that area. Many of the cabins were moved to the Lake area. When Canyon Lodge was closed in 1957, many of the structures were moved to other locations in park, while some were demolished, and others were sold off, as was the case of the old Lodge Lobby, which was disassembled and moved to Nevada City (Virginia City), Montana by Charlie Bovey as part of his historic restoration/recreation of a historic Montana mining town. This modern new lodge was built, and opened in 1957 under the provisions of the Mission 66 plan, mandated by the Interior department. Yellowstone Park Co financed the construction to the tune of 5 million dollars and 500 boxy, flat-roofed cabins were eventually built. The lodge building featured a lounge, coffee shop, cafeteria, gift shop, and modern decor. The lodge is still in operation and is run by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Quite a few of the original cabins have been demolished, while many others have been remodeled. Canyon Village This modern new lodge was built, and opened in 1957 under the provisions of the Mission 66 plan, mandated by the Interior department. Yellowstone Park Co financed the construction to the tune of 5 million dollars and 500 boxy, flat-roofed cabins were eventually built. The lodge building featured a lounge, coffee shop, cafeteria, gift shop, and modern decor. The lodge is still in operation and is run by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Quite a few of the original cabins have been demolished, while many others have been remodeled. Left Top: Canyon Village Main Lodge. Haynes PC K57157. Left Middle: Lodge Lounge. Haynes PC K57060 Left Bottom: Lodge Lounge, Haynes PC 57069 Right Top: Lodge Dining Room, Curteich PC 8C-K595 Right Middle: Lodge Cafeteria, Haynes PC K57120 To provide additional guest rooms, Cascade Lodge was built in 1992 containing 37 rooms and is located in the cabin area. Dunraven Lodge was constructed nearby six years later and features 44 rooms. Since then, three additional lodges have been added, Washburn Lodge, Moran Lodge, and Rhyolite Lodge, replacing many of the old 1957 cabins.

Yellowstone Biographies from Last Names I through L Yellowstone Biographies I - J - K - L Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Ingersol, Truman Ward. T.W. Ingersoll was one of the most important photographers and producer of stereoviews in Yellowstone National Park. He also published over 4000 different US and world-view stereos. His views produced in the 1880’s were of the highest quality. There were four different series featuring Yellowstone views during that time. He attempted to compete with larger commercial stereoview publishers such as Underwood & Underwood and the Keystone View Company with lower quality copy views. Buyers however, were not fooled and sales suffered. Between the years 1905-10 he produced three higher quality new black & white stereoview series, under the names Ingersoll View Company and High Grade Original Views. Ingersoll also sold the right to some of his views to other publishers such as Sears Roebuck & Co. and the American Novelty Company. He later sold the commercial part of his St. Paul photography business to Buckbee Mears Company. After his death June 9, 1922 in St. Paul, his negatives passed on to the Keystone View Company. Today they are part of the Keystone Mast Collection at the University of California at Riverside. Ingersoll was born February 19, 1862 in St. Paul and had studios under the names of Zimmerman & Ingersoll, Ingersoll View Company, and Juul-Ingersoll Company. In 1883 Ingersoll accompanied a man named Brooks from Connecticut who built a boat in Livingston, Montana and attempted to make a 4,000 mile river voyage to Louisiana. It is not currently known if either man completed the voyage. [Helena Independent; 9/22/1883] [The Yellowstone Stereoview Page] [Minnesota Historical Society Website - Directory of Minnesota Photographers] Jackson, David. David Jackson was an early fur trapper and co-owner of the Rocky Mountain Fur Co. in 1826. Jackson's Hole and the town of Jackson, Wyoming were named after him. Jackson was born in 1788 to parents Edward and Elizabeth Jackson in Randolph County in what is now West Virginia. He spent his early life in the wilds west of the Shenandoah Mountains. Jackson died in 1837 at age 49. [25L;57] [Wikipedia] Jackson, George J. George Jackson received a permit to operate a stage station in 1882 at Soda Butte and shared the homestead with Jim Cutler. Supt. Conger gave George verbal permission to live on Rose Creek (current Buffalo Ranch) in 1882. However, Supt. Carpenter kicked them, along with other squatters in the area, out of the park in the fall of 1884. The site became the location of the Buffalo Ranch in 1907. [113] [30] Jackson, William Henry. William Henry Jackson (W.H. Jackson) was born in Keeseville, New York in 1843, he became a self-taught artist. He later moved to Vermont and enlisted for the Civil War in 1860. While present at the Battle of Gettysburg, he saw no action. He went west in 1866 and was photographing the progress of the UPRR in 1869 when he met Ferdinand Hayden. Hayden asked Jackson to accompany him in 1871 on his expedition to Yellowstone. Jackson took most of the first photographs of the park that were used in the effort to convince Congress to set aside Yellowstone as a park. Photographer Joshua Crissman of Bozeman accompanied Jackson on this trip, and the two took many pictures side by side. Crissman actually had his negatives printed and viewed first, but he never received the acclaim that Jackson did. Jackson also accompanied the Hayden expeditions of 1872 and 1878. In 1879 he moved to Denver and opened a new photographic studio and founded the Jackson Photo Co. He joined the Detroit Publishing Co. in 1897 and assigned his stock of negatives to them in exchange for cash and company stock. Detroit began publishing Private Mailing Cards (predecessor of post cards) with Jackson’s Yellowstone images in 1898-99. He worked for them until 1924 when the company went out of business. Jackson died on June 30, 1942 at age 99 and has been credited with producing over 54,000 negatives. [25g] [79u;Jackson] [119b] Jump, William ‘Billy’ . Billy Jump opened a mail station in Harry Yount’s old cabin at Soda Butte in 1883. He had received permission to do so by Supt. Conger in the spring of 1882. In 1884, Jump, George Jackson, Jim Cutler, and other squatters in the area were asked to leave the park by park authorities. The buildings were reportedly burned. Jump moved to Jackson Hole for a time, but at least by 1899 he was tending bar at the Pisor Saloon in Horr. One of his customers was Calamity Jane. By 1902 he was married with two sons, Bill and Tom. Jump also tended bar in Jardine and did carpenter work, assisting with the construction of the officer's frame houses at Mammoth. [106d] [114] [71c] Kammermeyer, Fred E. F.E. Kammermeyer was Transportation Superintendent for H.W. Child and the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. (YPTCo) from 1917 to the 1940’s. He had been a military transport officer during WWI and was hired by Child to set up and organize the operation of the new fleet of 117 White Motor Co. buses in 1917. These buses replaced the stagecoaches that had been used up until that year. He retired Sept. 30, 1948 as Manager of Transportation Div., Yellowstone Park Co. Fred E. Kammermeyer was born June 30, 1888 in Burlington, Iowa to parents Fred Christian Kammermeyer and Lidia Wilhelmina Tillman. Sometime after 1920 Fred married Evelyn Johnson, born 1888 in Ohio. In the fall of 1924 Fred was an Engineering Extension Student with the University of Wisconsin. In a letter to the college Extension Division, Fred commented upon his employment in Yellowstone that summer: “We handled nearly 150,000 tourists this season, and I supervise six garages and 322 busses and trucks with all the grief that goes with it; so you can readily understand that I could not give study any concentrated thought – much less time – as I put in about 18 hours a day trying to keep up with the problems.” The Polk Guides list Fred’s residence as Livingston in 1943, Billings, 1944, and Bozeman in 1950. According to the Allday family website, Fred died of a gunshot wound to the head on December 21, 1967 at Sun City, Arizona. He was buried in the Sunland Cemetery. Evelyn died March 20, 1969 in Glendale, Arizona. [39-49] [25g] Karst, Pete. Pete Karst founded Karst Stage in 1902 to haul freight and loggers from Bozeman to a logging camp on Taylor Creek in the Gallatin Canyon area. In 1908 he built the Karst Stage Stop Inn about 35 miles south of Bozeman, Montana. It became the first ‘dude ranch’ in the canyon and transported mail, freight, and passengers from Bozeman and surrounding areas to his ranch. He also operated tours in Yellowstone. He motorized his fleet in 1917 when stagecoaches were no longer allowed on park roads. He established the Gallatin Canyon Bus Line in 1924. “Gail’s Golden Guide of the Beartooth Mountains” of 1935 lists Karst’s Kamp as having guest cabins, coffee shop, general store, garage, indoor plunge, and orchestras playing on Saturday nights. Karst sold the business in the early 1950’s and although the dude ranch is no longer in business, Karst Stage, Inc. still operates and provides bus service to the western US and Canada. [25g] [Karst Stage website] Kayser, Albert. Albert Kayser was the owner of the German language newspaper “Oakland Journal” and began issuing postcards, then known as ‘mailing cards’, with mostly California views. One card printed in 1897 featured eight different Yellowstone images on it that appeared to be F.J. Haynes photos. It is suspected that he did not have Haynes’ permission for the images. This card is believed to be the 1st known postcard using Yellowstone images. In 1898 Kayser sold his business and Edward H. Mitchell, a San Francisco publisher of western-image postcards, acquired the postcard portion. Mitchell reissued the Yellowstone card in 1898. [97;Vol.2;No.3,Michael Bodell] Keeney, Elias Joseph. Joe Keeney was a miner and long-time pioneer in the Yellowstone-Cooke City-Boulder country. He was born Aug. 22, 1847 in Linn Co, Oregon Territory. His father, Jonathan Keeney, was a trapper with William Sublette, Kit Carson and Jim Bridger in the Yellowstone, Snake and Columbia River drainages. Joe came to Montana in 1875 with a herd of wild horses and ended up in the Gallatin Valley. Because he did not have a bill of sale for the horses, he was suspected of being a horse thief. Attracting the attention of the Vigilantes, he soon left town. In 1877 he became the first man to locate mining claims on the Boulder River in the Independence area. He also owned land with George Huston that became the townsite of Cinnabar. Joe operated a hotel, restaurant and saloon in Cinnabar for a time. He filed numerous claims in the Cooke City and Clark's Fork area in the 1880's. Keeney was an assistant superintendent in the park around 1882, but got into political trouble when he tried to arrest a judge for leaving a campfire burning. His diligence ended up getting him fired. He died Sept. 25, 1938 at the age of 91 in Livingston Mt. [Thanks to Joe's great-grandson Greg Keeney for this information] Killion, R.T. R.T. Killion owned the Yellowstone Park Ice Co., which was incorporated January 26, 1959 to operate ice plants and ice vending machines in the park. He subcontracted to Yellowstone Park Co. to operate the ice plant and ice vending machines at Fishing Bridge, Lake, West Thumb, Old Faithful, Mammoth, and Canyon. [25L;60] Kingman, Lt. Daniel. Lt. Dan Kingman was with the Army Corps of Engineers when they arrived in Yellowstone in August of 1883. Kingman was placed in charge and was responsible for the design, planning, and construction of the basic park road system until 1887. He was responsible for the basic figure-8 design that is still used today. He designed and built the wooden trestle and road through the Golden Gate Canyon in 1883 that bypassed the steep and harrowing Snow Pass road. The next two years he rerouted the Gardiner to Mammoth ‘high road’ to the route currently used along the Gardiner River. He left the park as a Captain. He had a boat called the U.S. Pinafore, which was test run on Swan Lake in 1885. Kingman retired from army service in 1916 as a brigadier general, and died in November of that year. [25L;60] For a detailed history of the Yellowstone Park road system, visit this NPS Road History website. Klamer, Henry Ernst. Henry Klamer was born in 1858 in Kahoka, Clark Co. Missouri, he moved west at least by the early 1880’s. He was a member of the road crew in the park under Supt. Norris in 1881. He applied to be an Asst. Park Superintendent in 1882, but was passed over for the position. When George G. Henderson assumed control of the Marshall Hotel in 1885, he brought Klamer into the deal with him. They built cottages, a new store, and renamed it the Firehole Hotel. The Cottage Hotel Association, run by the Henderson family in Mammoth, may have taken over the operation in 1886. The Yellowstone Park Association (YPA) came into possession of the property sometime in 1886, by unknown means. Klamer managed the park beef herd for John Harvat in 1890 and the next year received the beef contract to supply the hotels and camps in the park himself. He brought the herd into the park in the spring, pasturing them on Swan Lake Flats, with the slaughterhouse near Indian Creek. This business continued through the 1890’s until Van Dyke & Deever of Gardiner took over the contract in 1901. Klamer married Mary Henderson, daughter of G.L. Henderson in 1892, and in 1897 they established the H.E. Klamer general store at Old Faithful. They were granted a 10-year lease and 2 acres of land to operate the business. The original building was a rather plain, frame-style 2-story building. General merchandise, tourist supplies, Indian goods, and curios were sold and a post office was also located in the store for a short period of time. In 1899 they received permission to establish bathing facilities for the tourists. The distinctive rustic portion of the store facing Old Faithful was added in 1903-04 and featured 20-inch diameter upright logs for porch supports. It was around that time that the log braces were installed around the eaves of the roof, adding to the rustic character. They expanded the store with a 16’ addition in 1913-14, but Henry died that last year on August 12. Mary and her brother Walter Henderson operated the business until 1915 when she sold it to Charles Hamilton, who received financing from Harry Child. Huntley Child, Harry’s son, had an opportunity to buy the business, but turned it down. Hamilton built a large addition in 1923-24 and the store continues to do a booming business. As of 2003, the Hamilton stores came under the ownership of the Delaware North Parks Co. [25k] For additional information, please visit my Klamer General Store page. Klamer, Mary. Mary Klamer, nee Mary Rosetta Henderson, wife of Henry Klamer. (See ‘Henderson, Mary’) Knowles, John S. John Knowles came to Montana in 1876 and worked a claim at Emigrant Gulch. By 1882 he began mining on Crevice Creek, which feeds into the Yellowstone River near the North Entrance to the park, and built his cabin there around 1898. He was told to move out when it was discovered his cabin was within the park boundaries. In a letter to the park superintendent in 1899, Knowles claimed he built his cabins before the park was established and had occupied them since 1880. However, since the park was formed before he even came to Montana, he obviously exaggerated those time periods in order to claim legitimacy for his holdings, as he was trying to sell them to the government. He listed 18’ x 20’ and 12’ x 16’ houses, a 16’ x 18’ cabin, a stable and shed. He was asking $200 for the lot of them, which were located near the mouth of Crevice Creek. [113] [YNP Army Files Doc.2631] LaDuke, Julius J. (Jules). Julius J. LaDuke (originally spelled LeDuc) and his family built the LaDuke Hot Springs resort in 1902. Located a few miles north of Gardiner along the Yellowstone River, it was the site of a small resort with hot springs soaking and bathing facilities. The river was crossed by means of a boat and later cable ferry and swinging bridge. The business only lasted until around 1908 when they could no longer compete with the nearby Corwin Springs Hotel and the family moved to Livingston. Water rights to LaDuke Hot Springs were transferred to the new company at Corwin Hot Springs and a ditch was dug to supply the hotel and plunge. Sons Julius and Albert LaDuke had previously moved to the Aldridge area by 1907 and operated the tramway between Aldridge and Horr. Julius LaDuke Sr. owned business properties in Livingston that included the Bucket of Blood saloon and the LaDuke Pool Hall. Ugly divorce proceedings in 1914 caused Julius to lose his residence and most of his business properties. Eventually becoming a broken man, Julius died in the Livingston Poor House December 8, 1927 and was buried in the Livingston Mountain View Cemetery. [Goss, Taking the Cure at LaDuke Hot Springs] Click Here for detailed history of La Duke Hot Springs Langford, Nathaniel Pitt N.P Langford was a member of the Washburn Expedition of 1870. He helped promote the idea of preserving Yellowstone as a public park (under sponsorship of the Northern Pacific RR) with a series of tours and lectures. While accompanying the Hayden Expedition of 1872, he claimed to have scaled the Grand Teton with James Stevenson. He was the 1st superintendent of the park in 1872, but served his five years without pay and spent little time actually in the park. [25L;64] Larkin, G.A. The Yellowstone Park Fuel Co. was organized in 1929 by Jack Haynes to supply firewood to the auto campgrounds and housekeeping cabins. He owned 41 shares and G.A. Larkin owned 15 shares and acted as president. E. M. Allen had 1 share and was secretary. The business incorporated in Minnesota on April 18 and operated under yearly permits. In 1934 Haynes sold his shares to Larkin who then had 55 shares. Mrs. Larkin became secretary with one share and Mrs. Vernon Goodwin owned the other share. [25L;64] Lindsley, Chester A. Chester Lindsley began service in the park as a civilian clerk for the Interior department in 1894, holding that position until 1916. On October 16, 1916 he was appointed as Acting Supt of the park and served until 1919 when the transition between the Army and Park Service rule ended. Horace Albright became park superintendent and Lindsley served as his assistant until 1922. He served as Postmaster at Mammoth from 5/21/1922 to 11/24/1935. He died in Livingston on Nov. 24, 1938 at age 66. Lindsley was born around 1872 in New York to parents who were natives of that state. He was married to Maude B. Lindsley who was also a native of New York. They had one daughter named Marguerite Lindsley who was born around 1902 in Wyoming. Nicknamed "Peg", she became the first female naturalist in the National Park Service. [US Census 1920 & 1930, Wyoming] [39-49; p.163] Link, Lawrence. Lawrence (Larry) Link came to Montana from his father’s farm in Wisconsin to work on the Northern Pacific RR’s new tunnel on the Bozeman Pass. With the advent of the Park Branch Line to Cinnabar in 1883 he established a freighting and contracting business with 6-horse teams to furnish supplies to Ft. Yellowstone and later to Cooke City. By 1892 he was operating a saloon in Cinnabar with a combination pool and billiard table. He married Florence Bigelow in Nov. of 1893. Knowing that the NPPR line would eventually be extended to Gardiner, he purchased property in town. He built the stone house on E. Main St., next to the VanDyke house on the corner in 1903. The following year he supervised the construction of the stone community Union Church on the street behind the W.A. Hall store. Link, Hall, Holem, Scott, and LH Van Dyck were all active in the fundraising and building of the church. Link was also in the fuel business, acted as secretary/treasurer of the VanDyck meat packing company, and was manager of the Gardiner Electric Light & Water Co. He served as a County Commissioner from 1906-1908. He was instrumental in the formation of the Gardiner Opera House (Eagles Hall), the Eagles Lodge, and the fire department. Around 1914 he and Frank Holem built a second story addition to the stone school house. He died of a heart attack on Oct. 8, 1918 at about 54 years of age, after a bout of influenza. He was a member of both the Livingston and Gardiner Elks Club. [LE;6/4/1892] [L. Link bio, YNP Vert. Files, Biography] Lowe, Herrick. Herrick Lowe was the son-in-law of Wm. Nichols and was added to the Board of Directors of Yellowstone Park Co. in 1959. He became Chairman of the Board and president of the firm in 1962. [25L;65] Ludlow, William. Capt. William Ludlow, a career engineer in the military, was chief engineer of the Department of Dakota and lead a scientific expedition to Yellowstone in 1875 that included George Bird Grinnell and "Lonesome Charley" Reynolds, who was guide and hunter for the expedition. He was ordered to make a "Reconnaissance from Carroll, Montana, on the Upper Missouri, to the Yellowstone Park and Return." He later authored "Exploration of the Black Hills and Yellowstone Country." Ludlow was born November 27, 1843 to William H. and Frances L. (Nicoll) Ludlow on Long Island, New York. He attended colleges in New Jersey and New York, graduated West Point in June of 1864, and served in the Civil War 1864-65. He oversaw numerous civil and military engineering projects during his life and from 1888-93 was military attaché to the US embassy in London, and military governor of Havana from 1898-1900. He achieved the rank of brigadier-general in 1900. [Richard Bartlett, A Wilderness Besieged; Who's Who in America, 1902] Lyall, Alexander. Alexander Lyall was born June 24, 1861 of Scottish parents. Lyall constructed Jennie’s Ash’s new store and post office at Mammoth in 1895-96. He married Jennie’s sister Barbara Henderson in 1898. He operated a contracting business and worked on several of the government buildings at Mammoth. Alexander went into business with Jennie and became Postmaster at the store in 1906. In 1908 Jennie transferred ownership of the business to her brother Walter Henderson and Alexander, who operated it until 1913 under the name of Lyall & Henderson. They sold the store and post office business to George Whittaker in 1913. The building is the former Hamilton’s store. After the sale Lyall moved to his residence in San Diego with his family. [25j] [1900 Federal Census, YNP] Click Here for my web history of the Henderson-Ash store at Mammoth. Lycan, Alfred. Alfred Lycan operated the Lycan Camping Co. in the park for most or all of the years between 1895 and 1913. For more information check out my web page on the Smaller Camps.

