Summer 2010 ☐ Volume XXV, No

Voice of the Glacier Park Foundation ☐ Summer 2010 ☐ Volume XXV, No. 1 CENTENNIAL CELEBRATINGCENTENNIAL GLACIER’S HUNDREDTH CELEBRATING GLACIER’S HUNDREDTH In this issue: • The Fiery Summer of 1910 • Radio Days of 1929 • Dishwashing in the ‘40s • The Summer of ‘55 • Tour Escorts of the ‘70s • Thin Man’s Pleasure: Climbing Mt. Wilbur • A Certain Goat: Symbol of Glacier Park • Centennial Events • A Rainy Return to Many Glacier The Inside Trail ◆ Winter 2005 ◆ 1 GLACIER’S HUNDREDTH: Remembering 1910 Reportage on Glacier Park’s Centennial Swiftcurrent Pass to Many Glacier. … death on the trail between cabins on the typically begins: “On May 11, 1910, There was no organized firefighting eastern side of the park; another was bur- President William Howard Taft signed organization as we know it, very little ied in a snowslide for twenty-four hours, a bill making Glacier America’s tenth equipment, few trails and practically no yet managed to dig himself out and work National Park.” Thus we tend to think roads. By the time the fall rains had set his way back to the station; still another of Glacier’s birth as a dry administrative in, Glacier National Park had lost over slid down a snowbank and broke his hip, episode, accomplished by paper-shuf- 100,000 acres of forest land [a tenth of which resulted in a grueling two-day trip fling in Washington, D.C. its area] to a series of fires.” back to his cabin, unaided.” In fact, the story of Glacier’s earliest days The fires were especially catastrophic in Meanwhile, the Great Northern Railway is colorful and dynamic. Enormous for- the south end of the Park. They are me- and other concessionaires were given est fires occurred in 1910, overwhelming morialized in the names of many features permits to operate visitor services in the the resources of a new Park Service staff along Highway 2 -- Rampage Mountain, Park. A great burst of energy brought headquartered in tents. But after those Skeleton Mountain (named because about the construction of nine chalet fires, a great burst of energy created the area was burned as white as bone), groups (Two Medicine, Cut Bank, St. much of the system of trails and lodges Salvage Mountain (which was saved from Mary, Going-to-the-Sun, Gunsight, which we still enjoy today. burning), Mount Despair, Firebrand Sperry, Belton, Granite Park, and Many Pass, Debris Creek, and Soldier Moun- Glacier) and four tent camps (Goat The story has been related in many tain (named for black “buffalo soldiers” Haunt, Fifty Mountain, Crossley (Cos- books of history, notably Donald of the U.S. Army, who fought the fires). ley) Lake, Red Eagle Lake), and by a trail Robinson’s classic Through the Years in system linking them, within a span of Glacier National Park (1960). Robinson Logan appointed a force of six rangers three years. Then came the great lodges: relates that when Major William Logan to guard Glacier’s boundaries in 1910. Glacier Park Hotel (now Glacier Park arrived as Glacier’s first superinten- They included Dan Doody and Joe Cos- Lodge) in 1913, the Lewis Hotel (now dent: “There were only two serviceable ley (legendary rapscallions and poachers, Lake McDonald Lodge) in 1914, and trails across the mountains, one from after whom Mount Doody and Cosley Many Glacier Hotel in 1915. In reading Lake McDonald across Gunsight Pass Lake are named). Robinson states that the history of these events a hundred to St. Mary Lake, and the other up the early ranger force “was a rugged, years ago, one marvels at the dynamism the McDonald Creek Valley and over hard-bitten outfit … One ranger froze to and creative energy that attended the first days of Glacier Park. Glacier Park Foundation Officers: P.O. Box 15641 John Hagen, President Minneapolis, MN 55415 Einar Hanson, First Vice President Carol Dahle, Vice President - Membership www.glacierparkfoundation.org The Inside Trail takes its name [email protected] Mac Willemssen, Secretary Tessie Bundick, Historian from the famous old trail Board of Directors: Jim Lees, Treasurer which connected Glacier Tessie Bundick Laura Chihara, Webmaster Laura Chihara Park Lodge with the vanished Rolf Larson, Inside Trail Editor Janet Eisner Cornish chalets at Two Medicine, Carol Repulski Dahle The Glacier Park Foundation was Cut Bank, and St. Mary. The Joyce Daugaard formed by Glacier Park employees name thus emphasizes the Ray Djuff and visitors who have a deep love for this special place. The Foundation is publication’s focus on the Glenn Elvig commited both to the importance lore and history of Glacier John Hagen of wilderness preservation and to Einar Hanson the importance of places like Glacier National Park. We invite Paul Hoff as classrooms where people can submission of historical, Mark Hufstetler experience wilderness in intense meaningful ways, learning not only a scientific, or anecdotal ar- Jeff Kuhn love for the land, but also a respect ticles, commentary, poetry, Linda Young Kuhn that nurtures the skills necessary to