Fort Yellowstone Liistoric I)Istrict Tour Guide
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Fort Yellowstone lIistoric I)istrict Tour Guide The Army Years 1886-1918 History a guardhouse, and a headquarters building on the front row; a barracks on the second row; a stables on the third row; and two non- commissioned offi- cers' quarters in the final row. An almost identical set of build- ings was finished in 1897 to house a second troop. Yellowstone National Park turned to the In 19°9, Scottish stonemasons and a U.S. Army for help. In 1886, men from force of other-workers began constructing Company M, First United States Cavalry, seven large sandstone buildings using Fort Custer, Montana Territory came to standard military plans in the Colonial Yellowstone under the command of Captain Revival style. The buildings provide the Moses Harris. They began what would be fort with a distinctive and substantial 32 years of military presence in the park. character, They represent the Army's attempt to live up to a substantial com- At first, the soldiers lived in temporary mitment and to provide a model post.for frame buildings at Camp Sheridan at the visitors. The chapel, built of sandstone foot of the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces. in 1913, was the final building construct- After enduring five cold, harsh winters, ed during the Army's tenure. The stone the Army realized there was no end in for these buildings was obtained from a sight to this assignment. Therefore, in quarry between the Gardner River and 1890, Congress appropriated $50,000 the Mammoth Campground. for a permanent post. The first buildings of Fort Yellowstone, Photo above: at the far end of the street from today's Soldiers drilling in front of Albright Visitor Center, were finished by Bachelor Officers' Quarters, 1910. late 1891: two duplex officer's quarters, Cover: Fort Yellowstone, 1895. Law and Orders SOME SOLDIERS CONSIDERED YELLOWSTONE "December 3, 1898 ... Left here One can buy nothing here and as to be a good duty station. The men of the for the Post [Fort Yellowstone] the the troop has not been paid for "snowshoe cavalry" liked their rough life Sunday before Thanksgiving .... two months I have no money or I in the remote recesses of the mountains I made 26 miles the first day, stay- would send it to you to spend with and some applied freely for service at ing all night at Norris Station. The my compliments. Love to all the these outposts. The life was demanding next morning it was 22° below family and Mable, and regards to and often isolated, rugged, and dangerous -and very different from what most of zero, but I pulled out for the Post, friends, Edwin." them had known in other postings. But which I reached about two p.m. Most of the recruits came here from dusty, Fort Yellowstone's facilities were better after a cold hard ride of 20 miles. dry, hot duty in the Southwest or western In 1910, at the height of the Army's than most and discipline was more relaxed It is not so much sport riding when plains. Yellowstone's weather was quite a presence in Yellowstone, there were 324 than at other Army posts-especially in the snow is so deep that your horse change for them, and a relief in many soldiers here-plus some families and the field. Duties were varied and interest- has to work all the time. Stayed at ways. Some had never seen mountains or numerous civilian employees. These ing ... and the scenery couldn't be beat! snow, and they had much to learn. Ten the Post for Thanksgiving dinner troops staffed Fort Yellowstone and the different cavalry units served at Fort and it was a beaut. The cook more park's outposts. From these outposts, the Yellowstone during the 30 years-troops cavalry patrolled the park on skis during than threw himself. Turkey, roast from the First, Third, Fourth, Fifth, the winter, stopping at patrol cabins pork, sweet spuds, cranberry Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Eleventh, and along the way. sauce, oyster stew, chocolate, Thirteenth cavalries as well as an experi- These buildings remind us of the long three kinds of cake, pie, pickles, mental unit of men selected because of history of our first national park and of nuts and apples-how's that for their particular skills in mountain living. the important role the Army played in soldiers? ... There is something George Anderson, the third military preserving it for the future. They remind about life in the wilderness that superintendent of the park, wrote in 1897: us that the resources we find within fascinates me. I saddle my beast, Yellowstone's boundaries are not only "As a consequence of their good and go off on long rides through natural ones, but cultural as well. work, the beauties of the park are the forest where everything is so Our interactions with this wilderness no longer defaced; no fires