Short histories of many of the prominent historic bridges in Yellowstone National Park. Historic Bridges in Yellowstone Copyright 2024 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. INTRODUCTION Bridges and river causeways have been an integral part of Yellowstone’s history since 1871 when Jack Baronett built the first known bridge in Yellowstone near the current Tower Junction. Due to the rugged wilderness conditions of early travel in the first decade of the Park’s official establishment (1872-1882), journeys were of necessity limited to horseback, pack trains and foot travel. When Philetus Norris became Yellowstone’s 2ndSuperintendent in 1877, existing roads were crude at best, totaled about 32 miles with approximately 108 miles of trails. He began an extensive campaign of road and bridge building that continued until his departure in1882. The roads were described by many as only "fair" wagon trails. Nonetheless, they still provided improved access to the many wonders of Yellowstone. By the time he left there were five times as many roads and twice as many trails. He also constructed countless bridges, including several on Cascade Creek, the forks of the Gardiner, Firehole and Gibbon rivers, Crystal Falls at Canyon and others. Regardless, fording streams was still quite common during those years. Succeeding superintendents continued bridge and road building and improvements/repairs. In 1883 the roads had improved enough that the Wakefield & Hoffman Stage Co. began running tourist stages from the NPRR depot at Cinnabar, Mt to Mammoth Hot Springs, Norris, Old Faithful and Canyon. The Yellowstone Transportation Company took over the stage lines in 1886 and sub-leased the actual stage operations to Wakefield & Hoffman. Coach service was extended to Lake from Canyon and after 1891 the road opened from Old Faithful to West Thumb and Lake Hotel. Top: Jack Baronett's Bridge over the Yellowstone River near Tower Junction. Photo by FJ Haynes, 1871. Below: P.H. Norris On March 3, 1883, the first phase of military presence began in Yellowstone. The Army Corps of Engineers arrived to take charge of the construction and improvements to the Park's road system. Three years later, the U. S. Cavalry would join the Engineers and assume the role of administrating the Park. In August, 1883, 1st Lt. Dan C. Kingman, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, escorted by members of the 6th Infantry, arrived at the Mammoth Hot Springs headquarters. He began establishing the first official road and bridge standards for the park and continued his work until 1890. Some of his bridge accomplishments include the 1st trestle bridge through Golden Gate canyon and the 2nd wooden bridge over Crystal Falls. In 1891, Hiram M. Chittenden of the Army Corps of Engineers took over road construction until 1892, returning in 1899 and serving until1906. Some of his major works included the Melan Arch at Canyon (Chittenden Bridge), the 2nd Golden Gate viaduct, road and spiral bridge over Sylvan Pass, Fishing Bridge and the Roosevelt Arch at the North entrance. Improvement continued through the years and even today it remains a challenge to keep up with the ever-increasing traffic and wear & tear. Although there are and have been countless numbers of bridges in Yellowstone, I have selected the following that I thought of historical interest - many are still in use, some are in existence but no longer utilized, and some that have been removed from the landscape. Tower Area Built in the spring of 1871 by Collins Jack Baronett, his bridge is believed to be the first bridge built across the Yellowstone River. “Yellowstone Jack” also went by John H. Baronett, sometimes spelled Baronette, Gone for over 100 years now, the bridge was located about 200 yards upstream from where the Lamar River empties into the Yellowstone. It was built as a toll bridge for the miners, hunters, and freighters traveling to the mines of Cooke City. The operation, including Baronett’s nearby cabin & outbuildings cost about $4,000. During the Nez Perce war of 1877, much of the log work was burned. Baronett and P.W. Norris partially rebuilt the bridge in the following year. During much of this period of time Baronett was off on many gold prospecting expeditions in various parts of the West, and partners John Ponsford and J.L. Sanborn operated the toll bridge for him. In 1880 Baronett replaced the stringers, floor braces, and iron work at a cost of $2,000. In the early 1890s the government later refused to issue him a permit to continue operating the bridge and the Army summarily took possession of the structure in 1894. It continued to be used until a new bridge was constructed upstream in 1903. The old bridge was finally burned around 1906 and torn down in 1911. After a prolonged and expensive legal battle, Baronett received $5,000 from the government for his bridge. Traces of the old Baronett Bridge remain today, along with the old road into Yancey’s Hole. Baronett's Bridge after the rebuilding & engineering a Queen Post Truss design by Norris, Baronett, and Ponsford between 1878 and 1880. It was now capable of handling wagon traffic. Tower Junction Bridge I In 1903, a new and much larger bridge was constructed over the Yellowstone River near the current Tower Junction. Located farther upstream, the new “Baronett Bridge” replaced the original Baronett's bridge. The 130’ steel deck truss bridge was completed in the spring and designed by the American Bridge Co. At the time, it was considered the longest single-span steel bridge in the park. Fifty years later in 1963, the Tower Bridge was replaced and widened with a 604’ bridge at a cost of $435,000. Canyon Area The Crystal Falls wooden bridge was built over Cascade Creek and Crystal Falls in 1880 by Supt. Philetus Norris. At some point in time, the bridge was improved & rebuilt. In an 1889 report to the Secretary of War, Major Allen noted there was a 40' single-span King and Queen post-truss bridge with a trestle approach of 30’ that spanned Cascade Creek. Its height above low water was 20'. At some point prior to 1889 wooden ladders were placed to provide access to Grotto Pool, below the bridge. They were reported to be in use as late as 1916. In 1903-04, the steel arch Cascade Creek Bridge (below right)was erected farther upstream to replace the Crystal Falls Bridge. It had a 120’ span with approximately 60’ approaches on either side and sat about 80’ above the creek bed. This bridge over Cascade Creek eliminated two bad hills and sections of road where sliding clay slopes made it extremely difficult to maintain a road. The junction of the Norris and Lake roads were changed to conform to the new road over Cascade Creek. The new road from the bridge passed through the middle of the Wylie Camp ,which was moved to an area near the current entryway to the Upper Falls parking lot. After WWII an earth-filled causeway was built a short ways upstream (current location) and replaced the old bridge. Left: Late 1800s stereoview depicting Crystal Falls and the wooden ladders reaching down to Grotto Pool. Right: 1903-04 steel arch bridge over Cascade Creek. Postcard with Crystal Falls with the 2nd wooden bridge and Cascade Creek steel bridge upstream. Tammen PC #8395 Unnamed Creek Bridge . Along the road from Upper Falls to the Soldier Station, a bridge was constructed in 1880 over an unnamed tributary of Cascade Creek. In 1889 a trestle bridge, 14’ wide and 115’ long replaced the earlier bridge. The bridge was replaced in 1914 with a steel reinforced concrete culvert and is still in use today. Canyon Bridge at Jay Creek The 1st Canyon Bridge, constructed between 1893 and 1894, was a wooden arch truss bridge and the largest bridge built in the park at that time. The bridge, crossing Jay Creek near its mouth at the Yellowstone River, consumed half of the 1893 park appropriations budget and was finally completed in 1895. It was replaced by the 2nd Canyon Bridge built in 1914 under contract by the Army Corps of Engineers. This new bridge was a reinforced concrete rib arch design with open spandrels, 210’ long and supported by a 145-foot arch. It opened to the public on June 16, 1915, and still exists today for foot/bike travel. Left: Jay Creek Bridge, Steel,' Chittenden Bridge in background. Tammen PC #8127 Right: Jay Creek Bridge - Concrete, Tammen PC #4274 Chittenden Melan Arch - Canyon Left: Chittenden Bridge Construction 1903, NPS Right: Chittenden Bridge, Haynes PC ca1915 Hiram M. Chittenden, of the Army Corps of Engineers, built a bridge over the Yellowstone River in 1903, just upriver from Upper Falls, so that tourists could safely visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It was constructed out of concrete using a Melan Arch design. It was the second bridge built over the Yellowstone River, the first being Baronett’s Bridge at Tower. “The exact form was a matter of careful study in order to get the lines which would appeal to the eye as meeting the artistic requirements. The span of the bridge is 120 feet and the rise of the arch is 15 feet. The height of the roadway at the center is 43 feet above low water in the river. The abutments are natural rock. The arch contains ten steel girders, which give it great strength. The body of the structure is solid concrete. The forms for the ornamental railing were manufactured in St. Paul, but the railing itself was molded in rich Portland cement mortar in place.” [Hiram Chittenden, 1915] The completed structure, a graceful arch over the rapids, had a 120' span with a total length of 160'. The rise of the steel arch girders at the center of the bridge was 15'. The bridge surface also had an arched form, with the center 2'-6" higher than the ends. The center point of the roadway was approximately 43' above low water. The structure's full width was 18'-6" with the roadway itself 14'-6" wide. The design included a narrow walkway on either side, with an iron guard rail between the walks and the roadway. [HAER] Chittenden Memorial Bridge By 1960 time had taken its toll on Chittenden's 1903 bridge and an inspection deemed the structure unsafe. It was closed to the public immediately and plans were made to replace the bridge. A more modern design eliminated the visibility hazard created by the arched road surface in the Melan Arch design. Drivers of modern cars sat much lower inside the vehicle than drivers of stagecoaches or early model automobiles. Demolition of the old bridge and construction of a new bridge on the same site began in 1961. The new bridge, called the Chittenden Memorial Bridge, and was completed in 1963. [Diane Papineau Canyon Village Thesis, 2008] Chittenden Bridge 1994, NPS Jim Peaco Lake - Sylvan Pass Area "Tex" Holm Camping tour on wooden Spiral Bridgeca1915. Tammen PC #1698 Spiral Bridge after concrete tunnel and rock fill installed, ca1920s. NPS Corkscrew Bridge - Sylvan Pass This term describes wooden bridges that were built to pass over themselves in order to avoid steep inclines on mountain passes. The wooden Corkscrew Bridge, also known as the Spiral Bridge, was built on Sylvan Pass in 1905. The bridge was improved in 1917, with a new 60-foot timber trestle and rock fill at the abutments. In 1919, the wooden trestle was replaced with a concrete arch/tunnel. By 1929, the bridge was bypassed by a new road constructed along the cliffs on the slopes above. The increasing power and speed of automobiles had rendered the spiral design obsolete. No doubt the new road also eliminated much snow removal from the road in the bottom of the canyon. The bridge remains in the bottom of the canyon just east of Avalanche Pass and can be seen from a viewpoint along the present road. The bridge is still in remarkably good condition after all these years. Fishing Bridge This bridge, designed by Hiram Chittenden, was built over the Yellowstone River near its head at Yellowstone Lake in 1902. The name Fishing Bridge was officially affixed to it in 1914. Rebuilt in 1919, the bridge featured walkways on each side of the roadway. According to Hiram Chittenden, the 1902 bridge was “built on piles in 16-foot bents; total length 360 feet. In order to avoid a heavy embankment on the eastern approach to the bridge. At the same time, to give rowboats ample space to pass under it at high water, the bridge was given a curved profile, so as to raise the center about 3 feet above the ends.” The bridge reached directly across the river at right angles to the shore lines. In 1927 a boathouse with floating dock, office, and sleeping quarters was built at Fishing Bridge. The structure may have been mobile, attached to the bridge itself, and moored in different locations over the years. This first boathouse and dock served until 1935, when a much grander facility was constructed. Architect Robert Reamer designed this new 26’ x 54’ boat house, and it continued in service until 1963.The old Fishing Bridge was replaced in 1936-37. According to Supt Rogers, the new bridge was, “532 feet in length consisting of 19-28 foot spans, cost approximately$100,000 or about $188 per lineal foot. It furnished a 24-foot roadway with the two 5-foot sidewalks and an overall width of 42 feet. The entire contract including the parking areas and supplemental work totaled about $140,000.” Fishing from "Fishing Bridge" was officially prohibited after the 1973 season. Old Faithful Area Riverside Geyser Bridge In 1897, a new bridge was built over the Firehole River near Riverside Geyser, providing access to Old Faithful from Biscuit Basin and points north. This bridge also offered access from Biscuit Basin and Morning Glory Pool to Old Faithful Geyser basically following the current pedestrian path A bridge inspection report in 1909 described this Bridge No. 9 thusly: “The present bridge consists of a two-truss wooden span on wooden piers and abutments. This bridge is entirely too light for the service required at this point. It is located at one of the most important points in the park, and in addition to the vehicle traffic, is at times loaded with sightseers viewing the Geysers. It is recommended that, owing the importance of the bridge, and its location, it should be made an attractive appearing structure, and further recommended that two 32' plate girder spans with curved effect underneath be used resting on concrete piers and abutments, and that the roadway be 20' in width so as to accommodate the sightseers without interference with the vehicle traffic.” Top Right: Original bridge in 1893, w/Minnesota nat' Guard. FJ Haynes Photo. Left: Riverside Bridge, 1916. NPS Photo Bottom Right: Riverside Bridge, 2017. Author Photo In 1909, Captain Wildurr Willing of the Corps of Engineers proposed a reinforced concrete structure believing that, “. . . since this was one of the most visited areas in the park, it was necessary that the bridge be of an aesthetic design.” However, because of high construction costs, a 65-foot steel arch bridge was built by the Minneapolis Steel and Machinery Company. The bridge at left, was rebuilt in 1935 as part of the reconstruction of the Madison Junction to Old Faithful road project. The bridge consisted of one span of 53’ with total length of 58’. The deck width extended 33’-0", and the bridge roadway width 26'-2". The rigid-type bridge had masonry abutments, concrete deck, and steel hand rails. The rails were vertical steel posts with channels cupping downward framing into these posts near the top and bottom. The concrete deck had an asphalt surface. McLaughlin Construction Company of Livingston, Mt, built the bridge at a total cost of $19,677.19. Gibbon River In 1894, a new road [Mesa Road] was completed from a point on the old road near Gibbon Canyon and below the Falls. It ran south across the plateau toward the Firehole River, and connecting with the main loop road at the exit of the Firehole Cascades scenic byway. A bridge was first erected at this site around 1901 just south of Gibbon Falls. A 1909 Bridge Report stated that Bridge No. 5 crossed the Gibbon River near the Wylie and Shaw & Powell camps, “The present structure consists of one pier in the middle of the stream, and two log abutments with log stringers spanning the space between. The bridge was built about eight years ago [ca1901] and is in a fair condition, but too light in construction for the travel it has to carry. It is recommended that it be replaced by a 40'steel plate girder span, resting on concrete abutments.” Top Left: 1914 Log Bridge by old Wylie Camp. NPS Photo Top Right: 1912 Topo Map Excerpt, NPS Bottom Left: 2nd Gibbon Bridge. YNP Photo Based on recommendations in the 1909 Bridge Report, a 40' steel arch bridge was built over the Gibbon River in 1914 near the Wylie Camp, seventeen miles from the West Entrance. In 1930, “realignment of the Norris Junction to Madison Junction road resulted in two steel bridges across the Gibbon River approximately 9 1/2 miles below Norris Junction being abandoned. It was proposed that both would be removed, however one bridge, which served the old stage road (Mesa Road) to the Firehole Cascades, was still needed as diverted traffic used this route while the new road was being completed.” At some point afterward the Mesa Road bridge (Bridge No. 5) was removed. As of 2008 traces of its existence still remained. [GRAND LOOP ROAD HAER No.WY-55] Mammoth - Gardiner - Corwin Springs Golden Gate In the narrow and beautiful rock-walled pass through which Glen Creek passes and along the steep walls of Golden Gate Canyon, Engineer Lt. Dan Kingman built a 228’wooden trestle bridge in 1883. This new road up to Swan Lake Flats bypassed the treacherous Snow Pass road and was completed in 1885. Chittenden replaced the wooden structure in 1900-01 with a new concrete viaduct supported on concrete arches. The road was 16’ wide with a 42” parapet wall. Left: 1885 Wood Trestle. NPS Right: 1901 Concrete Bridge. NPS During the winter of 1932-33, an attempt was made to drive a tunnel through a protruding portion of the canyon walls. Close to completion in May of 1933, the tunnel caved in and all work on the project ceased. Later in 1933, the bridge was rebuilt and widened. The new 24’ wide viaduct had been built over the old bridge, however, it was independently supported. The old structure was removed in the fall of 1976, and a new concrete bridge erected that was 30’ wide and 327’long. The Pillar of Hercules, an iconic monolithic rock formation, was moved with each renovation and reset at the bridge entrance on a concrete platform. Chittenden Bridge, 1970s. YNP #174626 Left: Sheepeater Canyon Bridge over Gardner River, ca1905. Original negative, Copyright Robert V. Goss. Right: 2nd Sheepeater Canyon Bridge over Gardner River, 1917 NPS photo. Sheepeater Canyon Bridge - Gardner River Around 1880, Supt. Norris had a crude road built from the main road just south of Camp Sheridan at Mammoth east to the Middle Gardner River and Sheepeater canyon. There a small log bridge crossed the river and the road wound up the steep slopes of Bunsen Peak, past Ospey Falls, meeting up with the main road just above Rustic Falls. This is believed to be the 1st secondary road built in the park and remains today as a scenic hiking & biking byway. In 1903-04, the 2nd Sheepeater Canyon bridge was fabricated over the Gardiner River near the base of Bunsen Peak to access Tower Falls and Cooke City. Located located upstream of the current bridge site, it became the largest bridge in the park at that time. Consisting of five steel arch spans, 76’ each, and two approaches of 15’, the bridge totaled 410’ in length. The deck floor was about 70’ above the river surface. Traces of its approaches and old access road remain to this day. Also known locally as the “High Bridge,” the new Gardner River bridge - 3rd Sheepeater Canyon bridge - was completed in Nov. of 1939 at a cost around $247,000. At 205’ tall, it was the highest bridge in the park. It crossed the Gardner River just east of Mammoth along the road to Tower. It replaced the older and much lower bridge built in 1903-04, closer to the base of Bunsen Peak. There were 4 spans 184’ length with a total length of 962’ and a deck width of 28’. The decking was rebuilt and other repairs effected in 1978 under a contract with COP Construction of Billings, Montana for $888,293. Sheepeater Cyn Bridge over Gardner River. Ca1960s, HAER Gardiner Yellowstone River Bridge A steel bridge was built over the Yellowstone River in Gardiner about a ½ mile below the current site in 1893 at a cost of $10,700. In 1930, a new concrete bridge was erected over the Yellowstone River at the present site at a cost of $57,000. To commemorate the opening, a community dance and picnic was held on the bridge. Located near the old jail, the structure had a total length of 409’ with the longest span 192’. The roadway width between curbs was 38’ with a total width of 50’. It was rebuilt and widened in1975. !st vehicle bridge over the Yellowstone River. Photo courtesy Yellowstone Gateway Museum 2nd Yellowstone River Bridge. Photo Courtesy HAER Gardiner Swinging Bridge In 1914, a swinging foot bridge was built over the Yellowstone River and remained in use until April of 1930 when construction of the new bridge began. It was located near the location of the current bridge and provided pedestrian access to the growing developments on the north side of the river. YNP Photo #37086 Two young ladies from Denton, Texas described the Swinging Bridge in Gardiner in 1915 while preparing to join a Yellowstone Park tour with the Shaw & Powell Camping Co.: “We are warmly greeted at the hotel and enjoy our stay overnight. The following morning we walk over the village, and one interesting place we visit is an extension bridge over the Gardner river. It is built for pedestrians and is said to hold up to four people, but wait until you walk out to the center, where the bridge swings up and down with each step, while the rushing, foaming water beneath roars until you do not know whether you are going up or down; then you think it will not hold one.” [Denton Record-Chronicle (Texas) Aug 12 1915] Corwin Springs Bridge The Corwin Springs hotel was built on the east side of the Yellowstone River about 7-1/2 miles north of Gardiner in 1909 by the Electric Hotel Co. The bridge was built at the same time with Park County and the Hotel Co. splitting the $13,500 cost. Northern Pacific Ry trains from Livingston enroute to Yellowstone stopped at Corwin Springs and guests could walk across the bridge to the hotel. The length of the longest span was 216’ with a total length of 294’. The deck was 17.4’ wide with a clearance of 14.5’. The hotel featured 72 rooms, a large swimming pool, private plunges, and Spray, Needle, and Shower baths that were fed with hot water piped in from LaDuke Springs. Corwin Springs Hotel & Bridge postcard. Author's Collection This historic and picturesque bridge was ignobly removed and replaced with a rather mundane-looking concrete structure in 2008. The new bridge, a 3-span, prestressed concrete structure, measures 294’ in total length, with a 30’ roadway and 32.5’ wide deck. Honorable Mentions The numbers are reference locations on the map below. Numbers 9 & 12 are Fishing Bridge & Gardiner River Bridges, discussed earlier on this page. All photos courtesy Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) 1989 The numbers are reference locations on the map Numbers 9 & 12 are Fishing Bridge & Gardiner River Bridges, discussed earlier on this page. All photos courtesy Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) 1989 Copyright 2024 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from the author. © 2024 by Robert V. Goss. Created with Wix.com

