Guide to the Fred C. Fagergren Papers

This finding aid describes the Fred C. Fagergren Papers, part of the NPS History Collection. To search this guide for names, places, key words, or phrases enter Ctrl F on your keyboard (command key + F key on a Mac). Request an in-person research appointment or get more information by contacting the archivist.

Fred C. Fagergren, NPS History Collection (HFCA 1607)

Collection Overview

Collection Number: HFCA 3644
Accession Number: HFCA-02276
Creator: Fagergren, Fred Cannon (1908-1970)
Title: Fred C. Fagergren Papers
Dates: 1939-1952
Extent: 0.2 LF
Language of Materials: English

Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized.

Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open to research use.
Conditions Governing Use: Some of the reports and other reference materials in this collection were not produced by the NPS and may not be in the public domain. See https://rightsstatements.org/page/CNE/1.0/?language=en. See also the NPS general archives copyright & restrictions information.
Provenance: Donated to the NPS History Collection by Fred J. Fagergren in March 2026.
Processing Note: This collection was processed by Mikaela Wilson in May 2026.

Rights Statements for Archival Description: This guide is in the public domain.
Preferred Citation: Fred C. Fagergren Papers (HFCA 3644), NPS History Collection
Location of Repository: NPS History Collection, Harpers Ferry Center, PO Box 50, Harpers Ferry, WV 25425

Related Materials:

• NPS Employee and Alumni Association Records (HFCA 1645), NPS History Collection
• George B. Hartzog, Jr. Papers (HFCA 1645), NPS History Collection

• George B. and Helen C. Hartzog Papers (HFCA 2442), NPS History Collection

Biographical Note

Fred Cannon Fagergren was born November 18, 1908, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He attended the University of Utah with a major in engineering from 1926 to 1928, then transferred to Utah State Agricultural College where he graduated with a degree in forestry and conservation. During his schooling he worked in the summer as a rodman for surveyor teams on different projects. In 1928 he worked as a field engineer for U.S. Airways in the construction of landing fields. In 1929 he was a field engineer for the Utah Gas and Coke Company and helped construct natural gas lines.

Fagergren initially joined the National Park Service (NPS) in November 1930 as a laborer and foreman with intermittent employment before transitioning into ranger positions. From 1930 to 1938, Fagergren took on seasonal appointments at Zion National Park (ZION). He primarily worked as a ranger or traffic patroller but also worked as a rodman under the Emergency Conservation Works (ECW). In some instances, he also worked for the Bureau of Public Roads as a stakemen for road construction. In 1934 he married Nellie Jones. In November 1936, he took on the position of acting custodian for the Lehman Caves National Monument (now Great Basin National Park, GRBA) until March 1937. Afterwards, he continued working for ZION, becoming chief ranger in 1942.

In 1951 he became assistant superintendent of Mesa Verde National Park (MEVE). Five years later, he became superintendent of Petrified Forest National Park (PEFO). In 1958 Fagergren opened discussions towards the development of the Painted Desert Community Complex at PEFO to build a central hub and residence for the park. He remained at PEFO until 1962 when he became superintendent of Grand Teton National Park (GRTE) overseeing the final years of that park’s Mission 66 projects. In 1963 Fagergren, Raymon C. Lillie, and Secretary of the Interior Stuart Udall made President John F. Kennedy an honorary park ranger.

Fagergren was appointed Midwest Region director in January 1966. In 1968 he chaired the NPS Uniform Committee created by Director George B. Hartzog, Jr., which recommended restoring the arrowhead as the official NPS emblem along with set uniform standards. He also helped plan the restoration and reconstruction guide for Fort Scott National Historical Park (FOSC) in Kansas in 1968.

He was a member of the Society of American Foresters and a founding member of the Wildlife Society, amongst other conservation groups. His son, Fred J. Fagergren also served the NPS.

Fred C. Fagergren died on November 6, 1970.

Sources

“Complete Planning for Ft. Scott Park,” The Nevada Daily Mail. March 5, 1968. https://books.google.com/books?id=upofAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA11&dq=fred+c.+fagergren&article_id=2741,3200296&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwituqe7tOuUAxU9K1kFHeCtFDwQ6AF6BAgQEAM.

Fred C. Fagergren Papers (HFCA 3644), NPS History Collection.

National Park Service. “Fred Fagergren Dies in Omaha,” National Park Courier volume 16, no. 10 (1970): 1-8. https://npshistory.com/newsletters/courier/ocourier-v16n10.pdf.

National Park Service. “Painted Desert Community Complex.” Petrified Forest National Park. Last modified June 2023. Accessed June 2026. https://www.nps.gov/pefo/learn/historyculture/pdcc.htm.

National Park Service. “Hartzog Reinstates Arrowhead as Official Service Symbol.” Service Publication. May 1969. https://npshistory.com/newsletters/courier/newsletter-v4sp.pdf.

National Park Service. “Painted Desert Community Complex.” National Historic Landmark Nomination. June 2016. Accessed June 2026. https://npshistory.com/publications/pefo/nr-painted-desert-com-complex.pdf.

“New Ranger.” The Bonham Daily Favorite. September 27, 1963. https://books.google.com/books?id=mwVeAAAAIBAJ&lpg=PA1&dq=fred%20c.%20fagergren&pg=PA1#v=onepage&q=fred%20c.%20fagergren&f=false.

"S.L. Native to Head Grand Teton Park,” The Deseret News. November 22, 1962. https://books.google.com/books?id=fDsjAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA31&dq=fred+c.+fagergren&article_id=7077,5133376&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwituqe7tOuUAxU9K1kFHeCtFDwQ6AF6BAgOEAM.

“The Wildlife Society,” The Journal of Wildlife Management volume 35, no. 3 (1971): 592–604. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3799728.

Scope and Content Note

A copy of Fagergren’s employment application documents with his work experience from 1927 to 1938. The NPS Personnel Training School Handbook, which contains professional standards and regulations, blank forms, law overviews, organizational charts, studies, interpretive programs, memos, uniform guidelines, exam questions and park pamphlets, is interleaved with Fagergren’s class handouts and notes from training. Topics related to NPS history include origins of park names and the National Park Idea. Parks represented by reports, pamphlets, and professional charts include Badlands National Monument (BADL), Bandelier National Monument (BAND), Bryce Canyon National Park (BRCA), Capitol Reef National Monument (CARE), Cedar Breaks National Monument (CEBR), Colorado National Monument (COLM), PEFO, Timpanogos Cave National Monument (TICA), and ZION.

Arrangement

Arranged alphabetically by subject.

Container List

BOX 01
Folder 01: Employment Record, 1939
Folder 02: NPS History, 1952, undated
Folder 03: NPS Personnel Training School Manual, 1939-1941 [1 of 3]
Folder 04: NPS Personnel Training School Manual, 1939-1941 [2 of 3]
Folder 05: NPS Personnel Training School Manual, 1939-1941 [3 of 3]

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Tags: grand teton national park, mesa verde national park, petrified forest national park, zion national park, museum collection, hfc, archives, archives finding aid, nps history collection, nps history