Collections

UPDE Resource Management Records, Draft Environmental Impact Statement public comment letter received in 1983 from folksinger and activist, Pete Seeger.

National Park Service Collection

Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River's museum collection exists to preserve and interpret the natural, cultural, and recreational features that collectively contribute to the significance of the Upper Delaware River Valley. The collection policies are governed by recommendations contained in The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River Management Plan (November 1986), The Delaware River Basin National Wild and Scenic Values Document (September 2012), the Park Foundation Document (February 2014), the Park Management Goals (2015), and the Park Scope of Collections Statement (2016).

The museum collections for the park include both cultural and natural history objects and archives. The collection is inherently valuable for the information it provides about processes, events, and interactions among cultures, individuals, and the environment. Placing objects and specimens within a broader context, through research, analysis, and documentary records, provides for greatest benefit and enjoyment by the public. Natural and cultural materials provide baseline data, serving as scientific and historical documentation of the park’s resources, and of the purpose for which Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River was established. Cultural collections, objects, and archival materials document important events or people in the park’s history, technological processes, or artistic endeavors.

 

Copper and nickel Field and Stream Record Cup for the 1912 catch of a record 90 lb Atlantic.

National Park Service Museum Collection

Acquisitions for the park museum collections started in 1981 with the purchase of books related to the history of the river valley. The focus on collecting books continued until the late 1980s, when the collection size grew tremendously with the purchase of the Zane Grey House and its contents in 1989. The Zane Grey Collection (accession UPDE-00022) consists of historic objects and records associated with the Grey Family and the operations of the house as an inn and later a museum by Helen James Davis and Al Davis between 1948 and 1989. The Zane Grey Collection is still the largest accession in the collections today.

The museum collection continued to grow slowly through the early 1990s with more books being added to the collection. Beginning in the mid-1990s, the collection started to diversify with additions coming from field collections of historic objects found or obtained while working on park maintenance and archeology projects. It was also during this time that the park’s oral history project began sending recordings to the museum collection for preservation. In the early 2000s, the collection continued growing slowly with accessions that began to include park records along with more books, historic objects, archeology, and some artwork.

 

Suede GOLDO Sport-Wear jacket with shearling lining. Red painted initials “ZG” on left chest pocket.

National Park Service Museum Collection

Natural History specimens began getting accessioned into the collection in the mid-2000s. These include specimens collected for research purposes. Funding came through to upgrade the exhibits in the Zane Grey Museum in the late 2000s; with this came the purchase of objects, such as baskets, rugs, and furniture to furnish the study in the Zane Grey Museum. Acquisitions after this primarily represent park records transferred to the archives.

The archival collection consists mainly of park planning documents and resource management records. There are also personal records and manuscripts created or received by Zane Grey and his family or related to the management of the Zane Grey House as an inn and museum.

To make an appointment to research the collections, contact the Cultural Resources Program Manager at 570-685-4871 x 3. To make the most of your time, we encourage you to complete preliminary research using published materials prior to your visit. Please review our Access policies linked here. Access to materials is dependent upon the physical condition and level of processing by park staff.

Smallmouth Bass caught by Zane Grey in the Delaware River mounted to oak plaque.

National Park Service Museum Collection