Aron Tex Holm was one of the primary tourist camping companies that operated from Cody, Wyo, to and around Yellowstone Park, from 1903-1916. He also organized the Holm Transportation Co. and built Holm Lodge near the east entrance of Yellowstone. Camping in the Yellowstone "Tex" Holm's Camping & Transportation Co. Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Beginnings of the Holm Camping Tours Aron Holm was born in Sweden in 1870, but moved with his family to America in 1883, settling in Nebraska. Aron reportedly traveled around the West, working horses in Texas, joining the Alaska gold rush, and prospecting for gold in the Black Hills of Dakota Territory. There he met, and married, Susan Katharine Powers in 1897, who had previously been twice married. They later moved to Cody to join his father John, who had moved to what would become Park County, Wyo. in 1898, and had taken up work as a carpenter. Prior to the unofficial opening of the road over Sylvan Pass in 1903, "Tex" Holm and his wife Katharine began transporting small camping parties to Yellowstone in 1901.The excursions into the park were of 2-3 weeks duration. They went on horseback with pack animals over Dead Indian Pass north of Cody, down the precipitous mountainsides to the Clark Fork River and trekked through the wilds of Sunlight Basin, through the mining town of Cooke City and the northeast entrance of Yellowstone. Aron "Tex" Holm and wife Katharine, at Holm Lodge, ca1912. [Courtesy Park Co. Wyo. archives , Buckingham Folder, #86-P001] Late in 1903 they began using the new although uncompleted, east entrance road over Sylvan Pass to Yellowstone Lake. In 1906 'Tex' Holm and F.H. Welch were permitted to conduct camping parties through the park using wagons and saddle horses. The company was headquartered in Cody, with rail access from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy RR. They offered 14 and 18-day camping trips in covered surreys or ‘wagonettes’ built with extra good springs for mountain service. Saddle horses were available for those who desired them. Canvas-bottomed tepees were used for sleeping and were complete with mattresses, blankets, and comforters. A private ‘toilet tent’ was set up for the ladies at each camp. Women cooks prepared meals in a covered cook wagon, using canned goods, smoked meats, fresh vegetables and trout. Expansion of the company followed these early successes and by August 1905 newspaper ads touted a newly named company: The Yellowstone Park Camping Co. Park Guides and Outfitters. Personally Conducted Tours Through Yellowstone National Park, from Cody, Wyo. Yellowstone Park Camping Co., with A. Holm, F.H Welch, & H. Dahlem. [Cody Enterprise, 15Jun1905] Letterhead, Yellowstone Park Camping Co., with A. Holm, F.H Welch, & H. Dahlem. 23Sept1905 [YNP Archives, Doc. #6375] Officials of the new company consisted of Aron Holm, Frank H. Welch, and Henry Dahlem. Camping parties went out every two to three weeks, with the last one leaving in early October. In 1906, the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. incorporated as the Yellowstone Park Camping and Transportation Co., with Tex Holm as president, Dahlem as vice-president, and Welch as secretary-treasurer. Typically fifteen days on the trail would cost fifty-five dollars or a twenty-one day trip would run sixty-three dollars. The first night was spent at Wapiti, half-way between Cody and the east entrance. The next camp was near the East entrance and then Sylvan Lake atop Sylvan Pass. Nightly camps would be made near all the popular tourist sites in Wonderland. By 1910 business was such in May of 1910 Tex Holm embarked on a huge investment of time and money when he began construction of Holm Lodge, located along scenic Libby Creek about seven miles from the east entrance of the park. The rustic log building quickly took shape and on June 8, 1910 the Park County Enterprise proudly proclaimed, “The Holm Lodge is Now Open – This Famous Mountain Resort for Tourists, Anglers and Hunters is Now in Shape to Accommodate Guests in Pleasant Manner.” Early view of Holm Lodge (pre-1913 fire). [Courtesy the Stanley Museum , Kingfield, Maine] Undoubtedly construction continued throughout the summer putting finishing touches on the various facilities. The main lodge consisted of a large dining room and another “amusement room” used for kitchen services and dancing parties. Guests slept in 12’x14’ tent houses that consisted of board floors and partial woods walls topped with canvas tent-tops. Iron beds, Ostermoor mattresses, stove, dresser, chairs, and wash-stands completed the furnishings. The “houses” were scattered amongst the woods for privacy with a centrally-located log bathing pavilion sporting porcelain bathtubs and offering hot and cold running water. The “grub” consisted of “fresh fruits and vegetables and garden truck of every description, eggs laid by our own chickens, plenty of fresh milk from our own cows.” Guests who wished to spend extended periods at the lodge were charged $100 a month, which included meals, saddle horse, and guide service on short camping trips. Laundry facilities were available, along with telephone service to Cody. Two views of the original Holm Lodge, showing the rear section and scattered guest tents. [Buffalo Bill Historic Center , Cody, Nos. P21-0503-11 & 12] Chicago Geographic Society 1909 and 1910 were busy years for Tex Holm. Among other travelers, he hosted a large group from the Chicago Geographic Society in both years, in early July - his first big trip for each season. The 1910 trip was said to coast $120 for society members, including all expenses. A wonderful set of photographs were made available to the author from the trip. The following is a newspaper notice about the 1909 trip from the Chicago Tribune: Second Night's camp, located just west of Pahaska Lodge. [Chicago Geographic Society , 1909] GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY PLANS CAMP IN YELLOWSTONE PARK. Forty Chicagoans Will Leave on July 6 for Three Weeks’ Outing Under “Tex” Holm, Roosevelt Guide. Equipped with camping utensils, guides, books, and the works of botanical, geological, and physiographical authorities, forty members of the Chicago Geographic society will leave the city July 6 for a three weeks' camping tour of Yellowstone Park. They will go to Cody, Wyo., in special coaches on the Burlington railroad and from there will take the trail under the guidance of “Tex” Holm, the veteran guide, who accompanied Theodore Roosevelt on a similar expedition several years ago. The route from Cody lies across the Shoshone national forest, through the mountains of the Absaroka range, and into the park through the southeast entrance. Jesse Lowe Smith, the president, will lead the expedition. A. Holm Camp Wagon with four men, perhaps rivers and camp tenders. [1905 glass slide, courtesy Brigham Young University Libraries ] Top Pair: Struggling get through a snowbank on top of Sylvan Pass in early July, 1909. the wagons had to be unloaded and reloaded after the drift. Middle Pair: Holm wagon, for unknown reason labelled: Peaches & Cream (cola) Coach. Names of lead horses?? Bottom Left: Mr & Mrs. Holm. katharine Holm was an active participant of the camping tours, although she rarely seemed to get proper credit for her work. Thanks to Walter Keats, Executive Director of the Geographic Society of Chicago (GSC) for many of the wonderful photos on this page. The GSC was founded in 1889 and in 1909 and 1910 members of the Society came out to Yellowstone to explore this vast Wonderland. They were guided by Aron Holm and his camping company. It is believed the photos were taken by Miss Meta Mannhardt, a member of the GSC, who gave her album of pictures to the GSC in the 1950's. Reproduction or use of these photos is not permissable, without written permission from GSC. Photo Credits: Owner/Publisher - Geographic Society of Chicago; Photographer - Meta Mannhardt. “To good guide Aron Holm and Mrs. Holm, his wife, whose sweet song charmed our nightly circle around the camp fire . . . to all whose faithfulness followed us day and night through the valley of the Shoshone, Sylvan Pass, and the Yellowstone, these pages are joyfully dedicated.” Charles Heath penned these poignant words in the dedication of his book, A Trial of a Trail, an account of his visit to Yellowstone National Park and Cody, Wyoming in 1905. He came west from Chicago to spend two weeks camping in Yellowstone and the beautiful Wapiti Valley, located between Cody and the east entryway to Yellowstone. Holm's Lodge & Camp located on Sylvan Pass, near the edge of Sylvan Lake. A 1910 Holm brochure described locations of the various campsites along the usual route: Wapiti, Holm Lodge, Sylvan Lake, Yellowstone Lake, Craig Pass, near Riverside Geyser, Lower Geyser Basin, Obsidian Cliff, East Gardiner Creek [Lava Cr.], Tower Falls, Grand Canyon, Turbid Springs, Camp Beautiful [near East Entrance] and repeating the route back to Cody. Campers could exit at Gardiner if desired, for a slightly shorter tour. The cost for this wonderful excursion was $4.00 per day. Big game hunting parties were offered from Holm Lodge into the surrounding National Forests areas as were trips to Jackson Hole on horseback with pack outfits. These trips lasted from 25-30 days, covering about 200 miles. Experienced guides and cooks accompanied each party. The route traversed the "wildest and most rugged parts of the Rockies, away from civilization, making many side trips into parts which have never been visited by other parties." The cost of this adventure was $250, which covered all the expenses from Cody and the return trip. In 1910 Tex Holm also received a permit from Yellowstone authorities to establish a permanent camp at serene Sylvan Lake, atop Sylvan Pass. Plans were immediately set in motion to create Holm Lodge No. 2 (Sylvan Lake Lodge), which would be similar to the main lodge, except without the luxury of bathing facilities, unless one was venturous enough to dip into the chilly waters of the lake. A log lodge was constructed at Sylvan Lake that served as lobby and dining room and was surrounded by Holm’s characteristic tepee-shaped canvas sleeping quarters. Wide-angle view Holm's Lodge & Camp located on Sylvan Pass, near the edge of Sylvan Lake. Buffalo Bill Historic Center , Cody, No. P21-1861] With anticipation of continued growth in tourism, Tex Holm moved forward with his business expansion. On October 28, 1911, the Park County Enterprise (Cody, WY) announced, “Holm Incorporates New Tourist Company – Local Parties Said to be Backing the New Concern.” The Yellowstone Park Camping and Transportation Company was dissolved and the assets were absorbed into the new “Holm Transportation Company.” The Tex Holm Livery Company, a livery business established by Tex in Cody, also merged into the new outfit. This fledgling organization, incorporated in Wyoming October 23, 1911, was capitalized for $75,000, divided into 750 shares and was managed by a board of directors consisting of Aron Holm, Louis Gokel, J.M. Schwoob, W.L. Simpson, and W.J. Deegan. The goals of the company were lofty. In addition to the purpose of engaging in general livery, transportation, hotel, and merchandise business, the company’s objectives included purchasing, leasing, or building hotels, lodges, camping outfits, and roads and bridges as necessary to conduct business. Holm Transportation Co. Letterhead, 1912. [YNP Archives, Holm Transportation Holm Transportation Co. Logo [From a mailing envelope, pm1913] Tex Holm & Shwoob traveled to Washington to gain permission to transport customers to the other hotels and camps, along with requesting permission to establish permanent camps in the park, much as the Wylie Company had done. The men conferred with the Secretary of Interior and Wyoming’s representatives to Congress. After what were no doubt strenuous negotiations, the Holm Transportation Company was finally granted a transportation concession in Yellowstone. It was, however, at the expense of not being able to establish permanent camps or construct hotels. Schwoob later reported that he was satisfied with the compromise that relieved HTCo of having to expend many thousands of dollars in order to establish new camps or other lodging facilities. Continuing, Schwoob related that, “what the company really secured was the privilege of having their tourists boarded at the Park hotels and the Wiley [sic] camps on the same terms which are given visitors who are conveyed thru [sic] the park by the old transportation company and the Wylie outfit.” Disaster struck when front page headlines of the Park County Enterprise on Saturday, November 15, 1913 proclaimed: “Main Building at Holm Lodge Completely Destroyed by Fire. Beautiful Resort is Scene of Disastrous Conflagration Last Wednesday Evening.” Luckily Tex Holm was onsite, and with the assistance of men from a nearby road crew, managed to rescue most of the interior furnishings, but nothing could be done to save the lodge. Tex was devastated. Unwilling and perhaps unable to borrow money to rebuild, Tex sold his prized Holm Lodge to William “Billy” Howell, an investor in his company who had managed Holm’s pack outfits for the past few years. The deal closed in early May for an undisclosed purchase price, but there was speculation that Holm gave the lodge to Howell in exchange for debts owed. Howell, who terminated his employment with HTCo, formed an association with Hillis Jordan, whereby Howell would run the lodge and Jordan, an experienced packer, would guide parties into the park independent of the Holm operation. Howell built a new and bigger lodge on the same site, retaining the same name. The next year, Tex Holm housed his guests at the nearby Pahaska Tepee, as his lodge was gone. When Howell completed the new lodge, Holm agreed to house his Yellowstone guests at Holm Lodge instead of Pahaska Tepee. Howell later went into a partnership with Cody schoolteacher Mary Shawver and together they managed Holm Lodge until 1947. Top Left: Holm Lodge, probably the rebuilt version after the fire. [Tammen 91671 Real-Photo postcard] Top Right: Interior of Holm Lodge, undated Real-Photo postcard. Bottom Left: Holm Lodge, probably rior to the building of the log lodge. Guest stayed in tents, touring wagons in foreground. [F.J Hiscock Photo, undated, Buffalo Bill Historic Center, #P211-201. Top of photo has been cropped] Beginning of the end . . . Holm Transportation Company was granted the security of a three-year lease beginning March 31, 1914. Expecting business to increase even more than it had in 1913, the directors of HTCo raised the corporate capitalization from seventy-five thousand dollars to three hundred thousand dollars to handle anticipated increases in business and expenses. Little did they realize that 1914 travel in Yellowstone would be down more than twenty per cent from the previous season. Well into the 1914 season, Holm was having some financial difficulties. With reduced visitation, excessive debts incurred during expansion, and financial problems suffered by their banking partner, the company barely made it through the year and prospects for the 1915 operation looked dim. Although Holm expected that the increased business from traffic to and from the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco would save his business. But when private autos were allowed into Yellowstone in August of 1915, it was another blow to Holm’s enterprise, but he temporarily revived and continued service through the 1915 season. However, by that time the company had gone bankrupt and was unable to operate the following season, leaving no service provider from Cody and the east entrance into Yellowstone. To alleviate this situation, the Park Service authorized the creation of the Cody-Sylvan Pass Motor Co. for the 1916 season. This company became the first commercial motorized transportation concern allowed into the park and it journeyed from the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad depot in Cody to Lake Hotel where passengers were loaded onto Yellowstone Park Transportation Co stagecoaches for travel into the interior of the park.The following year the stagecoaches were retired and all commercial travel was by auto stages, with YPTCo being the carrier from Cody into Yellowstone. Top Left: Holm Coach in front of the Buffalo Bill monument in Cody. It seemed to be a popular photo op for tourists heading to Yellowstone. [Real-Photo postcard, undated] Top Right: Tex Holm Ready for a Dude Party, Cody, Wyoming [Postcard #D8800, postmarked prior to 1910] . Bottom Left: The Pioneer Yellowstone Guide - "Tex" Holms, Cody Wyo. Holm Transportation Company and the Stanley Steamers In an attempt to modernize his business and reduce travel time from Cody to Holm Lodge, Tex Holm purchased two 5-passenger EMT30 autos from local dealer Jake Schwoob in 1911. Dissatisfied with the performance of the vehicles that year, Tex Holm bought a 12-passenger Stanley Mountain Wagon in 1912 to transport his customers on the 100-mile round-trip journey to the east entrance of Yellowstone. The shiny new red steamer arrived in mid-June with William S. Stanley, nephew of the Stanley brothers, at the helm. The Park County Enterprise (Cody) newspaper claimed the auto was “practically noiseless. It has immense pulling power and is claimed to be the simplest constructed car on the market.” Happy with the Stanley Steamer and its performance on the rugged and primitive mountain roads, Holm purchased three more in 1913. The new vehicles performed admirably for three seasons until the financial stability of Holm Transportation Company crashed in 1915. The Holm company went bankrupt after the 1915 season and the Stanley Steamers went on the auction block in March of 1916 to help pay off the debts incurred by the company. The fate and whereabouts of these historic steamers remains to be discovered. "Stanley Steamers ???? on Barrel Creek on Cody Road to Yellowstone, 1914-15 - Joe Paine." Joe Paine was hired in 1914 to drive one of Holm's Stanley Steamers to and from the East entrance of Yellowstone. Automobiles were not allowed in Yellowstone until August 1915. [Uncredited newspaper photo, Park Co. Wyo. Archives , Buckingham Files] SOMETHING NEW IN YELLOWSTONE Camps Co. Introduces Horseback Tours as 1922 Feature Four Tours this Summer Yellowstone can always be depended on for something new! This year the Camps Company, in addition to its other enterprises, offers an innovation in the form of "14-Day Personally Conducted Horseback Tours." These tours will leave Mammoth Hot Springs (Mammoth Camp) on four dates during 1922 season: July 1st, July 15th, August 1st and August 15th. Each tour will be identical in leadership, equipment and schedule. This arrangement offers such a wide range of starting dates that men and women who have been looking for this sort of tour can fit their vacation into one of those schedules. "Tex" Holm, The Leader. The Camps Company knows from long experience and observation that no inconsiderable part of the success of horseback tours is leadership. For those tours, they have engaged "Tex" Holm to guide and manage each tour. "Tex" Holm has been conducting parties through Yellowstone for over 20 years and knows every foot of the trails and highways. Of equal importance he is fitted by disposition to amalgamate the elements of a party into one harmonious whole. Each tour will be strictly limited in number so that the members will have all the freedom of a private party with a private guide. The tour will appeal to persons who desire to get away from an ordinary tourist experience and revel in healthful exercise, live in the open, and enjoy a scenic adventure of the first order. A big factor is the duration of the trip. The average visitor, who take the regular automobile tour, stays in the park for four and a half days. This is too short. Many guests at the permanent camps stay over for a day or a week. The saddle horse tours will be on the trails and highways for 14 days. Of course, members of these tours will see three times as much as the average tourist, not only because they are in the park three times as long but also because they will visit many places far from the automobile highways. Fourteen Eventful Days. Looking at these tours from the standpoint of healthful recreation, they wil appeal to many as the ideal vacation. Think of 14 days in the saddle and 14 nights in the open! The rides at first are short and grow grdually longer as the tour progresses. The first day's ride is 7 miles. The average for the entire tour is only 12 miles per day. Member of the party will be provided with individual tents and individual beds. All tents, bedding and equipment are new and of the first quality. The cost oif these tours is $196.00 each. This charge includes all expenses for the 14 days beginning and ending at Mammoth Camp. Members of the party will use any railroad they desire to the park and pay their own expenses to Mammoth Camp. Further details will be supplied on application. The Yellowstone News, May 1922, Volume V - No. 5. Newspaper of the Yellowstone Park Camps Co. "Horseback Tours Through Yellowstone Park" Led by Aron 'Tex' Holm Yellowstone Park Camps Co. brochure, 1922

Examples of Yellowstone Park Trade Cards, ca1880-1900 Yellowstone Trade Cards Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Visit my Home Page to see which of my pages are completed and available. It's a long trip . . . Thanks for your patience.

History of the Specimen House, Ole Anderson, and his "Coated Specimens" in Yellowstone National Park. It includes a history of Andrew Wald and his artistic bottled sands and the Pryor Stores. Yellowstone Storekeepers - Ole Anderson & Andrew Wald Creating Art from Yellowstone Resources Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Ole Anderson and the Specimen House Since the earliest days of the creation of Yellowstone Park in 1872, visitors have had a passion for collecting natural curiosities to take home as mementoes of their visit. Some tourists were content to merely pick up pretty stones and other fascinating specimens of nature lying about. Not satisfied with that, other more aggressive excursionists resorted to actually breaking off pieces or large chunks of hot spring and geyser formations, taking whatever they could fit into their luggage or onto their horses and wagons. Ole Andersons "Coated Specimens" tent at Mammoth Hot Springs 1880s Scoyen Photo, Yellowstone Gateway Museum 2006.044.0636 One tourist-related curio activity that seems to have been tolerated in the early days of the park was the creation of beautiful “coated specimens.” Curiously, the minerals that have continuously built up the Mammoth terraces also collect and adhere to any other objects within its flow, including trees, plants, pine cones, twigs, and rocks, forming a glistening white coating. It took little time for early explorers to realize that this coating would also form on horseshoes, wire-made objects, bottles or any other rigid materials that might be lying about. Once this concept caught on, the sparkling brilliance of these encrusted objects almost immediately made them desirable keepsakes for park visitors. Other known 'specimen coaters' include “Specimen Bill” Lindstrom, made somewhat famous by T.W. Ingersoll, who immortalized him on a stereoview, busy at his profession on the Pulpit terraces; David Dobson, Wm F. Ramsdell, and Frank Phiscator were other who practiced the trade in the 1870s to the early 1880s. James McCartney, who maintained a 'rustic' log hotel near the base of the Mammoth Terraces ca1871-1880, practiced the art of coating wire baskets and other trinkets to sell to his guests or other early visitors. One visitor in 1886 was particularly enamored of coated horseshoes, exclaiming, “The amuletic horseshoe is in great demand. A horseshoe that is sown in corruption, ragged, rusty, dusty and with the nails still twisted in it is raised in incorruption, a thing of beauty and a joy forever. It is in very truth the materialized ghost of a horseshoe .” Although ‘coating curiosities’ was practiced by any number of tourists and hangers-on in the park, Ole Anderson is believed to have established the first formal coating operation at Mammoth Hot Springs. An immigrant from Sweden who came to America around 1880, he may have worked his way west laboring on the Northern Pacific Railroad. Ole most likely erected his tents on the flats between Liberty Cap and the future Cottage Hotel site, and began peddling his specimens to the public. Presumably Ole received verbal approval from Superintendent Conger for his enterprise, as no official documents have been located concerning the matter. Left: Coating racks at Mammoth Hot Springs, ca1876. WH Jackson photo, NARA 517292 Right : Coating racks at Mammoth Hot Springs, 1870 Montana State Univ, Bozeman No.147665 Anderson’s operation was formalized in 1889 when the Army granted him a written permit to conduct his business. He was allowed to keep and sell various objects coated with minerals from the hot springs, bottles of colored sand from the Grand Canyon, and other unspecified curiosities. Old photographs of Ole’s sale cabinets and coating racks reveal quite a variety of objects that would have been for sale. These included horseshoes (many embellished with lettering, bears, etc.), bottles, candle holders, toy cannons, vases, teapots, coffee cups, picture frames, animal figurines, bookends, and pine cones. Ole would also custom coat items for tourists. One traveler reported that, “You can send him your favorite horse’s old shoe and tell him to put your wife's initials across it; this he does with a fine wire and then places the shoe in the mineral springs and the deposits will cause the whole shoe, wire and all, to become a beautiful cream white, making a nice ornament for your house . . . and cost $1 and postage.” This visitor claimed it would make a nice remembrance of, “your favorite horse, your wife, and Yellowstone Park,” in that order. Beginning in 1891, Ole began making requests to Interior for permission to erect a permanent store and residence to replace his tent facilities. He was, no doubt, becoming weary of dealing with rain, snow, wind, and other adverse conditions while living and working in a tent. Ole’s plea was acted upon in 1895 and he received a ten-year lease to begin April 3, 1896. His new store and residence was completed in 1896, becoming known as the “Specimen House.” Left Top : Advertisement for Coated Specimens at the Cottage Hotel Museum at Mammoth. [Yellowstone Guide and Manual, published by GL Henderson, 1885] Left Bottom : Specimen House at Mammoth, ca1900. [Leroy Anderson Collection] Right Top : Display of coated specimens at the Specimen House, ca1900. [YNP Archives, No.587] Right Bottom : Specimen House, also known as "Park Curiosities." [YNP Archives, No. 51493] Ole's lease was renewed in 1906 and he was allowed the privilege of selling post cards, spoons and other curios, but not general wares. By 1908 Ole had been in business in the park for 25 years and was 51 years old. He decided to sell out his business to George and Anna Pryor, who turned the operation into a coffee shop and curio store. The Anderson family moved to Helena year-round after the sale and he continued in life as a carpenter until his death in 1915 at age 58. His wife Christina, lived in Helena for another 30 years before she passed on. Coated Specimens crafted by Ole A. Anderson [From the Leroy Anderson Collection] Andrew Wald - Yellowstone's Sand Artist Andrew Wald, an early associate of Ole Anderson, created an utterly unique class of curios crafted from Yellowstone's natural resources. Painstakingly sorting colored sands from Yellowstone’s Grand Canyon, Wald fabricated stunning scenes of nature and wildlife in specially produced glass bottles. His early designs employed simple wavy patterns, which became more intricate as he gained experience. In a very meticulous manner, the grains were carefully arranged with specially devised instruments to achieve the desired artistic effect. The bottles were then packed full and sealed so that the sand would not become loose and spoil the pattern. on. A native of Norway, Andy Wald immigrated to the United States around 1869-70. Although renowned for his work in some circles, relatively little is known about his life. He is believed to have ventured to Yellowstone in the early 1880s, perhaps with the arrival of the Northern Pacific RR to Cinnabar. He apparently joined with Ole Anderson and his coating enterprise, no doubt later fashioning his sand bottles and operating under the auspices of Ole’s verbal and written permits. According to Yellowstone Park photographer Frank J. Haynes, Wald originated his idea of filling bottles depicting pictures of animals, geysers, and scenes with different colored sands in 1888. Prior to that, Wald and perhaps Ole, may have been selling simple bottles of colored sands for the tourists. Wald received his first written permission to conduct his sand business and to set up his own tent to sell his artwork to tourists in 1893. The work required intense concentration and required many hours of labor to produce a finished bottle. A woman remarked in later years that he used, 72 different colored sands. By the early 1900s, Andy Wald, once described as, “the famous old-timer who lives any old place where he hangs up his hat,” was living as a boarder with the Anderson family at Mammoth. He and Ole seemed to be the last remaining practitioners of creating sand art and coated specimens. Anderson’s lease was renewed in 1906, allowing the men to continue creating these beautiful artistic pieces. When Ole Anderson retired in 1908, the Pryor & Trischman store at Mammoth employed Andy Wald to continue his craft of “pounding sand” until at least 1922, when he would have been about 70 years of age. The “Sand Man,” Yellowstone’s consummate sand artist passed away September 22, 1933 in Livingston, Montana where he had been in poor health for the previous five years. He was esteemed as, “the friend of every park resident . . . [and] leaves no known relatives but a host of personal friends and admirers.” After a brief service, Andy Wald, 'The Sand Man,' was buried the following day at Tinker’s Hill cemetery in Gardiner. To honor the unique artist, sands from the Grand Canyon were sprinkled over his casket. Left: Andrew Wald Tombstone at Tinker's Hill in Gardiner. Middle-Right: Labels from the bottoms of Wald's Sand Art In 1908, the Livingston Enterprise reported an account of fascinating account of Geyser Bob & Andy Wald participating in a unique event. The article described a beer baseball game played in Gardiner between the ‘Fats’ and the ‘Leans,’ where a single earned one beer and reaching third base merited three beers. Famed sand artist Andrew Wald was the ‘bartender’ and manned the keg of beer located at first base. The game was umpired by none other than the famous stagecoach driver and storyteller “Geyser Bob.” Although lasting only two innings due to rain, the game was nonetheless exuberantly regaled as, “one of the most exciting played in Montana.” The Leans triumphed by a score of 14 to 6. Of course, even without the rain storm, after twenty round trips past third base, it is likely the teams may have been too befuddled to compete effectively through additional innings. The article described Wald as “…the famous old-timer who lives any old place where he hangs up his hat, and is noted for his ability for pounding sand in bottles in the Yellowstone Park.”

