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

194. J.F. Haynes, "Transportation in the Yellowstone National Park," Proceedings of the National Park Conference held at the Yellowstone National Park September 11 and 12, 1911 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1912).

195. New Roads in Yellowstone National Park, Acting Secretary of War transmitting information in response to Senate Resolution of April 2, 1912, relative to the cost of construction of new roads in the Yellowstone National Park, Sixty-second Congress, Twenty-fourth Session Senate Document No. 871 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1912), 3, 14, 15, and 16.

196. Lt. Col. L. M. Brett to Secretary of the Interior 14 May 1912 and 20 May 1912. In addition to the problems caused by the natural conditions, the Yellowstone Transportation Company wagons hauling coal "shook the road at the dangerous and narrow part that a section of it fell into the river, leaving a roadway of only about 3 feet in width for a distance of 12 feet." Lt. Col. L. M. Brett to Mr. H. W. Child May 2, 1912. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

197. Brett to Secretary of Interior, 22 June 1912. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

198. Capt. C. H. Knight, Maj. J. B. Cavanaugh, and Maj. Jerry J. Morrow, 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, Appendices EEE and FFF (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1913), 3,268-3,270.

199. E.H. Schumacher, County Clerk of the Board of Commissioners, Gallatin County, Montana, to Maj. E. S. Wright, 12 March 1913. The District Engineers Office, Yellowstone National Park to Chief of Engineers, U. S. Army, 16 February 1914. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

200. Charles Waterman, Commissioners of Gallatin County, Montana, to Honorable John K. Evans. Schumacher to Lt. Col. L.M. Brett, 6 February 1914. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

201. District Engineer Officer, Yellowstone National Park to Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, 16 February 1914. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

202. Special Orders No. 181, War Department, June 5, 1914.

203. Maj. Amos A. Fries and Maj. Jay J. Morrow, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park; and Report Upon Crater Lake National Park, Appendices EEE and FFF (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1914), 3,393-3,395.

204. Acting Superintendent to Secretary of the Interior, 5 August 1914. Assistant Secretary of the Interior to Acting Superintendent, 6 August 1914. (telegram) Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

205. Fries, Yellowstone Park Road Work, August 11, 1914.

206. Fries, Yellowstone Park Road Work. See Appendix for the "Rules and Regulations for the Work of the Engineering Department in Yellowstone National Park," May 4, 1915.

207. Fries to Secretary of the Interior, 10 May 1915. Stephen T. Mather, Assistant Secretary of the Interior to Col. L. M. Brett, 26 May 1915. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

208. Maj. Amos A. Fries, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1915) 3,753-3,765.

209. Maj. Amos A. Fries, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park, and Report Upon Crater Lake National Park (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1916), 3,626-3,627.

210. Henry Breckenridge, Acting Secretary of War to Chairman of Committee on Appropriations, House of Representatives, 15 January 1916. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

211. Fries and Williams, Report Upon . . . . Yellowstone National Park 1916, 3631.

212. Ibid., 3,633.

213. Maj. Amos A. Fries and George Zimn, Report Upon the Construction, Repair, and Maintenance of Roads and Bridges in the Yellowstone National Park for 1917 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1917), 3,633.

214. Horace Albright, Acting Director of the National Park Service to Major Fries, 7 May 1917. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

215. Fries to Albright, 14 July 1917. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

216. Chester Lindsley, Office of the Supervisor, Yellowstone National Park to Captain John Schulz, 9 October 1917. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

217. Road Improvements; July 1917:

Road through Gardner Canyon narrow at points and subject to slide, which is very dangerous.

Bridges between Mammoth and Gardiner are about 9" below road bed. Very hard on auto springs, both going onto and off of these bridges.

Road over the Mammoth terraces unfit for auto traffic. Should be improved and made safe by June 20th.

Road around Bunsen Peak unsafe for autos. Small expense to repair.

On top of hill on main road two miles from Mammoth a number of very bad and hard rolls and bumps.

