Report on Historic Structures at Yellowstone National Park

Mattison, Ray

Yellowstone National Park is an American national park located in the western United States, largely in the northwest corner of Wyoming and extending into Montana, and Idaho. Several factors have contributed to a new awareness of the need for the preservation of historic sites and buildings at Yellowstone National Park. The rapid deterioration of a number of historic buildings within the Park in recent years has pointed up the necessity of evaluating their significance and in certain instances to recommend measures to insure their preservation. The earthquake in 1959 accelerated the destruction of several of these buildings, and has made it imperative either to raze or stabilize them. Another factor which has contributed to the urgency is the MISSION 66 program itself with proposed facilities which themselves jeopardize older structures. The current Master Plan recognizes the existence of certain historic structures. In 1957 the first field review of historic structural needs was made by Regional Historian Mattes and Chief Park Naturalist Condon. Since Yellowstone does not yet have a Historian, the author was requested early in 1960, by the Regional Director, Region Two, to make an evaluation of certain historical buildings in the Park and make recommendations for their preservation or disposition. In April 1960, the author spent three weeks in Yellowstone National Park. While there, the author discussed fully with Chief Naturalist Robert McIntyre and Park Engineer Aubrey Haines the program for the preservation of historical buildings and the marking of historic sites in the Park. In their company, the author made a reconnaissance of the various sites and buildings. Later, Regional Architect Francis Roberson joined and made architectural studies of the buildings proposed for preservation. Meanwhile, the author conducted intensive research in the Park library in the annual reports of the Park Superintendents and in the records of the area to determine the historical significance of the buildings and sites under study.

Report on Historic Structures at Yellowstone National Park

Series