Cooke City is located at the northeast entrance of Yellowstone Park. It became an important gold mining district beginning in the 1870s, and continued so off & on for a century. When the Beartooth Highway opened from Red Lodge to Cooke, it became the last entrance gate to the park. Gateways to Wonderland Cooke City Mont. - Northeast Entrance Brief History of the Early Days Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. "Cooke City, on the Red Lodge Highway to Yellowstone National Park. Insert shows Pilot and Index Peaks" [E.C. Kropp Co. postcard, #20291N] The Founding of Cooke City . . . . Cooke City is located at the northeast entrance of the park in the rugged environs of the Beartooth Mountains. Due to its remote location and being surrounded by high mountain peaks and passes, the only year-round road access is from Gardiner, Montana and through the northern tier of Yellowstone Park and the beautiful Lamar Valley. Road access from Red Lodge over Beartooth Pass and Cody over Dead Indian Pass are seasonal, opening late in the spring and closing very early in the winter Mines in the West were generally located in remote and unpopulated locations. It was mining that fueled the engines of settlement and "civilization" in the West. But even by those standards, Cooke City was remote - it was over 130 miles from Cooke to the closest settlement - Bozeman, Montana. It was not until 1883 that the Northern Pacific Railroad came through Montana and drove a spur line south to the boundary of Yellowstone Park, where the small burgs of Gardiner and Cinnabar sprang up. Even then, it was still 60 miles of rough trails from Gardiner to Cooke City. The area never experienced the huge population booms that other mining town experienced. The area was relatively unknown to white men until the late 1860's when gold miners prowled through the area prospecting for the elusive bane of Midas. Bart Henderson , Adam Miller, Ed Hibbard, and James Gourley were the first known miners to discover gold in the area in 1869-70. In 1871 the first mining claims were filed on Miller and Henderson mountains. The same year, prospector and explorer John H. “Jack” Baronett (or Baronette) built the first bridge over the Yellowstone River near the junction of the Yellowstone and Lamar River (then known as the East Fork of the Yellowstone. He charged a toll for men and animals and saved many a man from a wet and potentially dangerous river crossing. Baronett's Bridge in 1871, photo by Wm. Henry Jackson One factor that negatively influenced growth and expanded mining opportunities was the fact that the area was a part of the Crow Indian Reservation. The Crow spent little time in the area and the miners were somewhat free to conduct their mining and prospecting operations. But, they could not file any legal claims to their land or prospects. This of course, led to a certain amount of claim-jumping and the miners had to be on their watch to make sure they, or a worthy representative was physically in the area to protect their claims. Map of SW Montana showing the Crow Reservation Boundaries. The dotted lines are from the 1868 treaty, The cross-hatch lines were ceded to the whites in 1882. In 1880 Jay Cooke Jr. came to the area with the idea of investing in the rich potential of some of the mines. He and his cohorts examined the prospects carefully and believed the mines would be a grand investment. However, due to the legal ambiguity of the mining and land claims, he eventually ended up backing out of the deal. However, in the meantime, the local miners were ecstatic with the prospect of having someone with deep pockets buying their claims and filling their pockets with cold cash. In anticipation of what they thought would be their financial salvation, they decided to name their town Cooke City, in honor of who they thought would be their benefactor. Even though Jay Cooke bailed out, they kept the name, hoping perhaps when the lands came into the public trust he would return. Finally in 1882 a treaty was made with the Crow and the land on which they squatted became public land, upon which they could finally file legal claims. This they did, along with making formal surveys and creating a legal townsite with lots that could be bought and sold in a normal fashion. Jay Cooke Jr., undated. 1845-1912 [Photo courtesy Find-a-Grave] “Meanwhile, in June 1880, the miners held a meeting and Trustees were elected to be in charge of having their new town surveyed and platted. The town site was to be a 1/4 mile wide, lying along Soda Butte Creek in the narrow defile between Miller and Henderson mountains on the north and Republic Mountain on the south. Corner lots initially sold for $20 with inside lots going for $10. A letter from a resident of Cooke City to the Bozeman Avant-Courier reported that there were “about 35 men and one woman in the new town of Cooke City. Every man has staked one or two lots in town . . . Two substantial log houses have been built on Main Street and work is progressing on more houses.” Miners that intended to purchase property included George Huston , Jack Baronett , P.W. Norris , Adam Miller , X. Beidler, J.W. Ponsford, James Gourley , and Bart Henderson . When the 1882 treaty was signed, the new town lots and mining claims became legal, after properly filing claims. The stage was set - businesses were established and homes built to form a permanent Montana town.” [From "Pack Trains and Pay Dirt in Yellowstone", p148-150, by Robert V. Goss, 2007] Pack Trains and Pay Dirt in Yellowstone , book written by the author. George Huston was an important founding father of Cooke City. He maintained mining operations in the nearby mountains until his death in 1886. Copies of this booklet are still available from the author. Email for details. Click image for link to Amazon HORN: The Life and Times of a Pioneer Prospector by Frederick L. Woody (Author) The first prospector to discover ore in the remote area of what is now Cooke City, MT Adam “Horn” Miller was a champion with his fists and a crack shot with the gun he constructed. He was much like the other 300,000 or so pioneers who searched the west for silver and gold and yet his story is as unique as the land he explored for over fifty years – in and around Yellowstone National Park. Two creeks, a road, and a mountain all now bear his name. He served as a scout during the Army’s pursuit of Chief Joseph, was a guide for early National Park superintendents, and was sought out by two U.S. Presidents when each visited Yellowstone Country. [From Amazon] He later prospected with Bart Henderson, Ed Hibbard, James Gourley, Sam Shively, Pike Moore, and Joe Brown. He discovered gold in the Cooke City area with Bart Henderson and others in 1869-70, naming their mine the Shoo Fly Mine. The next few years he helped Bart Henderson build the road from Bottler’s Ranch to Mammoth. He acted as guide for Supt. Norris in 1877 in the northeastern portion of the park when Norris was looking for another northern approach to the park. Later in life he settled down in a cabin across the Yellowstone River from Yankee Jim. Miller Creek and Miller Mountain were named after him. He died in 1913. His obituary described him as a "man of sterling character, a man without enemies of any kind, it is said, and a citizen who always had a kind word for everyone." [From Geyserbob.com] Early Street Views of Cooke City Top Left: Street view of Cooke in 1883 looking East. The Cosmopolitan Hotel at left w/half-round false front. [YNP #1714] Top Right : View in 1887 looking West. [YNP #8217] Bottom Left : Aerial view of Cooke City ca1887. Difficult to identify buildings, but Cooke City Store may be center left. [YNP #8221] Bottom Right : Street view ca1930s. On right: Cole Drug, Mary's Cafe, and Shell gas station. Cooke City store at left. [Sanborn postcard #Y1319] Top Left: "Main Street" Gas station on right, with White House Hotel center right. [Richardson Curios postcard] Top Right : Main Street view in 1939. [YNP #24176] Bottom Left : Main Street view in 1939. [YNP #24176c] Early Cooke City Businesses Cooke City Store The ground on which the Cooke City Store was built was originally part of the "Cache of Ore Millsite," owned by George A. Huston , the earliest known prospector in the region. By the spring of 1886, John Savage and John Elder had purchased the site and were hauling milled lumber from the lower elevations around Cooke City to begin construction of their store. By the late 1880's Savage and Elder's was providing supplies for the community and area miners, but also had competition from Bause and French's mercantile store. By the summer of 1889, Savage and Elder had sold their store to Wm. Nichols and Hiram Chittenden for $800. On Nov. 14, 1895, the court authorized the sale of the store to Sophia Wetzstein for $600. She and her husband owned other property in Cooke City and were involved in the wholesale liquor business in Livingston. George Allison, leased the Wetzstein's Cooke City Store in 1906 for $300 a year for use as a general store and began an extensive remodeling of the building. In the spring and summer of 1907, the store was enlarged to about twice its length and a basement built under that section, and sided with decorative pressed metal. Allison operated the store for two years, but encountering financial problems sold the store In July 1908, to Nels and Elizabeth Soderholm for $3,000 with $500 as a down payment, and $500 per year for five years at 6% interest. Nels was Postmaster in Cooke for many years and with his death in 1939, his wife Elizabeth was appointed to take his place. She passed away Nov. 17, 1959. Ralph and Sue Glidden purchased the store in 1979 and ran it until 2003 when they sold it to employees Troy and Beth Wilson. The Cooke City Store remains in operation and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Early views of Cooke City Store. Above : Late 1800s. Below : 1920-30s Real Photo postcard Cosmopolitan Hotel The Cosmopolitan Hotel and saloon in Cooke City was built in 1883 and opened the following year by John “Jack” P. Allen. It has been said that during the boom times, up to 150 people a night stayed at the hotel. Sometimes called the Allen Hotel, he operated the hotel until around 1937-1938. Mrs. Allen fell and broke her hip in 1937, requiring an extended hospital visit and nursing home in Livingston, cared for by Jack. It forced him to lock up the hotel. He passed away Dec. 10, 1944 at age 92, and was interred in Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston, Mont. Right Top : Advertisement for the Cosmopolitan Hotel, from the Livingston Enterprise , 3Oct1885 Right Bottom: Cosmopolitan Hotel in 1923. The following is an excerpt from an interview with him from the Big Timber Pioneer, 17Jun1937. Thanks to the Cooke City Museum for posting this interview: “I am the last of the real pioneers of Cooke City,” says J.P. Allen, now in his 85th year. “I went to Cooke in 1882, soon after the country had been taken out of the Crow Indian reservation, and I have outlasted all others . . . When the Cooke stampede started in 1882 after the Indian reservation was moved, I went there and took up some claims. There was no road from Mammoth Hot Springs; only horseback trails up the Yellowstone, the Lamar and Soda Butte creek. We did have Baronette’s bridge across the Yellowstone, saving a wet crossing. At Cooke we were completely isolated, except for horseback transportation for mail and supplies. I worked out my claims that summer, and in the fall I went to Livingston and ran a restaurant. Then in 1883 I went back and built my hotel in Cooke, starting its operation in 1884. I have run the hotel ever since, except that I had it leased two years ago while Mrs. Allen and I spent a year on the Pacific coast . . . I was postmaster at Cooke during two different periods. Sometimes the mail came through from Gardiner on time, but often it was badly delayed by heavy snows. Once, for a time, the mail was carried from Columbus up the Stillwater and over the mountains to Cooke. But with plenty of groceries and lots of wood we were comfortable and happy—the little group of us who made our home in Cooke the year round." Above Left : Photos of the Cosmopolitan Hotel with inserts of Mr. & Mrs. J.P. Allen. [Livingston Enterprise , 1Jan1900] Above Right : "Allen Hotel, Cooke City, Montana." Undated real-photo postcard, perhaps ca1940s - the building to the left has been torn down. Curl House John F. Curl was born in 1853 in Pennsylvania and moved to Cooke City in 1883 to prospect for gold. He often partnered with pioneers Adam “Horn” Miller and George Huston in his various mine holdings. John married Zona Frazea, also of Cooke City, in June 1890. Together they built the Curl House that served as a combination hotel, restaurant and boardinghouse. Curl and his wife Zona sold their properties in Cooke City and moved to Gardiner around 1915 and ran the Cottage Hotel on East Main Street. The family moved after 2-3 years to Bozeman so that his children Mary Margaret (born 1898) and Thomas (born 1902) could attend college. The couple moved to Bozeman around 1918, perhaps due to health issues. John died October 1, 1924 at 71 years of age and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston. His pallbearers included W.A. Hall and Herb French. Zona Curl moved to New Haven Conn. after John’s death and passed away in Feb. 1929. Her body was shipped back to Livingston for burial. Above Right : CurL House at right. [Courtesy Cooke City Chamber of Commerce ] Left : Curl House on left, with A.O. Saloon to its right. Real Photo postcard ca1930s Right : Isabel Haynes across from the Curl House ca 1920s. [FJ Haynes photo, Mont. St. Univ. #1507-002064] Shaw's Camp & Lodge In 1919, Walter Shaw , formerly a partner of the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. in Yellowstone, established the rustic Shaw’s Camp in Cooke City in 1919. He later setup Shaw’s Goose Lake Tent Camp by Goose Lake along the trail to the famed Grasshopper Glacier near Cooke City. The trail to the glacier was twelve miles one-way and required a 10 to 12-hour round-trip on horseback. The savvy traveler could spend the night at Shaw’s Camp and be able to spend more time in the area and not be so rushed. Shaw also maintained a guide service in Cooke City with saddle and packhorses and experienced guides. The trail to the glacier was opened up in 1921 and the camps were in use at least through 1928. In 1928 the camp was honored to welcome Ernest Hemingway and his wife for a brief respite during their travels through Montana and Wyoming. They stayed in a warm cabin and were surprised at the quality of the food in so remote of an outpost. According to the Circular of General Information Regarding Yellowstone (NPS): “At Cooke City are local hotels, but the organized Glacier Service is from the Shaw Camp which maintains a good string of saddle horses, operated by competent and experienced guides. The round trip can be made in one day by hardy travelers, and occupies ten or twelve hours, the ride over good mountain trails requires between three and four hours, the distance one way being around twelve miles. It is better to use more time and to spend the night at Shaw’s Goose Lake Tent Camp. This camp brings one within a mile of the saddle summit beyond which the great glacier lies. The climb to this saddle covers about 1000 feet of elevation and for a part over rough rocks, but for the greater distance over a very fair path.” Walter died in June 1925 while crossing the Gardiner River near Gardiner. His wife Lillian continued to operate the Shaw Camp & Cabins in Cooke city until at least 1935 and perhaps later. In 1946 the Shaw Camp was taken over by Sam & Euphie Fouse, who operated the business until 1959. Around 1965, Don & Ada Ellis purchased the lodge and advertised it as the Anvil Inn. In 1974 they removed to Livingston. It is now known as the Antler’s Lodge. One traveler noted that, “I spent a day or so at the Walter C. Shaw tourist camp at Cooke City. It was opened to the public July 16 and it is certainly a credit to the country. The camp is right in Cooke City and Mr. Shaw has tents and cabins to accommodate 150 people each day. There is a large dining hall and tourists can secure pack horses and saddle horses at the camp, Mr. Shaw takes his guests to the Grasshopper glacier, making the trip up one day and returning the next.” [Billings Gazette, 21Jul1921] Above Right : Ad for Shaw's Camp, with Mrs. Walter Shaw, Prop. [Billings Gazette , 16Jun1935] Above Right : Ad for Shaw's Camp, with Sam & Euphi Fouse, Prop. [Billings Gazette , 9Jul1946] Below Left : Postcard view of the log Shaw's Camp lodge. [Sanborn Souvenir Co. #Y-1040] Below Right : Shaw's Camp late 1930s-40s, with Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. buses. It was probably a mid-day stop between Red Lodge Mt. and Mammoth Hot Springs. The route traversed the recently completed Beartooth Highway. Selected Historic P ersonages of Cooke City John F. Curl was among the earliest businessmen in the mining camp of Cooke City in 1883 where he operated the Curl House hotel. He was involved in mining and in partnership with George Huston and Adam "Horn" Miller. Curl and his wife Zona sold their properties in Cooke City and moved to Gardiner around 1915 and ran the Cottage Hotel on Main Street. John died October 1, 1924 at 71 years of age and was buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Livingston. Adam “Horn” Miller discovered gold in the Cooke City area with Bart Henderson and others in 1869-70, naming their mine the Shoo Fly Mine. The next few years he helped Henderson build the road from Bottler’s Ranch to Mammoth. Miller was one of the scouts under Gen. Howard during the Nez Perce War of 1877. Later on he settled down in a cabin across the Yellowstone River from Yankee Jim. He died in 1913 and an obit described him as a "man of sterling character, a man without enemies of any kind, it is said, and a citizen who always had a kind word for everyone." George A Huston In 1864 George Huston conducted a party of 30-40 miners up the Yellowstone River into the Lamar and Clark’s Fork drainages. Later in the year he led another party up the Madison and Firehole rivers. In 1866 he guided a small group of miners through the west entrance of Yellowstone up the Madison River to the geyser basins and prospected around Yellowstone Lake, Hayden Valley, Mirror Plateau, and Lamar Valley. Huston was also heavily involved in the Cooke City gold mines and was one of the original Cooke City founders and townsite residents. One of his properties was known as the ‘Cache of Ore Millsite,’ part of which the Cooke City General Store was built after his death in 1886. Colonel George O. Eaton Was a native of the State of Maine. During the rebellion he enlisted in the army and served in the volunteer service, and after the war was appointed a cadet at West Point at the age of twenty. He later entered the cavalry service of the regular army, and in that capacity was over the whole western country, serving as member of Gen Sheridan's staff. Having become interested in mining and in stock raising, he resigned his commission in the army and gave his attention to those interests. In 1881 he came to Montana, having made large investments at Cooke the year previous. He owns personally some of the most valuable mining property at that place; he is president of the Republic Mining Co., which includes the “Great Republic,” the “Greeley,” the “Houston” and the "New World” mines; is also president of a large placer company located in Bear gulch, a tributary of the upper Yellowstone. He has disposed of his interest in stock-raising and devotes his attention to mineral interests. Col. Eaton was elected a delegate to the first constitutional convention of Montana and served as a member of that body. [Excerpts from "History of Montana 1739-1885", Michael L. Leeson, 1885] Nels E. Soderholm Nels Nels and Elizabeth Soderholm purchased the Cooke City Store in July 1908 for $3,000 with $500 as a down payment, and $500 per year for five years. Nels became Postmaster in Cooke in January 1909, and held that position for many years. With his death in 1939, his wife Elizabeth was appointed to take his place. She passed away Nov. 17, 1959. His obit read, “Death came yesterday morning to Nels E. Soderholm, for the past 39 years a resident of Cooke City, in a Butte hospital He was born in Parke. Sweden, but had lived in the United States for the past 70 years. He resided in Kansas before moving to Cooke City, where he owned a mercantile store. Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Soderholm; a son-to-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. William Bross, and two grandchildren. The body will be forwarded today from the Richards funeral home to Livingston for services and burial.” [The Montana Standard , Butte, 13Jan1939, p5] Beartooth Highway Until the mid-1930’s, Cooke City was mostly at the end of the road, blockaded by the vast Beartooth Mountains. A crude road existed from Cooke City to Cody via Sunlight Basin and over Dead Indian Pass. The road was narrow, steep and winding and hazardous in inclement weather. That situation changed when plans were made in 1933 to construct a 70-mile highway from Red Lodge, over the almost 11,000’ high Beartooth Pass and into Cooke City. With a railroad spur running from Billings to Red Lodge, visitors could enter or leave the Park via Cooke City allowing the area to become another Gateway to Yellowstone. Journalist Charles Kuralt once called it, “the most scenic drive in America.” Cooke city ceased to be the terminus of a dead-end road anymore (except in winter), and people could comfortably enjoy a drive over one of the most breath-taking roads in the country. The highway officially opened to the public June 14, 1936. The Yellowstone Park Co . ran White Motor Co. buses from Red Lodge over the pass to Yellowstone for many years. The road usually closes for the winter sometime in October and reopens in May, depending on weather conditions. It may close periodically, as snowstorms in that high elevation can occur during any month of the year. Above Left : Real-Photo postcard of a portion of the Beartooth Highway that went Red Lodge, over Beartooth Pas at an elevation of almost 11,000 feet, down to Cooke City. Above Right : "On the Red Lodge Highroad to Yellowstone National Park in June. Epilog In the 1880s, the miners and Montana businessmen fought Congress and Yellowstone Park advocates over the creation of a railroad line that would extend from Cinnabar through park lands and into Cooke City. This would be the only way the miners could really profitably exploit the riches of the area. Hauling ores from Cooke to Cinnabar by wagon or mule train was slow and costly, eating up most of any potential profits. Mining and ore processing continued in the hopes that the railroad would save their town and mines. Park proponents eventually beat down the railroad plan in the early 1890's, squashing the miner's hopes for riches. Mining continued on and off for the next century, with various new generations of investors hoping to make a buck off the mineral wealth. Attempts in the 1980-90's to begin a new round of metals mining generated intense opposition due to environmental factors and the New World Mining district plans were thwarted in 1996 by President Clinton. Realizing that mining was no longer their ticket to fame, local businessmen promoted other avenues of prosperity to enhance their economy. These included, snowmobiling, hunting, hiking, 4-wheeling and tourism, and have helped to keep the local economy alive. The introduction of wolves to the northern tier of Yellowstone, although opposed by many, has added another dimension to the economic community as thousands of wolf-watchers annually trek to the Lamar Valley to scan the valleys and hills for the elusive canine, bringing extra dollars into the Cooke community. As the old saying goes, “Gold is where you find it.” These days finding gold is perhaps more easily mined from the pockets and billfolds of the Greater Yellowstone area visitors, than it is from the earth below them. I will not attempt to explore the vast and complicated history of the Cooke mining district, as it is beyond the scope of this article. However, a link to the Montana Dept. Environmental Quality website will provide much of the basic information. For additional detailed material on the history of the Cooke City area, please viisit the Cooke City Museum website.