Two serious holes more than half way across Swan Lake Flats.

Road up Glen Creek toward Electric Peak could be made passable for quite a way at very little expense, to enable parties to get that far and then to walk to the mountain.

Bridges at Upper Gardner River, Willow Creek and Gibbon River at Norris, below and above road levels.

Road at Roaring Mountain in poor shape.

Deep holes at many of the sprinkling tank filling stations throughout the entire park.

Road Norris to Fountain down the Gibbon Canyon very rough, full of large chuck holes and broken culverts. Also contains one or two improvised log bridges where culverts have been washed out.

Wylie Gibbon Camp over mesa road to Firehole River, about four very bad chuck holes that could be filled with little expense. This road will be used all next summer and should be repaired.

On the flat 1 mile before Fountain Hotel road very rough.

Road to Firehole Lake, Great Fountain Geyser, impassable for automobiles. Repair automobile schedule routed this way. Should be fixed before June 20th. Small expense.

Very deep hole across entire road just before reaching Excelsior Geyser.

Road to Biscuit Basin and Morning Glory springs in no shape for automobiles. All travel is to be routed this way. Immediate necessity of being repaired.

Most of the platforms at points like Paint Pots, Excelsior Geyser, Keplers Cascades, etc., throughout the entire park are too high for automobile passengers to alight from their machines onto the platforms. They should be lowered to correspond to the platform at Apollinaris Spring.

Upper Basin to Thumb, seven to eight mile post, road very narrow and deep wash close to bank, so cars have to travel on the outside.

Number of very dangerous holes on the other side of Continental Divide, also after crossing the Divide and going down the hill toward the Thumb of Lake.

After crossing Divide between Thumb and Lake on the tip of the hill down to the five mile post, the road is very rocky and had severe holes. This is the place that the private machine tipped off the road last summer.

Lake to canyon road should be routed via Sulphur Mountain from Trout Creek. Sulphur Mountain is very interesting and should be shown to the passengers. This road is not more that a mile or so longer than the present road. There is an old road going this way which is in very good condition and could be traveled if one or two culverts are replaced. This take one farther into Hayden Valley, where elk are very often seen.

Bridge across Alum Creek a foot below the road bed and about 4 inches above the water level.

Road along the Yellowstone, between three and two mile post very narrow. Two or three very bad holes.

Road along the Yellowstone at the rapids and upper falls very narrow and dangerous. Heavy guard rail should be placed along there.

Approach to the concrete bridge from the opposite side of Yellowstone River in very bad condition. Dangerous for the operation to the camps next summer.

Going from Canyon toward Dunraven Pass along the hillside half a mile before reaching the entrance of Dunraven pass, the road should be graded to slope toward the bank and logs should be imbedded along the outer edge of the entire road from this point for about a mile.

Road over top of Mt. Washburn should be cleared of rocks, small and large. It is very difficult for a large car to go up there at the present time and extremely hard on tires, as the road is practically covered for miles at a time with sharp stones which have blown onto it.

The last three miles before reaching Tower Falls the road is very rough and narrow and worn. Two or three severe chuck holes.

More than half way up the long hill from the Tower Falls Soldier Station to the top of the cut, there are several very bad holes and bumps.

Road down Blacktail Creek back of Mount Everts could be fixed with little expense, for the benefit of fishing parties.

This list provides a very good overview of the conditions of the road system in 1917.

Capt. John Schulz to Chester Lindsley, 11 October 1917. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

218. Horace Albright, Acting Director, National Park Service to Franklin Lane, Secretary of the Interior, 17 October 1917. Yellowstone National Park Archives, Yellowstone National Park.

219. Maj. G.E. Verrill and Col. 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 Appendices EEE and FFF (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1918), 1977-80.

220. Report of the Director of the National Park Service to the Secretary of the Interior for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 1918 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1918), 39-40.

221. Ibid., 40.

222. Ibid., 273-274.