Yellowstone Historic Resource Study The History of the Construction of the Road System in Yellowstone National Park, 1872-1966

This study began as a response to the Federal Highway Administration's multi-decade road construction project in Yellowstone National Park. In order to meet the compliance needs of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as Amended in 1980 for this project, I was asked to survey and evaluate the historic resources related to the road system. I felt very strongly that this document should serve more than just compliance needs, thus the idea for Part I of a Historic Resource Study for the Park.

Prior to the research, I talked to many people who have an interest in the management of the Park's resources. I found that information gathered for this study could be useful to the maintenance, safety, interpretation, and natural resources divisions, and also for general interest. The Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office has also shown keen interest in how the development of the roads in the Park relate to the development of Wyoming state roads.

Some academic historians may find that this type of history has needless information, however as a management tool for the Park, this method was intended. Sometimes it is important to know the type of material or paint used on a bridge, etc.!

The project took on many dimensions before completion, including the participation of the Historic American Engineering Record Division of the National Park Service in Washington D.C. Combined with their recordation work, an approved Memorandum of Agreement, and the National Register portion of this study, the compliance and mitigation needs of historic resources for the multi-decade road project should go smoothly.

As with many research projects, gaps in the more modern record left some sections not completely covered. However, there was sufficient information to complete the evaluation portion.

There are many people who assisted in the completion of this work and it is difficult to name each one. However, I would like to express my appreciation to those whose assistance was invaluable, Superintendent Robert Barbee, Chief of Maintenance Tim Hudson, Park Engineer Nancy Ward, Park Historian Tom Tankersley, and former Park Historian Tim Manns, former Cultural Resource Specialist Sonya Capek and Cultural Resource Specialist Catherine Smith, Park Photographer Jim Peaco, and Librarian Beverly Whitman, all of Yellowstone National Park; Rodd Wheaton, Chief of the Division of Cultural Resources, Acting Editorial Assistant, Christine Maylath, Jannette Wesley, Librarian, and the Maintenance Division of the National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Office; Douglas Caldwell, Public Affairs Office, Rocky Mountain National Park. A special thanks to Eric DeLony of the Historic American Engineering Record Division, National Park Service, Washington D.C., and to the staff of the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office.

I would like to mention that the choice for the photograph on the cover of this study is a small tribute to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers and to Hiram Chittenden in particular. His Melan type bridge no longer exists in Yellowstone National Park, but the design philosophy used in its creation is the basis for the National Park Service design philosophy. Without the very early guidance of Engineering Officers Hiram Chittenden and Dan Kingman, a visit to Yellowstone National Park might have offered a lesser experience.