Lake Hotel opened along the shore of Yellowstone Lake in 1891. In the next 30 years a number of renovations and improvements were maade, many designed by architect Robert Reamer. The hotel remains open to guest to this day. Lake Lodge began as a Wylie camp and continues under Xanterra Parks-Resorts Hotels in the Yellowstone Lake Hotel & Lodge Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Lake Yellowstone Hotel Original Lake Hotel The year 1889 was a big year for the Yellowstone Park Association as they undertook the construction of two high-class hotels in Yellowstone National Park. The large hotel at Mammoth Hot Springs was completed in 1885, and there were somewhat crude hotels at Canyon and Old Faithful. An impressive hotel at Norris burned down in 1887 barely after it had opened. The Yellowstone Park Improvement Company, predecessor to YPA, opened a tent hotel nearby in 1887. Now the Association looked forward to a set of new hotels to draw in the moneyed class of traveler - Lake Hotel and Fountain Hotel. Construction began on this Lake Hotel along the shores of Yellowstone Lake, just west of the outlet for the Yellowstone River in 1889. This plain-looking building opened in 1891 with 80 rooms. Around this same time the road to Lake from Old Faithful over Craig Pass opened up, creating the Lower Loop Road. Previously guests had to reach the Lake via the Mary Mountain Road from Fountain Flats and had to backtrack when heading to the Grand Canyon. Prior to construction of the hotel, guests stayed at a small tent camp that opened in 1887. Top Left: The original Lake Hotel, soon after construction. Note the Widow's Walk on the top. [Photo 1890s, YNP Archives] Top Right: Lake Hotel from other direction, ca1901, [Photo from Annual Report to the Interior, 1901] Lake Colonial Hotel The original hotel had alway proved inadequate in size to meet the tourist demand. It was planned to be larger, but problems with transporting massive amounts of construction material resulted in changes to the plan. It ended up having a smaller capacity than envisioned. This was somewhat rectified by renovations in 1903-04, under the direction of architect Robert Reamer. Lake Hotel took on a new look when a third gable was added, and the front gables extended, creating large porches. 50' ionic columns were added to the front of the hotel, creating a "Colonial" look. An additional wing ell was added to the structure increasing the number of rooms to 210. Decorative dormer windows, false balconies, fanlight windows, and oval windows added to the picturesque appearance. The exterior was painted a soft yellow and the hotel became known as the Colonial Hotel. Above Left: Lake Hotel, ca1915. [Haynes Postcard No. 180] Above Right: Lake Hotel, ca1914. [ Haynes 500-Series Sepia Postcard, No. 518] Renovations again changed the shape of the hotel again in when the Portico was added to the front entrance of the hotel in 1920. The East Wing, with 113 additional rooms was added in 1922-23. Robert Reamer directed the renovations, which also included expansion of the dining room that doubled seating. Employee dorms were built in 1924 that freed up additional rooms in the hotel that had been used for employee quarters. In 1920 the porte-cochere was enclosed and a new porte-coche re was added. The lounge and solarium were also added in 1928 and the lobby again remodeled. Top: Lake Hotel Porte-Cochere changes, 1920. [Haynes PC #20090] Bottom: The Solarium at left, 1953 view [YNP #30126 Top: Lake Hotel Lobby, 1909. [Photo from Stimson Collection #CT3004, Wyo. State Archives] Bottom: Lake Hotel Lobby, 1923. [Haynes #23449] [] Above Left: Lake Hotel Dining Room in 1919. [Haynes #19025] Above Right: Lake Hotel Dining Room in 1925. [ Haynes PC #25007] Employee dorms were built in 1924 that freed up additional rooms in the hotel that had been used for employee quarters. [Photo from 1930, YNP #193429-93] One hundred and ten cabins were built near the hotel in the 1920’s, and the North Wing was removed in 1940. Additional cabins were constructed to replace the lost rooms and to appeal to the automobile crowd, although building progress slowed because of the war. [Photo from 1952, YNP #30125] Brass key tag (fob) from the Yellowstone Park Association, used ca1886-1909. Brass tag above from the Yellowstone Park Hotel Co., in use ca1909-1940s. Plastic-type key tag from the Yellowstone Park Co., used ca 1950-70s Lake Camp & Lake Lodge Yellowstone Lake Camp Prior to 1919, The Lake Camp was beautiful. At that time, the canvas-topped lodge tents were arranged around a central campfire. When the moon shone across the Lake and practically into the camp, it was a wonderful sight. In 1917, the Wylie and Shaw & Powell Camps were consolidated into the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. (1917-1919). The Shaw & Powell camp west of the hotel was eliminated and the Wylie Camp to the east of the hotel became the new Lake Camp. The central of the old camp was dismantled and construction of a new log lodge building began in 1918. WWI delayed construction efforts and the lodge, designed by Robert Reamer, opened in 1920. By that time, the Yellowstone Park Camps Co. under Howard Hays had taken over the “YP Camping Co. Top Left: Kitchen buildings from the Wylie Camp in 1917. [Haynes 12M-26] Top Right: The new Lake Camp lodge building, 1920. [Shipler Photo #20571] Bottom Left: News article regarding the opening of the new Lake Camp (Click to enlarge) [Jun 9, 1920, Butte Miner] Bottom Right: Postcard from the Yellowstone Park Camps Co. The camp lobby featured a large stone fireplace and rustic log tables. Tents from the Mammoth Camp were moved in during this time and were located near the end of the lodge. The kitchen was enlarged in 1924 and two wings were added in 1926 that included the cafeteria and recreation hall. Dances and shows were held on the stage of the recreation hall. Along with physical improvements to the structure came the construction of accessory service buildings, including employee dorms, restroom and shower cabins, storage, housekeeping, and utility buildings. Sewer and water supply lines were brought in during the early 1920's. Above: Lake Camp lodge building in 1922. [Haynes PC #22732 Below: Canvas-top tent cabins, 1920. [Shipler Photo #20568] Above: Dining Room in the Lake Camp lodge bldg., 1920. [Shipler Photo #20574] Below: Lake Camp ca1923. YP Transportation Co. bus right foreground. [1923 Haynes Guide] Harry W. Child, owner of the hotel and transportation operations in Yellowstone, bought the controlling interest of the Camps Company in 1928. the new company was called Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. It was around that time that the “camps” operations became “Lodges.” A porte cochere was added in 1929 to accommodate the ever increasing car traffic coming to the lodge. Robert Reamer designed the exterior of the additions to match his plans for the original central building, with exposed logs, stained shakes, and a cedar shingle roof.” Above Left: Main lodge building in 1926. [Haynes PC #26011] Above Right: Main Lodge building with new portico (porte cochere) and buses unloading passengers. [Haynes PC #29374] Left: Interior of Lake lodge bldg. in 1926. [Haynes Photo #J67697] In the years 1923 to 1930, the following guest facilities were added: 1923 50 new tent units 1924 27 two-room & 25 one-room cabins 1925 30 tent cabins converted to pole/frame cabins 1927 40 new cabins erected (25ea 12’x14’; 12ea 12’x12’) 1929 51 new cabins built 1930 10 log/frame cabins built The lodge was closed in the years 1942-1944 due to WWII. But following the end of the war, visitation surged. More modern cabins began to replace the tent-tops and older cabins in the 1950's. By 1953 the site for the cabins was altered to include a 90-car parking lot immediately north of the lodge. The cabin area was moved to the hillside west of the lodge. A new girls' dormitory was constructed in the early 1950s immediately west of the lodge which featured a flat roof and contemporary building materials. After 1963 most of the cabins were removed from the south side of the lodge. This allowed the lodge to be seen from the southern approach of the main road from the hotel for the first time without visual encumbrance. The Western units were added between the years 1960-1965, replacing tent cabins. The Porte-cochere was removed in the 1960's and in the 1970’s new multiplex lodging facilities are erected at the northwest end of the Lodge complex. Cafeteria-style dining replaced the dining room in the 1980's. Above Left: Main lodge building in 1951. [Haynes PC #51K032] Above Right: Lake Lodge, ca1970s. [Yellowstone Park Co. PC] Top: Architect Fred Willson drawing of Lake Lodge complex in 1930. Right: Modern Lake Lodge cabin map from Xanterra Parks & Resorts. Notice that all the guest units to the left and immediate right of the lodge building were either removed or moved farther back up the hill behind the Lodge.

The Yellowstone Park Camping Co. took over the Wylie and Shaw & Powell Camping companies in 1917. Howard Hays bought the company in 1919 to make it Yellowstone Park Camps Co. Victor Goodwin changed the name to YP Lodges & Camps Co. around 1927. Important info for that era. Camping in the Yellowstone Yellowstone Park Camping Company - 1917-1919 Yellowstone Park Camps Company - 1919-1927 Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Company - 1927-1936 Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Yellowstone Park Camping Company - 1917-1919 Huge changes were enacted in Yellowstone beginning with the 1917 season when the new National Park Service mandated a concessions consolidation plan. All of the stagecoaches were retired, and replaced with automobiles stages manufactured by the White Motor Co. All transportation would be run by H.W. Child and his Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. The various smaller camping companies were shut down, and the largest - the Shaw & Powell Camping Co . and the Wylie Permanent Camping Co . were combined into one company. This was known as the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. The hotels were mostly unaffected, except that the Fountain and Norris hotels were shut down as unnecessary due to faster travel time in the new auto stages. The general stores were untouched, but Frank Haynes was forced to sell his transportation operation and former stock in the Wylie Co., leaving him in control of the picture shops in Yellowstone. Left: Possibly the 1st newspaper ad for the new Yellowstone Park Camping Co., 22Jun1917, Salt Lake Tribune . Right: Newspaper ads with the new, "The Camp Way" logo showed up early in the summer of 1917. 3Aug1917, Salt Lake Tribune . A.W. Miles gained 51% of stock in the new camping company, while various Shaw and Powell family members shared the remainder. Many of the former camps were abandoned to avoid duplication of services and a new camp at Mammoth was established. Camps located at Canyon, Lake, Riverside, Tower and Upper Geyser basin were retained, while camps at West Thumb, Willow Park, Gibbon Falls, Nez Perce, and the east entrance (Cody Camp) were abandoned. Riverside Camp closed in 1918 due to WWI and never reopened. The company immediately began using the slogan "The Camp Way," a take-off of the Wylie Way motto. The logo itself was reminiscent of the Shaw & Powell logo. The term Camp Way continued to be used in advertising up into the early 1930s. By 1927-28, most of the permanent camps were beginning to be called lodges instead of camps. The “Wylie Way” slogan was no longer used in Yellowstone, but went into use in 1917 at Zion national Park, where Wm. W. Wylie opened up a new camp - the first lodgings in Zion. Photo of a Yellowstone Park Camping Co. truck hauling employees to a camp in Yellowstone for the summer season. A blurb in one of the company’s brochure boasted, "A hostess at each camp look after the comfort and convenience of women guests. The camp atmosphere is clean, informal and pleasurable. There is nothing rough or coarse. There is no “dressing up.” The employees are young folk from private homes—many of them students and teachers. All sleeping tents are framed, floored, wainscoted and heated. The furnishings, while simple, are absolutely comfortable The beds are of the best quality, full sized. A special nightly feature at each camp is the "Camp Fire" and entertainment and dancing in the recreation pavilion. “Camp Roosevelt” is an extra “stop-over" camp for guests who desire to prolong the standard “four and one-half day tour." The government urges prospective visitors to plan if possible, to stay several extra days in the Park. The weekly .rate, American plan, is $30.00." From The Yellowstone News, Spring 1918, published by the Yellowstone Park Camping Co., New method to revitalize your weary bones: “Are you a member of that annual band of tired business men and women, fagged-out teachers and weary hosts and hostesses, worn by the strainn of a hard social season who are looking, during the summer time, for the road which leads to the three “R’s”—Rest. Recreation, and Recreation? . . . You have "nerves?” Can't sleep nights? Then why hesitate longer? Pack your suitcase with a few warm, rough clothes and some stout shoes, wire the Yellowstone Park Camping Company to reserve accommodations for you. and take the first train to Yellowstone National Park, I wager the first morning’sride will smooth the wrinkles from your brow and soothe your tortured nerves; and after your first night’s rest you will awaken feeling reborn and ready for anything.” Yellowstone Park Camps Company - 1919-1927 Howard Hays and Roe Emery purchased the YP Camping Co. in 1919. Walter White of the White Motor Co. was a silent partner and Hays became president of the company. Harry Child, wanting to buy the company very badly, after having to give up his share of the Wylie Co. after 1916, was hoping to get a good deal. While he was waiting for the $150,000 price to come down, Hays unexpectedly came up with the money, with backing by White. Walter White hid his involvement in the business, as he did not want to antagonize Child, who was one of his large customers for White buses. The new owners expanded operations of the camps by building rustic log lodges and recreation halls at all existing locations except Riverside, which closed in 1918 due to WWI and never reopened. A swimming pool was built at Mammoth Lodge around 1920 and a Boys Forest & Trail Camp was established at Roosevelt in 1921 that included a swimming pool, council house, and eight tent cabins. The camp taught boys the fine arts of fishing, mountain climbing, and studying the flora and fauna. For additional information and photos of these camps & lodges, check my "Hotels" web pages: Mammoth ; Roosevelt ; Canyon ; Lake ; Old Faithful . Above: Camp photos from the YP Camps Co. 1922 brochure.. Right: Description of the five camps, from a 1920 YP Camps Co. brochure. From the Director of the NPS, Stephen T. Mather, in his 1924 annual report Vernon Goodwin takes over the helm of the YP Camps Co. The company was sold in 1924 to Vernon Goodwin of Los Angeles, when Howard Hays retired and sold out due to poor health. The Salt Lake Tribune of May 9, 1924 explains: “The Yellowstone Park Camps Company, controlling the camp system in the national playground, has been sold to Vernon Goodwin, wealthy Los Angeles hotel man, according to an announcement received yesterday 'by Daniel S. Spencer, general passenger agent for the Oregon Short Line railroad, from Horace M. Albright, superintendent of Yellowstone park. The consideration was not made public. The property has been controlled by Howard H. Hays, formerly of Salt Lake, and the sale has the approval of S.T. Mather, director of the national parks service, who recently joined with Mr. Albrlght, Mr. Hays and the purchaser in a discussion of the deal in Los Angeles. All officers of the company, with the exception of Mr. Hays, will remain with the organization, it is understood. The sale of the properties was prompted by the ill health of Mr. Hays, who is preparing, on the advice of a physician, for a rest of about six months.” Harry Child kept his involvement in the new company quiet, much as White had done five years earlier. The purchase now cost Child four times what it would cost him in 1919. Goodwin became company President and A.L. Smith served as Secretary/Treasurer. Ed Moorman, who had previously served as Secretary/Treasurer was brought into the deal and became Manager. The company opened the Sylvan Pass Lodge in 1924, located near the East Entrance. The lodge, along the route from Cody to Lake Hotel, provided meals in a log lodge and guests could stay overnight in tent facilities. The lodge operated for ten years. Vernon Goodwin , who had been manager of the Alexandria and Ambassador hotels in Los Angeles, purchased the YP Camps Co. in 1924 for $660,000 with financing by Harry Child. Although it technically became known as the Vernon Goodwin Co. the company continued to be referred to as the YP Camps Co. According to "Greater Los Angeles & Southern California Portraits & Personal Memoranda," Lewis Publishing Company, 1910. Goodwin was "born in Santa Rosa, Cal., Dec. 13, 1871. Chiefly educated in public and high schools. Assistant postmaster of Santa Rosa for three years; resigned to take a law course, and admitted to practice in California Supreme Court, 1894. Principal of grammar school for three years, and later took a special English course at Stanford University. Served as Deputy County Auditor for four years and resigned to accept position with California Gas & Electric Corporation. Came to Los Angeles, 1895; now Secretary of the Bilicke-Rowan Fireproof Building Co., Bilicke-Rowan Annex Co., Alexandria Hotel Co. and Hollenbeck Hotel Co." [Rotarian Magazine, March 1926] The Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. This company came into existence sometime in 1927 when Vernon Goodwin Co. changed the name. When Goodwin’s wife died in January 1927, her obit mention Vernon being President of the Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. The company continued the operation of lodges and camps at Old Faithful, Lake, Canyon, Fishing Bridge, West Thumb, Mammoth, and Roosevelt. Although the name changed, Goodwin remained in management with the Child enterprises and was listed as president of the YPLC Co while Ed Moorman was retained as general manager. This new company (just in name) invested $300,000 on new buildings at Canyon, Lake and Old Faithful. Cafeterias were also built at the public auto camps at Old Faithful and West Thumb. The trend now was to focus on a lodge operation as opposed to tent facilities. Gradually the historic striped canvas sides and tops were replaced with more conventional wood structures. When Harry Child died in 1931, his son-in-law Wm. Nichols took over the operation and Goodwin became vice president of the YP Hotel Co. The company struggled during the Depression, as did the hotel andother park businesses. Some camps closed for a year or more, but that the camps were less expensive than the hotels was a distinct advantage. For additional information and photos of these camps & lodges, check my "Hotels" web pages: Mammoth ; Roosevelt ; Canyon ; Lake ; Old Faithful . Advertising from the company's 1930 brochure: "From many years' experience, the Yellowstone Park Lodge and Camps Company has developed a truly remarkable system and service. The Lodges are located at the main centers of scenic interest. In each lodge, guests come first to a great central building, which house lobbies, dining halls, social assembly rooms, business headquarters, curio shops and many of the usual facilities of hotels and clubs. Surrounding the main buildings are the small lodges—of one-room, two-room and four-room capacity. They are of two types - (1.) log, (2.) rustic clap board - all substantially built, comfortable and well furnished. Each lodge is heated by a rustic wood-burning stove (for nights and mornings are cool in the mountains), the beds are full size and of high quality, the furniture plain but adequate. Lodges are electric lighted, of course. The dining rooms serve wholesome, well-cooked food." Yellowstone Park Company - 1936-1979 In 1936 the Yellowstone Park Lodges & Camps Co. merged together with the other Child-Nichols interests into the Yellowstone Park Company. These interests included the Yellowstone Park Hotel Co., Yellowstone Park Transportation Co., and the Yellowstone Park Boat Co. Wm Nichols was president, Vernon Goodwin vice-president, and Mrs. Harry Child remained a principle stockholder. The company embarked on an ambitious renovation plan which including the razing of the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel (Old National Hotel). The North Wing was retained and a new lobby/office complex constructed at the end of the wing. A separate restaurant, recreation hall, and cabins were also erected. Many of the tent cabins at Mammoth Lodge were moved to Roosevelt Lodge and the MHS Lodge was shut down in 1940. It was the beginning of a new era for the company in Yellowstone, but the earlier vision of the tent camp operation became a lost relic of history. The National Park Service's Mission 66 plan in the 1950s closed down the beautifully rustic camp at Canyon, and new facilities were constructed at Canyon Village, a mile or two away. Sylvan Closed around 1934, but Roosevelt Lodge, Lake Lodge, and Old Faithful Lodge remain successful operations to this day, under the auspices of Xanterra Parks & Lodges. Top Left: Mammoth Lodge , 1923. Haynes Postcard #23295 Center: Old Faithful Lodge , 1928, Haynes Postcard #28029 Bottom Left: Lake Lodge , 1922. Haynes Postcard #22032 Top Right: Roosevelt Lodge , 1927. Haynes Postcard #27468 Bottom Right: Canyon Lodge , 1922. Haynes Postcard #22032 Of these five lodges, only Roosevelt, Lake & Old Faithful remain.

