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

1. Philetus Norris, Report Upon the Yellowstone National Park for the Year 1879 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1880), 3-4.

2. Norris, Report Upon the Yellowstone National Park for the Year 1879.

3. Kingman Report for 1883, 11-12.

4. Ibid.

5. Report of the Secretary of War Being Part of the Messages and Documents Communicated To The Houses of Congress and The Beginning of The First Session of The Fiftieth Congress in 4 Volumes, Volume II- in fours parts, Part IV (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1889), "Annual Report of Maj. Charles J. Allen, Corps of Engineers, Officer in Charge, for the Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 1889," 2863.

6. Hiram Chittenden, Annual Report Upon the Construction, Repairs, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park and Construction of Military Roads from Fort Washakie to Mouth of Buffalo Fork of Snake River, Wyoming, and Erection of Monument to Sgt. Charles Floyd in the Charge of Hiram A. Chittenden, Captain, Corps of Engineers, Appendixes FFF and KKK of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1904 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1904), 2889.

7. Hiram Chittenden, Annual Report Upon the Construction, Repairs and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park and Construction of Military Roads from Fort Washakie to Mouth of Buffalo Fork of Snake River, Wyoming, and Erection of Monument to Sgt. Charles Floyd in the Charge of Hiram A. Chittenden, Captain, Corps of Engineers, Appendixes GGG and KKK of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1903 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1903), 2890.

8. Ernest Peek, Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1907 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1907), 2468.

9. Ernest Peek, Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers for 1908 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1908), 2547. "Report of Inspection of Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park, made September 24, 25, 26, 1909," with recommendations by request of Capt. Wildurr Willing, Corps of Engineers, U. S. A. C. H. Knight, C. W. Kutz, and Jay J. Morrow, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park and Report Upon the Road Into Mount Rainier National Park and Report Upon the Crater Lake National Park (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1911), 3030-3031. H. W. Child, President Yellowstone Park Transportation Company, to Acting Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, 2 May 1912. William Nespital, "Notes on the Condition of the Old Road from Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner," April 10, 1912. C. W. Knight, Army Corps Engineering Officer, to Chief of Engineers, Army Corps of Engineers, 19 February 1912. Lt. Col. Brett, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, to Secretary of the Interior, 14 May 1912. Lt. Col. Brett, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, to Secretary of the Interior, 20 May 1912. "Report of Work Repairing Old Wagon Trail between Mammoth Hot Springs to Gardiner," May 27 to June 21, 1912. Lt. Col. Brett, Superintendent, Yellowstone National Park, to Secretary of the Interior, 22 June 1912. C. H. Knight, J. B. Cavanaugh, and J. J. Morrow, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in Yellowstone National Park; Report Upon the Road Into Mount Rainier National Park; and Report Upon Crater Lake National Park, Appendixes EEE and FFF (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1913), 3269-3270. "Report for November, 1915."

10. G. E. Verrill and George Zuin, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park; Report Upon the Road Into Mount Rainier National Park; and Report Upon Crater Lake National Park, Appendixes EEE and FFF (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1918), 1977-80.

11. Annual Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1919 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1919), 46-47.

12. Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1921 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1921), 209. Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1921 and the Travel Season 1921 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1921), 165. Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1923 and the Travel Season 1923 (Washington D. C.: Government Printing Office, 1923), 116.

13. Annual Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1921 and the Travel Season 1921.

14. One of the proposals was from Gilmore Clark, Landscape Architect from Westchester County, New York who developed a Mammoth Plan.

The alternative of leaving Mammoth Hot Springs at the northeast corner or through the Transportation Company Grounds and following the hillside in the vicinity of the old high-line road to Gardiner was investigated by logging with automobile and on foot with Abney, although no staked line was run. This proposed route would leave Mammoth Hot Springs from behind the two storage sheds of the Transportation and descend along the east exposed hillside on 2% and 3% grades for the first two miles. This 2 mile point would be directly above a small lake and the purpose of using light descending grades to this point is to make use of the most stable ground and cross the drainage area above the lake in the most desirable place. From this point to the North Entrance approximately 2.5 miles it is necessary to continue on a 5% descending grade as much of the distance as practicable and the line would be then fairly rough, rolling country which would require considerable curvature some of which would approach the minimum radii, a sustained 5% grade for the last 2.5 miles will reach the elevation of the North Entrance without employing development, but some of the country, particularly in the last mile, would necessitate curvature which might almost resemble switchbacks. This route is the shortest and most direct route possible between Mammoth and Gardiner. Running in approximately a due north and south direction, it lies principally on east exposure and almost entirely thru open sagebrush country. Where the line would fall on north exposure or around points with northeast exposure, it would doubtless be subject to deep snow drifts but probably of little more consequence that what would occur on the canyon route as the difference in elevation is not great. This line would pass above the treacherous unstable, shifting ground which is caused principally by seepage from the lake which was mentioned below the two mile point. This line offers the opportunity, when considered with certain alternates of the other entrances to Mammoth Hot Springs, of bringing traffic into Mammoth Hot Springs before making junction with another entrance road of connecting with Mammoth Hot Springs at the logical geographic location, thereby affording the unacquainted tourist an exit from Mammoth Hot Springs in the direction he desires to go.

"Report to Horace Albright by Gilmore Clark, June, 1930."

15. Howard Gregg, "Monthly Narrative Report to the Chief Architect," December 20, 1937 to January 20, 1938. File Box 10, Yellowstone National Park. National Archives and Records Center, Denver, Colorado.

16. Phillip Wohlbrandt, Park Engineer, "Final Report, Project No. 508, Flood Damage, Reconstruction of Mammoth-Gardiner Road, April, 21, 1943."

17. Fixed Property Records for Yellowstone National Park, National Park Service, Rocky Mountain Regional Office files, Denver, Colorado.