Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum. - Grand Teton National Park

IMAGES
of America

GRAND TETON
NATIONAL PARK

In this image from the 1920s or 1930s, Harold Langland (left) is driving a touring car with passengers Muriel B. Olson (center) and Helen Langland. The trio is approaching Jenny Lake as the Grand Teton rises over Cascade Canyon in the background. As automobiles became more popular in the early 20th century, Grand Teton National Park experienced an increase in visitors on driving vacations. (Courtesy Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum; photograph by Richard A. Olson.)

ON THE COVER: The dudes pictured here are riding horseback at the Triangle X Ranch. In 1926, John S. and Maytie Turner purchased a homestead on Spread Creek, a favorite vacation spot of theirs. They raised cattle and built a few cabins to accommodate hunters. The Turners purchased an adjacent homestead and expanded their property in 1928. They secured an operating lease when they sold to the Snake River Land Company in 1929. In 1950, the ranch was incorporated into Grand Teton National Park with a concession permit. It is the only concession-operated dude ranch in the national park system and the oldest remaining dude ranch in Jackson Hole. Turner family descendants continue to operate the ranch today. (Courtesy Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum.)

IMAGES
of America

GRAND TETON
NATIONAL PARK

Kendra Leah Fuller and Shannon Sullivan
with images contributed by Jackson Hole Historical Society

Copyright 2014 by Kendra Leah Fuller and Shannon Sullivan with images contributed by Jackson Hole Historical Society

ISBN 978-1-4671-3148-3
Ebook ISBN 9781439645956

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013949752

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To those individuals who had the vision and perseverance to make Grand Teton National Park a reality, preserving this national treasures spectacular beauty for future generations to enjoy.

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Shannon Sullivan for her countless hours scanning images and patience while I was researching and writing this manuscript. Without her collaboration in providing images, searching for just the right picture, and willingness to work across the miles, it would not have been possible to write about a subject so dear to my heart. To Clayton Caden, thank you for your time spent gathering research in anticipation of my visits and pointing me in the right direction. To the entire staff of the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum, thank you for your graciousness and hospitality. My time spent in your research center was invaluable in pulling this project together. Without your permission to access and use images from your archives, this book would not have been possible.

Thank you to Arcadia Publishing for providing me with the opportunity to write this book. To my editor, Jared Nelson, thank you for your help and guidance along the way. Your input was truly appreciated.

To my family, thank you for your willingness to take several research vacations. I know it was a hardship for you to go fishing, hiking, and rafting in such a beautiful place. Most importantly, thank you for your patience during the countless hours I spent researching and writing.

Unless otherwise noted, all images in this book appear courtesy of the Jackson Hole Historical Society and Museum.

INTRODUCTION

Every year, three million people journey to the northwest corner of Wyoming to visit Grand Teton National Park. These guests are rewarded with majestic views of rugged mountain peaks and glaciers that soar more than a mile over the valley floor of Jackson Hole and the winding Snake River. Crystal-clear rivers, streams, lakes, waterfalls, and abundant wildlife add to the allure of the park, drawing outdoorsmen, photographers, sightseers, and mountain climbers. Extraordinary measures were taken by many people over the years to ensure the parks preservation for the wildlife that depends on it and the people who come to bask in its beauty.

Today, some visitors might take the preservation of this mountain wilderness for granted, but this was not always the case. Modern park visitors may not be aware of the fight that resulted in this wilderness being designated a national park. Fortunately, the determination of conservationists, philanthropists, and visionaries who sought to protect the park prevailed. The United States owes these people a huge debt of gratitude for making it possible to still enjoy the pristine beauty of this land and its wildlife unspoiled by commercialization. Imagine how overrun and spoiled this land could have become if profiteers had been allowed to build hotels, restaurants, and housing developments all over the mountains and valley.

Although Grand Teton was designated a national park in 1929, the park as it exists today did not come about until its expansion in 1950. The path to making the area a national park was very long indeed. Gen. Philip Sheridan was one of the first to voice concern over the protection of the area. In 1882, Sheridan proposed that Yellowstone National Park be extended to include an area to the northern tip of Jackson Lake. In 1897, Yellowstone National Park superintendent Col. S.B.M. Young asked that Yellowstone officials be given jurisdiction over Jackson Hole to protect the elk herd from poachers outside of Yellowstone. Congress heard testimony over expansion in 1902, but no action was taken.

The first step toward Grand Teton becoming a national park came in 1915 when Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane appointed Stephen Mather as his assistant in charge of national parks. Lane appointed Horace M. Albright to assist Mather, a pairing that united two individuals with great dedication to the conservation of the Tetons and Jackson Hole. The duo first laid eyes on the Tetons when they ventured south of Yellowstones boundaries to Moran, Wyoming. The spectacular grandeur of the Teton Range came into view, and an undying love affair was born. Albright recognized that this splendor needed to be preserved forever, and he spent the next 35 years committed to making that preservation a reality.

In 1918, Albright, Mather, and Congressman Frank Mondell wrote a bill to extend the boundaries of Yellowstone to include the Teton Range, Jackson Lake and other lakes, the headwaters of the Yellowstone River at Two Ocean Pass, and the Buffalo Fork River. In February 1919, Mondell introduced a revised bill that passed the House unanimously; the general consensus was that it would be signed into law. Unfortunately, the bill met with opposition in the Senate from a group of Idaho sheep ranchers afraid they would lose their grazing rights, and the bill was killed.

This marked the beginning of the struggle between conservationists and the livestock owners, dude ranchers, and the US Forest Service (USFS). The USFS, which was opposed to the expansion of Yellowstone to include the Jackson Hole area, cut back livestock grazing area within the proposed expansion boundaries claiming concern for the local elk herd. Some speculated that this was intentionally done to rouse ranchers into opposition to the expansion. Regardless of the intentions of the USFS, the agencys action fueled the fires between the ranchers and the National Park Service (NPS).