Fascinating history of the Yancey's Hotel in Pleasant Valley, Yellowstone National Park. It was run by pioneer John F. Yancey from 1882 until his death in 1903. Also the interesting story of Roosevelt Lodge, beginning in 1917. Flushly illustrated with historic photos. Hotels in the Yellowstone Yancey's - Roosevelt Lodge Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Yancey's Hotel in Pleasant Valley 1882-1906 Uncle John F, Yancey This colorful character, the sixth of ten children, was born in Barren County, Kentucky in 1826. Described as the weakly child of the family, he outlived them all. He moved with his family to Missouri while he was still a boy. He journeyed to California in 1849, no doubt following the Gold Rush and later spent time on the Santa Fe Trail. Yancey returned east and fought for the cause of the South in the Civil War. After the war he removed to the Bozeman area and Crow country in 1866 and was employed by the government much of the time. Sensing opportunity in the Yellowstone Park, he made arrangement to settle himself along the road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Cooke City. Jack Baronett built a bridge over the Yellowstone River, that was located near Yancey’s site. John Yancey settled into Pleasant Valley in 1882 and built a cabin and mail station to serve the stages and miners enroute to the mines of Cooke City. The area was located near the junction of the Lamar and Yellowstone Rivers, not too far from Baronett's Bridge. The mail route from Gardiner to Cooke City generally took two days in good weather, and mail carriers used Yancey’s as the overnight stop. Yancey had reportedly received verbal permission from Supt. Patrick Conger to establish the mail station to accommodate traffic to Cooke City. Left: Bridge built by Jack Baronett in 1871 over the Yellowstone River, just above its junction with the East Fork of the Yellowstone (Lamar River). [F. Jay Haynes Stereoview] Right: Sketch of John Yancey made by Ernest Thompson Seton in 1897. [From Recreation Magazin e, "ElkLand," Vol. 7, 1897] Yancey received a 10-year lease on 10 acres of land on which to construct his hotel and mail station. He opened the "Pleasant Valley Hotel" in 1884 with a 1-1/2-story log cabin measuring 30' x 50'. It could supposedly accommodate 20 guests in the upstairs bedrooms at a rate of $2/day or $10/week. Yancey erected a 1-1/2-story saloon nearby in 1887 that measured about 20’x20.’ The story goes that his whiskey glasses were undefiled by the touch of water. Yancey knew all the good fishing holes and had plenty of tall tales to amuse people. His establishment attracted fishermen, hunters, and others interested in this quiet part of the park. By 1885, $25,000 had been spent on the construction of a road from the Yellowstone Falls via the east trail over Mount Washburn to Yancey's on the Mammoth Hot Springs road. This road allowed traffic to and from Yancey’s into the heart of Yellowstone, providing addition business traffic. To deal with the increased business, Yancey enlarged his hotel Above Right : Yancey's Hotel & saloon, ca1896. From Burton Holmes Travelogues Below : Yancey's Hotel, undated stereoview, photographer unknown. One Acting Superintendent described Yancey as a “peculiar and interesting old character . . . popular among a large class of people in this section, and also has a few powerful friends in the east . . .” It was also noted that Yancey’s place had “attractions, for a number of people, probably for the very reason of its roughness, and because it is a typical frontier establishment.” Of course that roughness did not appeal to everyone and superintendent Pitcher commented in 1902 that “it is so wretched as to prevent many people from going to his place who [would] do so if he would furnish [them] with a fairly decent fare." Owen Wister That same year, Owen Wister, who later authored The Virginian , was in Yellowstone on a sheep and goat hunting trip. He stopped by Yancey’s and was treated to one of Uncle John’s special elixirs. Wister described the old man as one, “of that frontier type which is no more to be seen; the goat-bearded, shrewd-eyed, lank Uncle Sam type. He and his cabins had been there a long while. The legend ran that he was once a Confederate soldier, and had struck out from the land of the Lost Cause quite unreconstructed, and would never wear blue jeans because blue reminded him of the Union army. He was known as Uncle John by that whole country . . . And then Uncle John led me across the road to—not his wine, but his whisky cellar. Handsome barrels. I came to know it well. He had some sort of fermented stuff made from oranges, which he obtained from California. Mingled properly with whisky, the like of it I have never elsewhere tasted.” Burton Holmes Travelogues World traveler Burton Holmes expressed a similar opinion in his Yellowstone Travelogue during a visit in 1896: “A visit to “Uncle John Yancey’s” ranch is an experience that will be remembered but which will not be repeated. A comic writer might find food for profitable study in the peculiarities of Uncle John, but the ordinary traveler will find neither palatable food nor decent accommodations while at the old man’s “Hotel.” The tenderfoot should not remark the unwashed condition of the two historic glasses into which the proprietor pours the welcoming libation of “Kentucky tea,” for it is Yancey’s boast that his whisky glasses have never been polluted by the contact of so alien a liquid as water. That water is not held in good repute at Yancey’s is evidenced by the location and condition of the “bathing establishment” maintained for the inconvenience of guests who are so perverted as to require more than a pail that serves the needs of the habitués of the primitive caravansary. On the whole it is wiser to leave the park with the impressions of its glories undimmed by memories of Yancey’s Ranch.” Somehow, despite Holmes' unfavorable review, he did devote a fair bit of space to Yancey in the Yellowstone Travelogue, along with a wealth of photos not found elsewhere. Yancey's "dough-wrangler" and all-around helper cooking "Grub," and John Yancey in his corral ca1896. Yancey maintained a small herd of horses, beef and milk cows to help maintain the operation. [ From Burton Holmes Travelogues] I n 1897 Ernest Thompson Seton, sometimes Ernest Seton Thompson, and his wife traveled to Yellowstone and rented and fixed up one of Yancey’s cabins. They spent the next few months studying wildlife nearby Yancey’s Hotel and then ventured through Yellowstone to see and photograph other wildlife. That visit formed the basis on some of his many books. [Recreation Magazine , December 1898] Uncle John traveled to Gardiner in late April to attend the dedication of the new stone arch near the Northern Pacific RR depot. “Teddy” Roosevelt was on hand, along with numerous other dignitaries, and dedicated the arch on April 24. It came to be known as the Roosevelt Arch and still proudly stands today on the edge of Gardiner. John Burroughs, in his Camping and Tramping with Roosevelt , remarked that during Roosevelt’s trip through Yellowstone in 1903 with Burroughs and others, “We spent two nights in our Tower Falls camp, and on the morning of the third day set out on our return to Fort Yellowstone, pausing at Yancey's on our way, and exchanging greetings with the old frontiersman, Yancey took sick after attending the dedication of the new arch in Gardiner in 1903. The Anaconda newspaper reported on May 6 that, “Word was received late Monday night, first by telegraph and later by telephone, that "Uncle John” Yancey, pioneer in the Yellowstone park, having lived there more than 30 years . . . was dying. Both messages were directed to Assistant County Attorney Daniel Yancey, nephew of the pioneer. The telegram stated that '‘Uncle John" was sick, confined to bed, but the word over the 'phone was urgent and to the effect that the old settler was sinking fast.” Yancey passed away the next day, on May 7th at age 77. Above Right: John F. Yancey Photo taken at the C.E. Finn photographic studio in Livingston, Mt. [YNP #939] Left: Photo of Yancey's headstone in Gardiner's Tinker Hill Cemetery. [Photo by the author] Right: Headline from the Butte Miner, May 8, 1903. The Gardiner Wonderland reported on the 14th, that the funeral procession was the largest ever seen and most of the businesses had closed their doors for the funeral and procession. At the funeral service held at Tinker’s Hill cemetery, where the Rev. E. Smith of Livingston, offered a prayer and eulogy. The minister expressed the generally held opinion that, “The esteem in which “Uncle John” Yancey was held in this community [Gardiner] where he was best known, was shown in the very great concern of people who paid a last tribute to his memory. From everywhere around came those who had known him in life, until the procession was much the largest ever seen here. Nearly all business houses closed and as the procession filed by the government and railroad works, all business was suspended.” Described as among the class of men renowned as “pioneers, first settlers, old timers, etc. . . [they lived a] hardy, rugged, rough and ready life . . . [where] the hardships born; the stalwart purposes developed can not be too extravagantly spoken of. All of this has brought peace, comforts, and prosperity to this present generation and insures the same to succeeding generations.” The End is Near for Yancey's Hotel On April 16, 1906 fire destroyed the hotel building. The Butte Daily Post reported soon after that; “A fire originating in a defective flue is reported to have completely destroyed the old Yancey hotel property in the Yellowstone park Monday night. Uncle John Yancey built and opened the hotel over twenty years ago, and it was a very popular resort for park tourists. The loss is about $5,000. Dan Yancey, who succeeded to the ownership and management of the hotel upon the death of Uncle John, says a new hotel will be built on the site of the old [one] this summer, and tents will be used in the interim for the accommodation of travelers.” The following year Dan applied for permission to continue the business at a location closer to where a new road was being constructed. Permission was denied and the original lease was revoked in November of that year. However, a lease was issued to the Wylie Permanent Camps Co. to establish a camp nearby. The camp was located at the junction of the Mammoth-Cooke City-Mt Washburn/Canyon roads. the camp became the Roosevelt Lodge in the 1920s. The saloon and remaining buildings were razed in the 1960's. Camp Roosevelt & Roosevelt Lodge 1917 - Present Wylie Camping Company Roosevelt Tent Camp was established by the Wylie Permanent Camping Co. in 1906. A bathhouse was built at nearby Nymph Spring, which had been used since at least the 1870s as a bathing/soaking spring by early pioneers and explorers. The guest accommodations were wood-floored tents covered with red and white candy-striped canvas and furnished with simple, rustic furniture. The camp could handle up to 125 guests. A communal dining tent served family-style meals. The area appealed to those who desired a more isolated area and catered to fisherman, wildlife enthusiasts, and horseback riders. Above: Roosevelt Lodge in 1923, surrounded by a combination of tent cabins and wooden cabins. [Yellowstone Park Camps Co brochure, 1923, courtesy Univ of Wyoming Library] Right: Wylie Camping Co., Camp Roosevelt, ca1907. [Underwood & Underwood stereoview] Camp Roosevelt Camp Roosevelt was originally named by the Wylie Camping Co. to honor President Theodore Roosevelt, who was rumored to have camped on the site during his camping trip in 1903. The actual camp site was located at the old Tower Soldier Station, about one and a half miles south of the camp and the Roosevelt Lodge. The rustic log lodge show above was built on the site of the former Wylie Camp in 1919-20 by the Yellowstone Parks Camps Co. and was originally known as Camp Roosevelt. Construction began in the fall of 1919 and was completed the following year. The 1-story building rested on a rubble-stone foundation and utilized unpeeled logs for the walls. It measured 90’ by 50’ with an “L” extension of 29’ by 59’. A covered porch extended across the front of the building and wrapped around the southeast side. In 1924, Vernon Goodwin bought the camp from Howard Hays and Roe Emory in 1924, retaining the same company name. Around 1927 Goodwin renamed the company the Yellowstone Park Lodge & Camps Co. The "Camps" at Mammoth Hot Springs, Lake, Canyon, OF and Roosevelt became 'Lodges.' Left: Camp Roosevelt, ca1920, Real-Photo postcard. Right: Camp Roosevelt, 1922. [Haynes PC #22738] The lodge featured two stone fireplaces, a dining room lounge, kitchen and rustic furnishings. Roosevelt Lodge was not a part of the standard tour package and tourists had to pay extra to include that area in their trip. Therefore visitation here was never as great as in other locations, but was a favored location for fishermen and horseback riding. Left: Camp Roosevelt, interior and stone fireplace, 1922. [Haynes PC #22740] During the years 1920-29, 37 cabins and 26 tent cabins were constructed, along with other utility buildings. By 1929, three groups of tourist cabins had been established at Camp Roosevelt. These included: six log cabins and one "rustic-frame” cabin located south southeast of the Lodge; 18 board-and-batten, rustic-frame, tent cabins located southeast of the lodge, and 18 rustic-frame cabins located northeast of the Lodge. In the 1920s, bathroom and shower facilities were added to the Camp Roosevelt complex. Two bathrooms were constructed adjacent to the southeast and northeast cabin groups. These were simple buildings, of frame construction with wood-shingled gable roofs. They also served as a public wash room for transient guests — people who come in only for lunch and did not have a cabin. Left: Log & board rustic cabins at Camp Roosevelt. Facing the lodge, these would have been somewhere to the right side. [Undated Real-Photo postcard] Right: Tent and wooden cabins located to the left of the lodge, 1925. Note the larger bench surrounding the "Roosevelt Tree." [ YNP #36505] Upper Left: The "Roosevelt Lodge" name appears on this Haynes postcard in 1927. [Haynes PC #27468] Lower Left: Roosevelt Lodge ca1930, with the local bear entertaining two young ladies. Note the log bench has again been changed. [ YNP #185328-270] Right: Article from the Anaconda Standard , June 1, 1919, describing the naming of "Camp Roosevelt." This was an official government name now, as opposed to the corporate name from the Wylie days. Click to enlarge. The lodge was closed in 1933-34 due to the Great Depression and the housekeeping cabins at the Tower campground were closed in 1934. A few years later about 70 cabins were moved in to Roosevelt from Mammoth Lodge. By 1939 running water was provided to all of the cabins. World War II again closed the lodge from 1943-46. The southeast section of the lodge building was removed around 1947. All of the tent cabins were removed by 1950 and in 1962 thirteen cabins from Old Faithful Lodge were hauled in. The lodge and about 97 cabins units are still available for guest use and are operated by Xanterra Parks & Lodges. Yellowstone Forest and Trail Camp for Boys and Young Men This camp was established in 1921 at Roosevelt to provide outdoors’ skills to young boys. It opened July 1 for a seven-week term. Alvin G. Whitney of Syracuse University of New York was the Director. The staff was composed of naturalists, foresters, and artists who instructed the students in photographing wild game, studying the fauna and flora, fishing, and mountain climbing. Informative auto tours were conducted to study the many park features and wildlife. The camp was designed for boys 12 to 18 years of age and emphasized character building. Meals were served in the Camp Roosevelt Lodge. There were tent cabins, simple wooden cabins, council house, shower baths, and a swimming pool. The boys were expected to provide for themselves, pocket kodak, flashlight, small sheath-knife, binoculars, knapsack, canteen, hand lens, compass, pocket notebook, fishing tackle, hatchet, and waterproof matches, in addition to a proscribed collection of varied clothing and boots.. A brochure from 1921 made the pitch that, “Every boy should have the opportunity to experience the simple and elemental in wild nature at the most imaginative and plastic age, while life-long interests are being developed. During that golden period of altruism a deepening interest in nature may well serve to mould his character and direct his pleasures permanently in the noblest channels.” Although the project seemed to be a noble venture, it unfortunately was short-lived and after the 1923 season, it closed due to financial losses. Upper Left: Boy's Camp main lodge building. [YNP #31831] Lower Left: Advertisement for the Forest and Trail Camp. Click to enlarge [ Newspaper ad from 1921, author's collection] Upper Right: Boy's Camp lodge building with tent cabins. [YNP #193429-75] Stage Rides & Cookouts The now famous stagecoach rides and steak cookout at Yancey’s Hole n Pleasant Valley began in the summer of 1959. An article from the Spokesman Review of Spokane Wash. proclaimed, “For the first time in many years, old-fashioned stagecoaches and tallyhos (horse-drawn sightseeing carriages) will operate in Yellowstone park from Roosevelt lodge to Pleasant valley. Morning and evening rides to Yancey s Hole will be featured where breakfasts arid barbecue dinners will be served.” A Yellowstone Park Co. brochure from the early 1960s invited guests to, “Clamber aboard a stagecoach for an exciting jaunt into the past . . . The sturdy Concord coaches, luxurious vehicles at their time, [1886-1916] may in the softness of the present seem like Roosevelt rough riders.” At that time, a mere $1.75 allowed one to step back into Yellowstone’s past. By 1966, five bucks would gain one a coach ride with steak, French fries, a vegetable and coffee at the historic Yancey’s Hole. The Boston Globe that year waxed, “Barbecue smoke and the aroma of coffee hang heavy on pine-scented air while the sun falls behind the nearby Rockies. Later the stage rattles home, fording a stream, trailing a cloud of dust that glows red in the dying light of day.” The Concord Tally-Ho ruled the road there for many a year, but in later times rubber-wheeled wagons did most of the hauling of guests. They were safer and easier for less-experienced wranglers to drive. The days when a jehu who knew how to wield the ribbons of four or six horse teams and expertly crack the whip had rapidly faded. Although in recent years a replica Talley Ho was built in the Xanterra garage/shop for use at Roosevelt. One visitor in 1966, who seemed to have enjoyed his journey into the past, related his impressions: At Roosevelt Lodge we climbed aboard a yellow stagecoach for a steak fry in the peaceful surroundings of Pleasant Valley. The 30-minute ride with steak, French fries, vegetable, coffee and dessert comes to $5. Children go for half price. Barbecue smoke and the aroma of coffee hang heavy on pine-scented air while the sun falls behind the nearby Rockies. Later the stage rattles home, fording a stream, trailing a cloud of dust that glows red in the dying light of day. [24Jul1966 Boston Globe ]

Pictorial History of West Yellowstone, the Western Gateway to Yellowstone National Park. Accessed by the Union Pacific RR, with stagcoach service into Yellowstone 1908-1916, and auto access 1917 to date. Gateways to Wonderland West Yellowstone & The Union Pacific RR Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. The Early Days . . . . The West Entrance of Yellowstone was used by many of the earliest tourists to Yellowstone. Gilman Sawtelle, probably the area's earliest settler, homesteaded a ranch in the Henry's Lake area in 1867. The following year he built a road from his ranch to Virginia City. Five years later he was instrumental in constructing the first road from Virginia City into Yellowstone through the West Entrance. The road was known as the Virginia City and National Park Free Wagon Road. In the 1880's travel to the park was also accomplished by the UP's line that extended from Brigham City, UT. to Butte MT. The train stopped at Beaver, near the Idaho and Montana border, and there stagecoaches made the trip through the West Entrance. The route traveled through Centennial Valley, past Henry's Lake, with an overnight stop at Dwelle's Inn. The passengers arrived at the Fountain Hotel the following day in time for lunch The jump-off point was later moved to Monida, where the Monida-Yellowstone Stage Line began service in 1898 and traveled a more direct route to the west entrance of Yellowstone. In 1905, E.H. Harriman, President of Union Pacific RR, made plans to extend their rail line to the west entrance of Yellowstone. The line was completed in Nov. of 1907 and the following June the line was open for regularly scheduled train traffic. Right Top: Dwelle's lodge, later known as the Grayling Inn. In 1884 he established Dwelle’s Stage Stop to service the Bassett Bros. stages that were running to the park from Beaver, Idaho. In 1898, Dwelle’s Inn became an overnight stop for the Monida & Yellowstone Stage Co. that transported tourists to the park from Monida until 1908. [Montana Historical Society] Right Bottom: Gilman Sawtelles cabin in 1872, when he hosted F.V Hayden Expedition Hayden standing to right and Sawtelle sitting on the right. Photo by Wm. H. Jackson. Bottom Left: The Sawtelle Ranch in 1872. Photo by Wm. H. Jackson. The Union Pacific RR Moves in . . . The UPRR incorporated the Yellowstone Park Railroad Company on September 12, 1905 to build a line from St. Anthony, Idaho to the west entrance of Yellowstone. Construction began October 3, 1905 and was completed November 12, 1907. The line was almost immediately closed by winter snows, but was ready to provide service the following June. The town at the Boundary was founded in 1908 with the name of Riverside, even though the town site was two miles from the Madison River. The UP began providing passenger rail service to the town on June 11, 1908. A road was cut through the forest in 1907, to the Madison River two miles distant, where the Wylie Permanent Camping Company and the Monida and Yellowstone Stage Company built barns and other facilities required by their stages engaged in transporting the tourists into the Park from the Union Pacific RR depot. The townsite was located on Forest Service lands and permission was needed for any homesteaders. The original settler was Joe Claus, who built a cabin in what is now the townsite during the winter of 1906-1907, probably in the hope of profiting from construction of the railway. The first residents were issued permits for stores and homes late in the fall of 1907, but did not actually own the land. They were Charles A. Arnet, Sam P. Eagle, and L.A. Murray. A Forest Service survey in June 1908 created a town site consisting of 6 blocks and the town was officially named Riverside on Oct. 23, 1908. Prior to that time the area was referred to as ‘the Boundary’, or ‘at the Boundary'. Yellowstone Hotel Hotel Yellowstone, usually referred to as the Yellowstone Hotel, or Yellowstone Inn in later days, was a 2-story hotel was built around 1907-08 by