Introduction

The Region III Quarterly, which makes its initial bow with this issue, has for its purpose the dissemination of information which it is hoped will be of practical use to Service personnel and to interested individuals and organizations. The articles will be written in non-technical phraseology with a view to making them interesting and instructive. Their scope will include various phases of geology, forestry, wildlife, archaeology, history, landscaping, engineering, recreational planning, and other subjects concerning National Park Service activities in Region III.

The articles contained in this first issue of the Quarterly have been written by Region III Office personnel to indicate the type and quality of material to be used. The Quarterly cannot be published regularly, however, without field cooperation and assistance. It can not succeed without contributions from superintendents, rangers, inspectors, and others. Friendly criticisms and helpful suggestions for the Quarterly's improvement are invited. It is proposed to include, from time to time, pertinent articles written by persons outside of the Service. Such articles will give an outside viewpoint which should be helpful in considering Service problems.

The reproduction of the line-drawings and half-tones in the Region III Quarterly has been made possible by the friendly cooperation of the Region I Office. Such cooperation is another example of that esprit de corps which has always been a major factor in National Park Service accomplishments and is appreciated. The encouragement given by Director Cammerer, Associate Director Demaray, and Editor-in-Chief Story to this Office's proposal to issue the Region III Quarterly also is appreciated.

Hillory A. Tolson, Regional Director,
Region III Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 1

Director Stephen Mather, Superintendents and their families at Superintendents Conference, Mesa Verde National Park, 1925. Photographer: James V. Lloyd. (Catalog# HPC-000201, National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection)

The first issue of "Region III Quarterly" was published in July 1939, and followed in the footsteps of its sister publication, "The Regional Review" which covered National Park Service units in Region One. Edited by Leo A. McClatchy, the Region III Quarterly lasted just three short years (1939-1941), and contained an exceptional array of articles, including those written by Harold Bryant, Natt Dodge, Aubrey Neasham, Herbert Maier, and Jesse Nusbaum.

In addition to regional newsletters, the Nature Notes newsletters (produced by local park personnel) also served as a regular means by the Park Service to help extend the interpretive efforts of early ranger-naturalists beyond the boundaries of many western parks to schools, libraries, and interested park friends. Past issues of Nature Notes have been converted to the Web for Mount Rainier and Crater Lake National Parks (the later still being produced up to the park's centennial in 2002), along with selected issues for Yellowstone. In addition, the entire series of The Regional Review are also available on the Web.

For your reading pleasure, long out-of-print, presented herein are online editions of all issues of the Region III Quarterly.