Preserving a Legacy

The main cabin as it looked in its heyday (photo courtesy of the Burt Family).

The Burt family lived in this cabin for many summers on the ranch. Their son, Nathaniel, was even born on the kitchen table one winter. Several other people and families cared for the Bar BC over the decades, including Horace Carncross, Struthers Burt's original partner; Irving Corse and his family, who took the ranch over from the Burts; Peggy Conderman of the neighboring 4 Lazy F Ranch; and Margaretta Sharpless, Irving Corse's widow. The Western Center for Historic Preservation and Grand Teton National Park, in partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, are working on a multi-year project to stabilize and preserve this cabin and other buildings here, so that visitors can continue to enjoy them and learn about the Bar BC.

Though the families who lived here and the guests who came to stay are gone, their legacy remains in these buildings, the beginnings of tourism in Jackson Hole, and the formation of Grand Teton National Park. Visitors to the valley today experience the same wonder and joy at the high peaks, the cool swimming holes, and the novelty of Western life. Though the dudes and wranglers have left, and these cabins are now empty, you can still explore the Bar BC and imagine the experiences they had here.