L.A. Murray. Adjacent buildings were a small pool hall and a corner barber shop run by Osh Hedgecoach in the early years. I believe it came into possession of the Bryant Way, a camping outfit that toured Yellowstone. Around 1913, Shaw & Powell Camping Co. bought the hotel for use by their guests. After reorganization of the camping companies in Yellowstone in 1917, it came into possession of the Yellowstone Park Camping Co. In 1926, the property was sold to Sam Hurless, who constructed a cabin camp on the lot. T op Left: Hotel Yellowstone, photo taken perhaps soon after construction. Top Right: Yellowstone Hotel with the pool room at right and barber shop on far right. Bottom Right: The Inn at the Gate: The Yellowstone Hotel, ca1914 when used by the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. [Photo from University of Wyoming] Eagles Store, ca1910 Samuel Peter Eagle, then in partnership with Alex Stuart, opened a general store in 1908 which operated for two years, after which the Stuart family went into business for themselves. On November 17, 1909 Sam Eagle was appointed Postmaster, taking over from Chas. Arnet. The store was enlarged in 1913. [Photo from Images of America - West Yellowstone , by Paul Shea] The Town's Beginnings . . . The name Riverside had already been applied to an area 4-5 miles east of the park entrance in the 1880’s, where a mail and stagecoach station and a soldier station were located. To avoid confusion, the name was changed to Yellowstone on Jan 31, 1910. Confusion continued for years with the town named the same as the park. The name was changed for the last time in 1920 to West Yellowstone. In 1913 and 1919 lands were removed from the Forest Service jurisdiction for use as the town site and residents were then able to actually own their land. In 1920 additional areas were surveyed and platted, enlarging the town. The original blocks were renumbered and 22 additional blocks created. Charles Arnet, one of the original founders, built the Yellowstone Store, around 1907-08. It was the first store in town and located in the middle of Park Street. It also housed the first post office. He sold out to Alex Stuart in 1910. L.A. “Dick” Murray built the Yellowstone Hotel in 1909, located across the street and west of the Eagle Store. It later became the Yellowstone Inn, and then the hotel for the Shaw & Powell Camping Co. Around the same time, Sam Eagle also operated a general store with Alex Stuart. When Stuart bought the Yellowstone Store, Eagle and his wife continued their operation. In the late 1920's they built a new 'Eagle Store'. The Eagle family continues to operate the store to this day. Early Street Views of "Yellowstone" T op Left: Real-Photo postcard with Hotel Yellowstone behind the horses, probably pulling a Monida & Yellowstone Stage Co., undated. Top Right: Park St. in 1912. Alex Stuart's General Merchandise Store. Bottom Right: Street view ca1917 showing buses of the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. Behind are the madison Hotel (left) and Madison Cafe to its right. The building on the right advertises Park Tour and Permanent Camps, no doubt an old Shaw & Powell Camping Co. building. [Yellowstone Historic Center, #2016.4] Union Pacific Depot The depot was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood and opened in 1909 by the UPRR, replacing temporary facilities. The Union Pacific RR described it as, “built of stone, very substantial, spacious, and artistic. It is electric heated by steam, and provides large waiting rooms, an individual dressing room for ladies, two large fireplaces, drinking fountains, etc. In it are the usual ticket and Pullman offices and the office of the Monida and Yellowstone Stage Co. Upon the railroad's arrival to West, the Monida-Yellowstone Stage Line moved their operations from Monida to an area a few miles inside the park's boundary called Riverside. They picked up passengers from the depot and took them on the tour around the park. In 1972, major changes were made throughout the depot to convert its use to a privately-operated museum. The building currently houses the Yellowstone Historic Center Museum Union Pacific Dining Lodge The Dining Lodge was built in 1925 by the UPRR with Gilbert Stanley Underwood as architect. The dining hall incorporated a large central eating space (the Mammoth Room) with a massive, arrowhead-shaped fireplace, a kitchen large enough to prepare over 1,000 meals per day; a large service wing containing the employee dining hall, a bakery, butcher shop, scullery, linen room, coal room, manager’s office, and walk-in refrigerators and freezers. Visitors would arrive in the morning and have breakfast prior to their journey into the park. Diners were served in the Mammoth Room, a dining room with 45' ceilings, large windows, and a fireplace large enough for a man to stand in. Several hundred people could be seated at once. Visitors returning from the park would have supper before boarding the train for their trip home. T op Left: The Beanery, built in 1911 to replace the original crude facility. [Photo from Images of America - West Yellowstone , by Paul Shea] Top Right: Mammoth Room in the new UP Dining Lodge, constructed in 1925, replacing the Beanery. [Real-Photo postcard, author collection] Middle Right: The Depot with the Yellowstone Special in front. [Postcard Bloom Bros. #4270, Author collection] Bottom Right: Early view of the Union Pacific Depot. [Real-Photo postcard] Bottom Left: Trackside view of the Union Pacific Dining Lodge (left), Baggage Bldg., and the Depot, late 1920s, Tammen Postcard #4520 Early Businesses Stuart's Garage Alex Stuart, one of towns founding pioneers, started out in business with Sam Eagle. Stuart bought Arnet's Yellowstone Store in 1910 and started a general merchandise store. They incorporated as the Stewart Mercantile Co. in 1915. According to the Butte Miner, Oct. 24, 1915, “The Stuart Mercantile company, organized to conduct a general retail merchandise business at Yellowstone, in extreme southern Gallatin county on the Park boundary, has been Incorporated by papers filed with the county clerk and recorder last Thursday. The capital stock is $25,000. The directors are Matthew A. Stewart and Emma Stewart of St. Paul. Minn., and Alex Stuart and Laura Stuart of Yellowstone. [See stereoview of the store on the "Street Views of Yellowstone above) Right: Stereoview of Stuart's General Merchandise Store, 1912. With the advent of the 'horseless carriage' in Yellowstone, he entered into an agreement with the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. to service their new White Motor Co. buses beginning in 1917. He built Stuart's Garage, selling gas, tires, oil, and other automotive supplies. He obtained the service contract in 1917 for the White Motor Co. touring buses of the Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. YPTCo took over operations from the Yellowstone-Western stagecoach company when motor cars began ruling the roads in Yellowstone in 1917. Alex’s son Walt, reportedly the first baby born in West Yellowstone (1909), began working at the station in 1919, purchased it in 1936 and eventually sold it in 1977. Alex Stuart died in 1961. Top Right: Colorized postcard of Alex Stuart's Service, undated. Top Left: Walt Stuarts Texaco after rebuilding/remodeling, ca1940s. Real-Photo postcard. Madison Hotel Built by Jess Pieman in 1912, the Madison Hotel is the only remaining early hotel in West Yellowstone. This rustic log hotel was soon after purchased by Charles M. "Roxy" and Dolly (Bishop) Bartlett. It was conveniently located across from the UPRR depot. There were originally 6 rooms upstairs with a downstairs lobby. Fourteen more rooms and a card room were added in 1921 and running water a few years later. Eventually the Hadleys bought the operation in 1959, adding a large gift shop. The business is still open during the summer season. Top Right: Ad for the Hotel Madison in 1915. [Road Logs Salt Lake City to Yellowstone Park, 1915] Bottom Right: Lobby of the Madison Hotel, undated. [Real-Photo postcard, author collection] Bottom Left: Madison Hotel, located across from the UP Depot, ca1920. [Real-Photo postcard, author collection] Kennedy Bldg - Menzel’s Curio The Kennedy Building was built in 1911 on a lot owned by Madison Basin Forest Ranger Louis J. Kennedy. It originally served as a dance hall in the town that would become West Yellowstone. Equipped with a piano, the building hosted Saturday night dances for the entertainment of tourists, railroad employees, and locals. It then housed a summer restaurant from 1913 to 1916, and in 1919, local students used its lofty space as a basketball court. Sam Eagle, one of the town’s founders, acquired the building in 1933 and opened a curio shop managed by his daughter, Rose. In 1941, Rose married Herm Menzel who promptly went off to war. Upon Herm’s return in 1946, the store became Menzel’s Curio Shop. The building still stands on Yellowstone Avenue today. Top Left : Kennedy Building, that later housed Menzel's Curio Shop in 1933. Rose Eagle managed the business until 1946, when she married Herm Menzel. [Real-Photo postcard, probaby ca1933.] Top Right : Later view of Eagle's Curio Store, ca1940s Bottom Right : 1981 view of Menzel's Curio Store. It is still in business to this day. It is one of the few original businesses in town remaining from the 1910s era. [NPS Photo #284] Eagle Store Samuel Peter Eagle, then in partnership with Alex Stuart, opened a general store in 1908 which they operated for two years, after which the Stuart family went into business for themselves. On November 17, 1909 Sam Eagle was appointed Postmaster, taking over from Chas. Arnet. Eagle took over the actual operation of the post office in January of 1910, which was the beginning of his 25 years of tenure. The West Yellowstone Post Office was housed in the store from 1910 until 1935. Also, a soda fountain was added to Eagle’s Store in 1910. The store was rebuilt/enlarged in 1913. The present 3-story building was built in the years between 1927 and 1930. Sam purchased Joe Claus’ cabins in the early 1920s and used them as employee housing. Small shops to the side of the store were replaced by a store addition in 1966. The Eagle Family has continued to operate at 3 Canyon Street in its original location to this day. Top Left: 1913 view of the early Eagle Store. [Photo from Images of America - West Yellowstone , by Paul Shea] Top Right: View of the Eagle Store after it was rebuilt in 1927-30. [Schlechten Photo] Tepee Inn The Tepee Inn (also Tee Pee Inn) was built by Paul & Dorothy Strieder in 1919. It was a large two-story log structure that housed a bar, dance floor, cafe, and rooms. Paul died in the early 1920s and later Dorothy married Val Buchanan, and continued to operate the hotel. J.H. Venable sold the Tepee to A.K. Clawson in 1952. A fire caused by a burning grease trap burned the Tepee in 1965, but the exterior rock wall and interior back-bar survived the fire. The building was rebuilt as a single story structure, and Clawson added the Tepee Motel to the building. Right: Lobby of the TePee Inn, 1934. [Schlechten Photo] Bottom Left: The Tepee Inn, ca1920. Real-Photo postcard. Bottom Right: The Tepee Inn, alte 1920s after the Inn was greatly enlarged. Real-Photo postcard. Doc’s Bar - Doc’s Club Horace G. “Doc” Bartlett was the brother of Roxy Bartlett, who opened the Madison Hotel. Doc opened a grocery store called the Log Store around 1920. A few years later he opened Doc’s Bar, later called Doc’s Club. Gambling was not unknown in the bar and occasionally newspapers, somewhat unfavorably, reported on the matter. In the late 1930s, Doc was involved in the startup of the Chalet Theater. In later days the club featured the Starlite Lounge, for drinks, dinner and dancing. It was listed for sale in newspapers in 1956 and 1968. Above: Newspaper ad for Doc's Club, from the Idaho State Journal in 1959 Left: View of Yellowstone St., late-1930s. Doc's is in between the two cafes on the left. [Photo from, Images of America - West Yellowstone , by Paul Shea Smith & Chandlers Transcription of sign from the West Yellowstone Historic Walking Tour "In 1927, two pioneering entrepreneurs from Las Vegas, Nevada, Carl Smith & Ken Chandler, built a large general mercantile across the street from the Union Pacific Depot. Train passengers walked across the dirt street for their group photos. Tour bus riders bought western hats and dusters. Auto travelers picked up postcards and curios. “Smith & Chandler Indian Traders” brought Navajo, Zuni and Hopi jewelry makers and rug, blanket and basket weavers to the store for decades. Alice Chandler was quite a memorable sight, too. She dyed her hair a bright red and was dressed in the finest western dresses and boots. She graced the store with her style and presence for 50 years. By 1972, the Smiths and Chandlers had retired and sold the store to the Hamilton/ Povah family. In March of 1973, suspected static electricity and leaking propane gas sparked a tremendous fire. Without the help from modern fire hydrants to extinguish the flames, the store and adjoining coffee shop burned to the ground. The family quickly built this new store and kept the same name" Bottom Right: Postcard view of the Smith & Chandler store in West Yellowstone, ca1940s. They also produced many postcards, many of which were Real-Photo postcards of the "Yellow Buses" filled with tourists heading into Yellowstone. Top Right: Early view of Smith & Chandler [Schlechten photo, Museum of the Rockies, #x80-6-3098] The Town Grows Up . . . This area collects tremendous amounts of snow in the winter and spring and the business season here is typically very short. The railroad shut down service during the winters. Many residents left the area for the winter, and the few that stayed were generally snowed-in for the duration. It was not until 1936 that the road to Bozeman was kept open through the winter. The area’s first airport opened in 1935 on forest lands south of town, cleared by Yellowstone pioneer George Whittaker. Private-owned snowplanes entered the park through the West Entrance in 1948-49. Private snowmobiles were 1st allowed into Yellowstone in the 1963-64 seasons and the area has since developed into a very popular winter resort area for snowmobiling, snowcoach tours into Yellowstone and cross-country skiing. Snowmobile rental businesses have begun using snowmobiles with 4-stroke engines that pollute less and are quieter. Although the Park banned individual snowmobile travel in Yellowstone, there are vast areas that be explored outside of the Park. Regularly scheduled railroad passenger service ended in 1960, but a new airport was built in 1963-64, allowing for larger aircraft to bring visitors into the area. The town was incorporated in in 1966 and three years later the UPRR donated the Depot, Dining Lodge, and other service buildings to the town. Postcard Views of Motels of 1930s -1950s T op Left: The Hayward cabins and gas station, built by former Yellowstone storekeeper George Whittaker in the 1930s-40s. Top Right: The Stagecoach Inn, built in 1948. A Sanborn Real-Photo postcard. Middle Left: The Sleepy Hollow Motel. Bottom Left: Circle R Motel, ca1940s. Bottom Right: THerk's Modern Cabins, ca1940s. Street Views T op Left: View from near Park entrance looking east. From the right: Collette's Coffee Shop, Old Faithful Tavern, barber shop, drug store, cafe, Smith & Chandler's, and Madison Hotel & Gift Shop to the left. Ca1940s. YNP #185327-497. Bottom Left: Looking north, Purdy's Frontier Club and Knotty Pine Coffee Shop Click to enlarge photos Top Right: Yellowstone St., looking west from the corner with Stuart's Texaco gas station on right. A cafe is to the right of the Texaco, then the Frontier Club. A Sanborn postcard. Bottom Right: Looking north from near Yellowstone St. A Pegasus/Mobil Oil gas station on right, Peterson's on left, with the Log Store and a Tavern next to it. A Linen-Style postcard, ca1940s. Click to enlarge photos Off to Wonderland . . . Be sure to visit the highly-rated Yellowstone Historic Center Museum, now the Museum of the Yellowstone, on your next visit to West Yellowstone

This page describes the specifications of the White Motor Company buses used in Yellowstone, beginning in 1917. Eight of the buses still ply the roads to this day, although modified to conform to modern saftey regulations. Auto Stages in Yellowstone Yellow Busses White Motor Company Models & Specs. Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. TEB - 11 Passenger 1917-23 3/4T, 140” wheelbase truck with 45hp GEC engines, 4-spd transmissions, and open-side bodies. Front tires were 34” x 5” pneumatic with 36” x 6” on the rear. There were four pairs of doors opening onto seats for three passengers, allowing for 11 passengers and the driver. Although in practice, only one passenger sat in front with the driver. The left-hand doors were sealed to prevent opening onto traffic. The transition between the hood and dash was squared off, while the windshield was a solid 2-piece unit (upper & lower). Kerosene running lights were located below the windshield and under the frame supporting the rear boot. They were powered by acetylene bottles on the driver’s side running boards. A canvas boot covered the rear wooden platform that was supported by a steel frame. A canvas top was supported by detachable bows at each bench and celluloid side curtains could be put up in inclement weather. Plate numbers 1-135. 108 vehicles purchased from 1917-1923. (Image YNP Archives #115013) 15/45 - 11 Passenger 1920-25 Similar body to the TEBS, except the transition between the hood and windshield was rounded and the windshield was split into four pieces - upper/lower and left/right. The wheelbase was slightly longer (143-1/2”) with an updated chassis and improved 4-cylinder GN motors. The later 1923 models had 50hp GR motors, as did later deliveries. Front tires were 34” x 5” and rear 36” x 6”. Other amenities were mostly identical to the TEBs. The 1922 models had Scott bodies, while the 1923 and later models had Bender bodies, without LH doors. The rear contained an enclosed trunk instead of a boot. Four oval-shaped windows graced the tonneau cover on the sides at the rear. A canvas top was supported by detachable bows at each bench. Celluloid side curtains could be put up in inclement weather. Acetylene bottles were carried on the driver’s side running boards to power the headlights. Plate numbers 137-349. 214 vehicles purchased from 1920-1925 . Model 50 - 25 Passenger 1923 There were six side doors opening onto seven wide benches to seat 25 passengers plus the driver. The Bender body had a 198” wheelbase with a 4-cylinder GN motor. The roof was solid and luggage could be stored on the roof rack, accessed by a folding ladder from the rear of the bus. Side window curtains could be rolled down in inclement weather. It was the first model to feature electric lights. They had Budd steel disc wheels and electric lights. It utilized 36” x 6” tires all around, with duals on the rear. As the heavy buses were slow at climbing hills, they were mostly used on the West Yellowstone to Old Faithful run. Plate numbers 930-931. (Originally numbered in the 330s) 2 vehicles were purchased in 1923. [Photo: YNP Archives] Model 614 - 14 Passenger 1931 There were four doors to seat 14 passengers. The roof was open with a roll-back canvas, with roll-up glass door windows. The luggage area was enclosed in the rear with two side-opening doors. There was a single, slanted windshield. It was powered by 75hp overhead valve 6-cylinder White 3A engines, with four-wheel Lockheed hydraulic brakes, 4-speed manual transmission and glassed-in Bender bodies. The bus was wider and more comfortable than the other buses used and were primarily run on the longer Cody to Lake Hotel route. The ccanvas top could be rolled back in nice weather to allow passengers to stand up for better view or photographs. Plate numbers 351-358. 8 vehicles delivered in May 1931. [Photo: YNP 114504] Model 706 - 14 Passenger 1936 There were 27 of these 14-passenger buses introduced in 1936. They had two squared-glass windshields, roll-down glass windows and lantern-style rear running lights. The bodies were produced by Bender bodies with an open roof and roll-back canvas tops that tied down along the edges. Each seat had grab handles for passengers to hold on to while standing to view the park through the open roof. The 1937-38 models had improved 16Ah motors. They sat on a 190” wheelbase chassis and were powered by a White 318 cu.in. six-cylinder 16A engine. Renowned industrial designer, Count Alexis de Sakhnoffsky was responsible for the radiator cowling and grill design. Plate numbers 361-460. 98 vehicles purchased from 1936-1939. 7-Passenger Touring Cars These cars had a 137-1/2” wheelbase with 37” x 5” tires all around. They had a model GM 4-cylinder, 16- valve motor. They featured four doors, front bucket seats, a rear bench seat, and two rear jump seats, as well as a canvas convertible top and a storage compartment under the rear seat for side curtains. VIPs as well as more affluent visitors to Yellowstone toured the park in vehicles of this type, which were later supplemented by Lincoln touring cars. [NOTE: Information & details on these vehicles is inconsistent & incomplete] Plate numbers 700-717; 720-767. 65 ?? vehicles purchased from 1917-1925. [Photo Yellowstone NPS Collection] 8-Passenger Touring Cars No Photo Plate numbers 718-719 2 vehicles purchased in 1920. Touring Cars in Yellowstone 1917-1939 Lincoln - Ford - Buick Lincoln Touring Cars - 29 Known Vehicles 1925-1927 - Lincoln 7-Passenger Sport Touring [23] Nos. 801-822; 824 33” x 5” Tires; 136” W.B.; Style 124 body w/rear luggage carrier 1926 - Lincoln Sport Phaeton [1] No. 822 33” x 5” Tires; 8-cyl Motor; 136” W.B.; Style 123B body w/ rear luggage carrier 1926 - Lincoln 7-Passenger Berline [2] Nos. 825-826 33” x 6.75” Tires; 8-cyl Motor; 136” W.B.; Style 147B body w/ rear luggage carrier 1928 - Lincoln 7-Passenger Sport Touring Car [1] No. 828 33” x 5” Tires; 8-cyl Motor; 136” W.B.; Style 124 body w/ rear luggage carrier; 4-wheel brakes. 1922 - Lincoln 7-Pasenger Sport Touring Car [1] No. 827 33” x 5” Tires; 8-cyl Motor; 136” W.B.; Leland Body 1931 - Lincoln Limousine [1] No.829 Ford Touring Cars - 17 Known Vehicles 1925 - Ford Model ‘T’ Touring Car [3] Nos. F50 - F52 30” x 3.5” Tires, Electric starter; Electric lighting 1925-1927 - Ford Model ‘T’ Slip-On Roadster [8] Nos. F1 - F8 30” x 3.5” Tires, 100” W.B.; Electric starter; Electric lighting 1927 - Ford Model ‘T’ Roadster [2] Nos. F9 - F10 30” x 3.5” Tires, 100” W.B.; Electric starter; Electric lighting 1928-1929 - Ford Model ‘A’ Roadster [3] Nos. F12 - F14 30” x 4.5” Tires, 103.5” W.B.; Electric starter; Electric lighting 1931 Ford 14-Passenger Car [1] No. 359 Buick Touring Cars - 7 Known 1935-1938 - Buick 7-Passenger Touring Cars [7] Nos. 831-835; B1, B3 Left: Lincoln Touring Car, probably used by Wm. "Billy" Nichols. [YNP #185328-94] Right : Western States Buick Distributors at Yellowstone, showing off their various models, 1922. [YNP #19388] For additional information, visit the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust Above Right : A Yellowstone Park Transportation Co. Lincoln Passenger Touring Car, faithfully restored by the Buses of Yellowstone Preservation Trust.

