Audio
6. Employee Dorms & Mess Hall
Transcript
The first park dormitory and mess hall were completed in 1927. The second dorm was built by Civilian Conservation Corps Crews in1933-„34. The Civilian Conservation Corps was active from 1933-1942 and was comprised of young men who were out of work because of The Great Depression. They were employed by the government and put to work to construct and improve facilities on public lands. The CCC crews improved many of the trails while they worked here in Glacier, and constructed the fire hose tower and maintenance garages that you will see later on the tour. These two dorms and mess hall were constructed to house the influx of seasonal workers needed to help maintain the park‟s services since Glacier Park was becoming a destination and more visitors were arriving every year. Traditionally, before the dorms were built, most of the seasonal workers camped in tents. The building on your left was the Mess Hall. It was used for its original purpose as a dining hall until the late 1970s. The original floor plan of the mess hall had a storage area, cooks‟ bedrooms and baths, a kitchen and a large dining room. Since 1970, it has served as the park's main archives building. The archives keep old visitor record books, newspapers from the past, and are a major help in keeping the park‟s history documented. Return to Mather Drive and turn right. Our next stop takes us to the original entrance of Glacier National Park and the architecture of the Belton Bridge, which was built so visitors could cross the Middle Fork of the Flathead River to get into the park. When at the bridge viewpoint, press 7# to learn about the bridge's‟architecture and the great flood of 1964.
Description
These buildings were built in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Two of the structures are now used to store part of the park museum collection and archives.
Duration
1 minute, 33 seconds
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