Rolf Larson preserve that land. The Foundation or artwork for publication in Leroy Lott has a special interest in Glacier Park’s future issues. Greg Notess history, traditions and visitor facilities. Rick Taylor Mac Willemssen 2 ☐ Summer 2010 ☐ The Inside Trail GLACIER’S HUNDREDTH: Centennial Events Glacier Park’s hundredth birthday September 8-10, with more than 300 Glacier area, building a Watchable was celebrated by several hundred people preregistered (contact Leroy Wildlife viewing platform, preserving people at Park Headquarters at West Lott at [email protected]). the Heaven’s Peak Fire Lookout, and Glacier on May 11. A huge tent was upgrading the visitor center exhibits A Granite Park and Sperry Chalet set up to protect the crowd from rain, at Logan Pass. The long-term goals reunion is scheduled for August 17 but the sun broke through just as the include projects and endowments for (contact Kevin Warrington at (888) ceremony commenced. Remarks were trails, research, historical and cultural 345-2649). A Trail Crew Rendezvous delivered by Park Service person- preservation and children’s education is planned from August 20-22 (contact nel, federal, state, and Blackfeet and in the Park. See the website at www. Jan Metzmaker at (406) 862-3390). Kootenai-Salish tribal officials, and glaciernationalparkfund.org. The annual Park Service employees’ birthday cake was served. reunion will be at noon on August 22 The Fund sponsored “Minnesota This formal ceremony was only one in at the Community Building in the Park Springs for Glacier,” a celebration in a series of some ninety official Cen- Service compound at West Glacier. St. Paul in May. This event began tennial events extending from the sum- with a party at the James J. Hill House Private organizations that work to sup- mer of 2009 through October 2010. to honor the Great Northern Railway’s port the mission of Glacier Park have Educational programs, reunions, role in creating the Park and its visitor taken impressive initiatives for the exhibits, festivals, fundraisers, and facilities. The Great Northern’s suc- centennial year. The Glacier Institute, amusements of various sorts are going cessor, the BNSF Railway, has been a which sponsors outdoor field courses in forward at many locations in the Park, generous sponsor of the Centennial. Glacier, is offering a series of “Hundred and in cities from Kalispell to St. Paul. Years” courses (e.g., on bears, goats, Among other Centennial events to This ongoing celebration was or- and “Riding the Rails”) -- see their be held this summer are a Centennial ganized by Kass Hardy, Centennial website at www.glacierinstitute.org. poetry reading at Belton Chalet (June Coordinator for the National Park Ser- 25), the Western Governors Associa- The Glacier Association, which operates vice, and by a dedicated committee of tion Conference in Whitefish and in the Glacier’s bookstores, is offering numer- volunteers. A full schedule of events is Park (June 26-29), the Belton Chalet’s ous centennial titles. These include posted on the Centennial Committee’s Centennial birthday party (June 27), 100 Years, 100 Stories (an anthology website, www.glaciercentennial.org. the Glacier Centennial Symphony of memoirs); Glacier’s First 100 Years; summer pops concert at Rebecca Farm One creative element of the program 100 Straight Days in Glacier (a photo- near Kalispell (July 10), the Glacier is the Centennial Film Festival (“7 graphic journey by Chris Peterson, edi- Mountaineering Society Centennial months, 7 films, 7 locations”). Among tor of Glacier Park Magazine) and three Summit (July 19-25), the Waterton- the films featured are Hollywood releas- volumes by distinguished photographer Glacier International Peace Park Hands es like Cattle Queen of Montana (1954), Bret Bouda – Jammin’ in the Sun (on the Across the Border event at Many starring Ronald Reagan and Barbara Park’s red buses), Glacier Classics and Glacier (September 9-12), the Great Stanwyck, and Heaven’s Gate (1980), Glacier Park Wide. See the website at Northern Railway Historical Society one of the most famous box-office . www.glacierassociation.org Convention at Glacier Park Lodge failures of all time. Most of the films, (Sept. 12-15), and the Glacier National however, are educational and historical The Glacier National Park Fund, which Park Fund’s Fall for Glacier event in nature: Before There Were Parks (in- raises private funds to supplement the at Many Glacier (Sept. 16-19). See cluding clips from Ken Burns’s recent Park Service budget, has established www.glaciercentennial.org for details. PBS series on the National Parks), Red both short-term and long-term projects in honor of the Centennial. The Skies of Montana (on forest fires), Days The Glacier Park Foundation is short-term goals (Centennial Legacy of the Blackfeet, and a film collection pleased to take part in the Centennial Projects) include increasing the num- from Glacier Park’s archives.

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