Lising of the variety The Writings Of Robert Goss Copyright 2020 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. Articles by Robert V. Goss First Bridge Over the Yellowstone River - The Saga of Jack Baronett" Annals of Wyoming , Spring/Summer 2023 "Poker Nell - The Queen of Diamonds" Montana Pioneer , Aug & Sep 2021 "Coated Specimens and Colored Sands" Yellowstone History Journal , 2020, Vol. 3, No. 1 "The Great Yellowstone Park Holdup and the Lone Star Involuntary Benevolent Society" Annals of Wyoming , Winter Spring 2020, Vol. 92, No. 1 "Yellowstone Pete - Seeing America by Donkey Train" Montana Pioneer , June 2020 “Coated Specimens & Colored Sands - Yellowstone’s Early Curio Trade Yellowstone History Journal , Vol. 3, No. 1, 2020 "The 1889 Gardiner Inferno" Montana Pioneer , May 2020 “Thar She Blows! When Whales Rode the Rails in Montana" Montana Pioneer , July 2019 "Cinnabar’s 'Specimen' Schmidt - Specimens from Out of the Park” Montana Pioneer, Oct. 2018 "Cody-Sylvan Pass Motor Company: First Commercial Motorized Passenger Service in Yellowstone" Annals of Wyoming , Winter 2018. Vol.90, No.1 "Geyser Bob: Yellowstone's Legendary Stage Driver" Annals of Wyoming , Vol. 88, No.3, Summer 2016 “Robbery and Wrangling in Yellowstone" (George "Morphine Charley" Reeb) Montana Pioneer , January 2011, Livingston Montana “Holm on the Range: Camping the Yellowstone with Aron ‘Tex Holm’” Annals of Wyoming , Winter 2010, Vol. 82, No. 1. “Taking the Cure – at LaDuke Hot Springs” Montana Ghost Town Society , Fall 2010, Vol. 40. “Meet Me in St. Louis” (Gus Holms) Points West , Summer 2010, Cody Wyoming “Prospecting for Z.R. ‘Red’ Sowash – Park County Miner & Saloon-Keeper" News From the Red Caboose , Spring 2010, Livingston, MT. “And Finding. . . A Hairless Cub, Called the Gulch, Bear. Being an Early History of Bear Gulch and the Sheepeater Mining District" Montana Ghost Town Quarterly , Spring 2010, Vol. 40. “The Man Who Wandered Away - A Yellowstone Mystery” Annals of Wyoming , Autumn 2008, Vol. 80, No. 4. (No longer available online) “A Tale of Two Sisters: Pryor & Trischman in Yellowstone in the Best and Worst of Times” Annals of Wyoming , Spring 2002, Vol. 74, No. 2. “Yellowstone’s First General Store – A Legacy of Jennie Henderson and Her Family” Yellowstone Science , Vol. 13, No. 2, Spring 2005. Yellowstone Center for Resources, YNP, WY “Buses in Yellowstone National Park” Motor Coach Today , Vol. 7, No. 2, April-June 2000. By Bruce Austin, Robert Goss, and Gerald Pesman (Note: This not a link) “Glacier Park” (A History of the White Buses in Glacier) Motor Coach Age , Vol. 53, No. 2, April-June 2002. By Bruce Austin, Raymond Djuff and Robert Goss “Yosemite” (A History of the White Buses in Yosemite Park) Motor Coach Age , Vol. 60, No. 1, Jan-Mar 2009. By Bruce Austin, Tom Shafer and Robert Goss Books by Robert V. Goss : Yellowstone Jack: The Life and Times of Legendary Pioneer Jack Baronett Riverbend Publishing, Copy 2025 (Available from on-line bookstores) “Images oF America: Livingston, Montana” Elizabeth A. Watry and Robert V. Goss Arcadia Publishing, Copy 2009 (Avail. from the Publisher & on-line bookstores) “From Sail to Trail - Chronicling Yellowstone’s E.S. Topping” Self-Published, Copy 2008 (Out of Print) “Pack Trains and Pay Dirt in Yellowstone - On the Trail with George Huston” Self-Published, Copy 2007 (Copies still available from the author - $10 incl S&H by USPS) Coating Curiosities in Yellowstone - Ole Anderson and the Specimen House” Self-Published, Copy 2004 (Copies still available from the author - $10 incl S&H by USPS) “Yellowstone’s George Whittaker - Soldier, Scout and Storekeeper” Self-Published, Copy 2003 (Copies still available from the author - $10 incl S&H by USPS) “Serving the ‘Faithful’ in Yellowstone - Henry Klamer and the General Store in the Upper Geyser Basin" Self-Published, Copy 2003 “Yellowstone – The Chronology of Wonderland” Self-Published, New, Revised 5th Edition, 2015, 180pps (Currently Out of Print) “Making Concessions in Yellowstone” Self-Published, 3rd Edition, Copy 2003 (Out of Print)

The story of the beginnings of tourist accomodations in Zion National Park, run by the Wylie Camping Company, formerly of Yellowstone Park. Wylie Way Camps Zion NP & North Rim, Grand Canyon Copyright 2021 by Robert V. Goss. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or utilized in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by an information storage and retrieval system without permission in writing from th e author. The Wylie Camping Co. in Zion and Grand Canyon National Parks 1917 - 1928 Introduction Zion National Park is the third most visited national park in the US with almost 4.5 million visits in 2019. The canyon can be reached via an easy half-hour drive from I-15. A hundred years ago the area was remotely located and required a slow and difficult route to traverse. Even in 1919 when autos made the journey, a 7-8 hour trip was required for the 100-mile route from the rail depot at Lund , northwest of Cedar City, Utah to Zion Canyon . In the beginning . . . Zion Canyon proper was set aside as a national monument on July 31, 1909 by President Taft and called Mukuntuweap . Explorer John Wesley Powell named the canyon in 1872 using a Paiute word variously defined as "straight arrow," "straight canyon," "straight river," or "land of the springs." Local Mormon pioneers generally referred to it as Little Zion, or Zion Canyon. On March 18, 1918, President Wilson enlarged the monument and changed the name to Zion National Monument. A little over 1-1/2 years later the monument was again enlarged and it attained status of a national park. Painting of the entrance to Zion Canyon by Frederick S. Dellenbaugh in 1903. Interest in the area as a tourist destination had been percolating for a number of years. Late in the fall of 1913 a party of visitors to Zion included Utah Governor Wm. Spry, A.W. Miles, president of the Wylie Permanent Camping Co . in Yellowstone, Howard Hays and Ed Moorman of the Wylie company, Douglas White, of the Salt Lake & Los Angeles rail line (LA&SL), and other Utah promoters who investigated the area for potential tourist development. In August of 1916 another visit was arranged which consisted of the Utah Governor, officials of the Salt Lake rail line and the Oregon Short Line (both companies later came under the corporate umbrella of the Union Pacific RR ), Howard Hays , representatives of the White Motor Co. (who were negotiating to provide buses for Yellowstone National Park), along with other promoters to investigate both Zion and the North Rim of Grand Canyon. Crawford Ranch, Mormon homestead ca1860s. The nearby village of Springdale was established Mormons in 1862. The Wylie Way Camp The end result of these trips was an offer by railroad officials to bankroll William W. Wylie in establishing tent camps in Zion and Grand Canyon for the 1917 season at a tune of $13,000. The National Park Transportation and Camping Company was formed with W.W. Wylie as president, son Clinton as secretary, and Gronway and Chauncey Parry as vice-president and treasurer respectively. The Parry brothers provided transportation services and the Wylie family set up the camp operation. W.W. Wylie had founded the Wylie camps in Yellowstone in 1883, but had sold out in 1905 after creating a viable and camping business enjoyed by thousands of visitors. Wylie would assign the task of setting up a camp at Bright Angel Point on the North Rim of Grand Canyon to his daughter Elizabeth and her husband Thomas H. McKee. Left: Gronway Parry driving tourists through Zion in a wagon, ca1917. [Courtesy Cedar CIty Homestead Museum] Right: A dapper-looking William W. Wylie in front of the Office Tent, ca1920. Visitation was limited that first year but gradually increased as the roads were improved and word of the wondrous sights to be appreciated spread across the land. In 1918 the Parry brothers were off to war and upon their return in 1920 discovered that they had been somewhat unceremoniously ousted from the company by Wylie. Chauncey successfully filed suit to regain their status and ultimately created an independent transportation company, the Utah-Arizona Parks Transportation Co., that served not only Zion and Grand Canyon parks, but also Bryce, Cedar Breaks and Pipe Springs national monuments. Left: The two National Highway Cars purchased by the National Park Transportation and Camping Co. in 1917. The Parrys ran the cars while Wylie ran the camp. [Salt Lake Tribune, 10Jun1917] Right: One of buses traveling the unique early road to Zion Park. [Southern Utah Univ., #18B01I0988] The Wylie camp during these years consisted of a simple tent camp which lay against the cliffs in a shady grove of trees just south of today's Zion Lodge, On the East Wall behind the Wylie Camp is the large alcove listed on current maps as “Wylie Retreat.” The camp featured a central assembly hall, dining room, and 10 wood-floored tent-cabins with partial board walls. Each tent-cabin had two double beds separated by a canvas wall down the center, and a separate dressing area. The tents were kept clean, were watertight, had screen doors and were lighted with gas lanterns. Meals were served in the dining room tent on oilcloth-covered tables with linen napkins. Mrs. Wylie and two girls waited on the tables, serving traditional old-fashioned meals. Entertainment included an evening campfire, horse rentals and daily excursions up the canyon. Margaret McCartney, who worked for Wylie in Yellowstone, joined the staff at Zion as the Camp Matron and Hostess. In 1917 patrons could plunk down $26.50 for the 8-hour auto ride to and from Lund via the Parry brothers auto stages. The plan included two meals along the route at Cedar City, with two nights lodging and five meals. Visitors arriving on their own terms or those who continued on beyond the two-night plan paid $3.50/day or $21.00/week. Horses were available for $3.00/day, guides for $4.00/day, and auto tours ran 75 cents/hour. Left: View of the Wylie Camp showing the distinctive Wylie Retreat Alcove in the East Wall. [1919 US Railroad Administration brochure ] Right: Close-up view of Wylie tent cabins [Courtesy Southern Utah Univ. #27649252] Below: Advertisement for the Wylie Way Camp in Utah's Wonderland. The camp first opened around June 20th. [Washington County News , Ut., 28Jun1917] Left: Professor Wylie greeting guests to his camp in Zion Canyon. [South Utah Univ. Special Collections] Right: Postcard view of the Wylie tent cabins in Zion. [Real-Photo PC by Putnam Studlok of Los Angeles] The "Polly-Ann" travel articles were written by Marion A. Byrne, who wrote about other historic and scenic areas in the Southwest. She was accompanied Douglas White, agent for the Salt Lake RR (later Union Pacific), a photographer and moving picture operator. The Zion article was part of a 4-part series, also published in the Arrowhead Magazine in 1917. It was written as if a letter to an old travel friend. Polly-Ann Motors by the Wylie Way Over one more little meadow and we roll up in front of the Wylie Camp. Our arrival is the real day’s event, and everybody is out to meet us. Oh, how I wish you could have been there. It would have done you good to have seen the great big hearted Miss McCartney with her bright smile that tells of constant effort to make her guests comfortable and happy. I well remember how you told of her many thoughtful attentions when you visited the Yellowstone by the “Wylie Way." You always said she was an ideal hostess, and really I believe she has improved by being transplanted to Zion Canyon. Then there was Mr. Wylie himself, chock full of the kindly welcome, with the two Wylie boys and dear Mrs. McKee, all out on the Plaza of the camp waiting to do something to start our visit right. The camp is just a beauty spot snuggled into a little hollow among the rocky cliffs with the crystal creek running in front, and the sweetest crystal spring water trickling down from the rocks at the back. There are the same cunning little tent houses that you remember in the other Wylie camps, a great big social hall and a cheerful dining room, all set under the shade of the great big trees. In the center is the regulation camp fire space, where, after nightfall, the bright red blaze lights up the tent circle and sends fantastic shadows playing hide and seek upon the rocky walls. [Iron County Record , Cedar City, Aug.17, 1917] The Utah Parks Company Takes Over The Zion camp was never a financial success and was consistently losing money. In 1921 Wylie, now 73 years old, asked the railroad to foreclose on his chattel mortgage and take over the camp. The LA&SL agreed and paid Wylie and his wife $2,000 annually to operate the camps for the 1921-22 seasons. Wylie sold out completely after that and retired. He transferred ownership of the operation at North Rim, Grand Canyon to daughter Elizabeth. In 1921 the railroad became part of the Union Pacific System and in 1923 formed the Utah Parks Company as a subsidiary to operate the Zion camp with plans to build lodges in Zion, the North Rim, Bryce Canyon and Cedar Breaks. The UPCo operated the Zion camp during the 1923-24 seasons while building a new lodge just north of the camp. They negotiated continued services with the Parry brothers who operated under the name of Utah-Grand Canyon Transportation Company. But in the spring of 1925, the UPCo received permission from the Utah Public Utilities Commission to operate forty 10-passenger touring cars in Zion. They were garaged in Cedar City near the new rail spur that had been built from Lund. The Parrys however continued operations at the other parks. Right Top: Two Wylie Camp buses, operated by the Parry Brothers on Main St. in Cedar City, ca1918 [Courtesy Frontier Homestead State Park Museum , Cedar CIty] Right Bottom: Utah Park Co. buses at the Cedar City Union Pacific Depot, ca1930. The new Zion lodge was designed by Gilbert Stanley Underwood , who had also designed the Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone and the new lodges being constructed in Cedar Breaks and Bryce Canyon. The 2-story lodge opened on May 15, 1925 and included 46 guest cabins (15 more were built the following spring). Huge opening day ceremonies were held on May 18 and were attended by the Utah governor and a variety of local, state, federal and corporate officials. The day celebrated not only the new lodge, but also the improvements made in the road system and the railroad spur to Cedar City, which brought rail visitors closer to the park. 16,817 tourists visited the park that year – twice the previous year Top: New Zion Lodge with Angel's Landing in background, ca1928. [Keystone View Co. Stereoview #29031] Right: Zion Lodge Lobby, 1927. [Keystone Mast Collection, Stereoview Segment] Left: Map of Zion Canyon and surrounds, from a 1919 Railroad Administration booklet. Right: Map of Zion and the surrounding national parks and monuments and the routes used by the Parry Bros. bus operation. From a 1924 Utah Parks Transportation Co. brochure. (Click on images to expand) Wylie Camp at North Rim of Grand Canyon Facilities similar to the Wylie Camp in Zion were arranged at the North Rim of Grand Canyon, which attained national park status in 1919. Access to the area was primitive at best, as only two automobile parties are known to have reached the general area of Bright Angel Point prior to the establishment of the camp. Gordon Wooley is believed the first in 1909, which required passengers to build much of the road along the way; and a trip made by Joseph and Anna Brown about 1916. The camp was organized by W.W. Wylie’s daughter Elizabeth and her husband Thomas McKee. Son Robert was in charge of hauling water up a steep trail from a spring some 200’ below the rim. An elderly burro named Brighty did most of that work. Once, some of waitresses and maids mischievously put up a sign on a tree: "Wylie Water Works. Power Plant, Brighty; General Manager, Bob." A girl one day asked: "Bob, which is the boss of this shebang, you or Brighty?" Reply: "Neither. We are pardners." Occasionally Bob and his “Pardner” would give burro rides to some of the younger children of the camp guests, which of course, thrilled them to no end. Right Top: Overview of the Wylie Camp on the North Rim, Grand Canyon, taken from a nearby forest ranger fire tower. [Photo courtesy Southern Utah Univ. Special Collections] Right Bottom: Family and employee photo. Thomas Mckee at left, Elizabeth & Robert McKee at right. Camp employees surround the famed burro Brighty. [Courtesy Eliz. McKee Scrapbook] The camp became a part of the “Circle Tour” driven by the Parry brothers buses. The route began at the Union Pacific depot in Lund, Utah and traversed to Zion Canyon. Then travelers were escorted to Cedar Breaks , Bryce Canyon , Pipe Springs on the Arizona Strip, and on to the North Rim . Visitors returned to Lund, later Cedar City to catch the UP Train. Although the camp operation was limited in the first years, by 1920 the Wylie camp consisted of a central dining tent and sleeping tents to accommodate 25 guests. Rates were $6/day and included meals. 1 and 2-day horseback trips were available at $3/day plus $2.50/day for bedding and provisions. Left: Newspaper ad touting Utah and North Rim as tourist destinations. [Salt Lake Tribune, 17June1917] Right: View of the Wylie tent cabins in the meadow amidst the forest. [Courtesy Margaret Krueger & Eliz. McKee Scrapbook] W.W. Wylie sold his Zion operation to the Utah Parks Co. in 1923, and the next year transferred his rights to the North Rim camp to daughter Elizabeth. By 1926 the McKees could lodge, feed, and entertain as many as 120 people, and had built a new central services building, installed electric lights, increased their product line for the tourists, and expanded the number of guided tours, conducted almost daily to Points Sublime and Imperial, Cliff Spring, and Cape Royal. From the National Register, North Rim Entrance Road Corridor Historic District (ca2012): “Beginning in 1917, Thomas and Elizabeth McKee offered wagon trips and by 1924, automobile trips, from their camp at Bright Angel Point to Point Sublime and Cape Royal. In the latter year, they drove their few customers to these scenic points in a Dodge and two seven-passenger Buicks. Also by 1924, the Parry Brothers of Cedar City, Utah, began to offer automotive bus trips to these points in cooperation with the Union Pacific Railroad and Utah Parks Company. At this same time, motorists in their private vehicles began to visit North Rim. The number of automobiles entering the park from the north increased approximately 1,000 per year through the middle and late 1920s. To handle the increased traffic, the NPS determined to build two new roads at North Rim: a new scenic highway from Bright Angel Point to Cape Royal, and a new entrance highway from the park boundary at Little Park to intersect with the Cape Royal road within Thompson Canyon. After grading Cape Royal Road in 1927-29, they immediately made plans for North Entrance Road.” Left: View of the Wylie Camp on the North Rim. [Courtesy Margaret Krueger & Eliz. McKee Scrapbook] Right: The new camp lobby building, built in 1926. [Courtesy Margaret Krueger & Eliz. McKee Scrapbook] The Grand Canyon Wylie Camp continued operations through the 1927 season. That year the NPS solicited bids for a North Rim concessioner that would construct a large lodge facility. The operation had never been very successful financially, and the McKees were unable to compete with the corporate giant Union Pacific. The UPCo obtained the contract and began construction of the lodge, under the direction of architect G.S. Underwood. UPCo bought the Wylie Camp for a disappointing $25,000 and negotiated with Elizabeth and Thomas to operate the camp for the 1927 season. The UPCo also bought out the Parry transportation interests so they could expand their own transportation operation. The New Lodge at North Rim The new Grand Canyon Lodge opened in 1928 with great fanfare, although the official dedication was not held until September 14. More than a million dollars was spent on the facilities and water and power development. The rustic 56,000-square-foot structure was built of native sandstone and rough-hewn ponderosa pine, and designed to blend in with the rugged and rustic location atop the rim of the Grand Canyon. Sleeping accommodations were provided by 100 2-room log lodges and 60 rooms in 20 deluxe lodges, with private bath, fireplace and porches. The operation could sleep 264 guests and offered electric lights, recreation room, lounge, barber shop, 200-person dining room, showers, and other modern luxuries. A mere four years later the interior of the magnificent structure was destroyed by fire, but only two of the cabins were destroyed. The North Rim Inn had been constructed at the nearby campground in the late 1920s, and visitors could stay there and in the remaining guest cabins and partake of meals at the camp cafeteria. The lodge was rebuilt beginning in 1936. Left: Newspaper article about plans for the new North Rim Lodge, with an artist conception sketch. [Salt Lake Tribune , 20Feb1927] Right: Photo of the new Grand Canyon Lodge, ca1929. In Conclusion . . . The Wylie Way system of camping and touring successfully operated in three of our great national parks. Begun in 1883 in Yellowstone, the Wylie name and tradition of a simple yet fastidious and enjoyable camping experience continued on for 33 years in Yellowstone and 11 years in Zion and Grand Canyon. Today the camps are merely a memory. The astute explorer may find a few vestiges of some of the camps in Yellowstone, but one will find few, if any signboards or plaques commemorating this early history. Nor will you find much of any discussion of this early history in the various park's museums, save for the lobby of the Grand Canyon Lodge where photographs delineate the story of Brighty the mule, who once played a small part in the North Rim Wylie camp. In general, the history and memory of the Wylie camps (and the many other camping companies in Yellowstone) have been unceremoniously erased within the boundaries of the national parks. The success of the Wylie Way was probably matched only by the Curry Company in Yosemite, founded in 1899 by David Curry. He and his wife Jennie also got their start in Yellowstone, and they no doubt looked upon the Wylie Camps as an inspiration and blueprint for their somewhat similar and very successful camp operations. But that is yet another story . . . .