have quiet that one can almost hear the continue to shape our idea of what a ravaged the forests; poaching has national park should be, just as they solitude .... Don't suppose you will Edwin Kelsey, who served in Yellowstone diminished to a small percentage of did during the days of Fort Yellowstone. hear from me again before Xmas, in 1891, later became the editor of the what it was ten years ago; and more so I'll wish you all a Merry one- Photo above: San Francisco Chronicle. Private Kelsey's than all, order exists everywhere." Fort Yellowstone Chapel, Photo at right: letters to his niece describe a difficult am sorry that I have no chance 1915. Guard duty at but very enjoyable life: to send you my remembrance. Photo above: President Roosevelt's Camp in Visitors pause in Iront 01Liberty Cap, 1903. Yellowstone, 1903. Fort Yellowstone Historic District ,. • $ • ........ - •••• •• • -13 .... ..-. .. - • r>: \ " • , 15 .- .-. 5 MOST OF THE BUILDINGS CONSTRUCfED ...........- ~\ . during the Anny era are still standing • and used by the National Park Service as .- 4 ••••••• its headquarters. Many of the interiors ............- ~ . have been modernized, while the exteriors have been maintained and/or restored . ...~... ~ .....~.... The walking tour will take you through the major parts of the fort. This map .........•....... shows how the fort buildings were used ~ .... 1 •• - in 1916, just before the National Park Service was established and took over ~--1••••••• • the park's administration. Some of the buildings are gone, and others have been constructed since that time--however, ,,-.~~ much of the fort remains intact today. the Fort Yel/owstone Historic District are employee residences and are not open to the Legend public. Please respect the privacy of residents Paved Road Walking Tour by staying on the paved route and treating /iving areas with courtesy. • Fort Yellowstone Buildings • Tour Exhibits 1. Bachelor Officers' Quarters 10. New Guardhouse Built in 1909, this building had a mess or club, Built in 1911, this building still serves as the jail. kitchen, sitting room, and apartments for six single 11. Granary officers. Temporary visitors were housed here too. Completed in 1891 to store grain for horses. It is now It is now the Albright Visitor Center. a residence. 2. Captain's Quarters 12. Quartermaster Storehouse Built in 1909 to house two apartments-each with Built in 1891 to store supplies such as clothing, kitchen, living room, dining room, 6 bedrooms, 2 blankets, and equipment. It is now a residence. baths, pantry, and laundry. The finished attic was 13. Commissary Storehouse used for a children's playroom or maids' quarters. Built in 1891, troops acquired their rations here. 3. Field Officer's Quarters Both commissioned and non-commissioned officers' Built in 1909 to serve as the residence of the acting families were authorized to buy groceries here. It is superintendenVpost commander of the park. Today now a residence. it houses Yellowstone's superintendent. 14. Cavalry Barracks 4. Double Officer's Quarters The first of these wooden barracks no longer exists. The two at the far end (built in 1891) were among the The northern-most barracks (built in 1897) is now the first Fort Yellowstone buildings. The later two (built in Yellowstone Center for Resources. Originally built to 1897) were designed for captains but were often used house 68 men, a basement was built in 1909 under for officers of lesser rank. one wing so the building could house 100 men. 5. Post Headquarters 15. Post Exchange Built in 1891 as the office for the post commander/ Built in 1905 in the Colonial Revival style, this acting superintendent, the post adjutant and the building housed a gymnasium, reading room, can- sergeant major. As the post grew, a new administra- teen, and barbershop. tion building was established and this became a 16. Double Cavalry Barracks storehouse. It is now a residence. Built in 1909, this structure once housed two cavalry 6. Guardhouse troops (200 men). The largest building in Fort Built in 1891, the guardhouse could hold 15 prisoners Yellowstone, it is now the Administration Building. and 10 guards. Every visitor had to check in at this 17. U.S. Engineers' Offices building after entering the park from Gardiner, Built in 1903 to house the Army Corps of Engineers, Montana. A new guardhouse replaced it in 1911. which had responsibility for construction of the park 7. Chapel roads. The nationally known architectural firm of Reed Built in 1913, the chapel was the last building com- and Stem received $750 for the building plans. New pleted during the Army era. Built of native stone with York City's Grand Central Terminal and Livingston, a slate roof and oak furnishings, it is still used today Montana's Northern Pacific Depot are among the and is the best-preserved building-inside and out.