Fort Yellowstone

For the decade after Yellowstone National Park was established in 1872, the park was under serious threat from those who would exploit, rather than protect, its resources.  Poachers killed animals.  Souvenir hunters broke large pieces off the geysers and hot springs.  Developers set up camps for tourists near hot springs, along with bath and laundry facilities in the hot springs.  In response, civilian superintendents were hired to preserve and protect the land.  Their experience and intentions varied, and they were all under-funded and under-staffed.  Word got back to Congress that the park was in trouble, but legislators refused to appropriate any funds for the park's administration in 1886. 

Yellowstone National Park turned to the U.S. Army for help.  In 1886, men from Company M, First United States Cavalry, Fort Custer, Montana Territory came to Yellowstone under the command of Captain Moses Harris.  They began what would be 32 years of military presence in the park. 

At first, the soldiers lived in temporary frame buildings at Camp Sheridan at the foot of the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces.  After enduring five cold, harsh, winters, the Army realized there was no end in sight to this assignment.  Therefore, in 1890, Congress appropriated $50,000 for a permanent post. 

The first buildings of Fort Yellowstone, at the far end of the street from today's Albright Visitor Center, were finished by late 1891: two duplex officer's quarters, a guardhouse, and a headquarters building on the front row; a barracks on the second row; a stables on the third row; and two non-commissioned officers' quarters in the final row.  An almost identical set of buildings was finished in 1897 to house a second troop. 

In 1909, Scottish stonemasons and a force of other workers began constructing seven large sandstone buildings using standard military plans in the Colonial Revival style.  The buildings provide the fort with a distinctive and substantial character.  They represent the Army's attempt to live up to a substantial commitment and to provide a model post for visitors.  The chapel, built of sandstone in 1913, was the final building constructed during the Army's tenure.  The stone for these buildings was obtained from a quarry between the Gardner River and the Mammoth Campground. 

--from NPS booklet, Fort Yellowstone Historic District Tour Guide, The Army Years 1886-1918

Once we left the Albright Visitor Center we started following the Fort Yellowstone walking tour route laid out in the pamphlet we'd picked up (quoted above).  If you'd like to take a virtual tour of the fort then visit this section of the Yellowstone website.  As mentioned previously Albright used to be the Bachelor Officers' Quarters.  Across the street was the drill field, which today is a lovely park area.

Gathering place, site of ceremonies and parades, training ground--the drill field was the focal point of daily life at Fort Yellowstone.

Each day began early with a bugler sounding Reveille.  Gradually, the Fort came to life and another bugle call brought horse-mounted soldiers trotting onto the field for the flag raising.  assignments were announced, and troopers headed out to patrol the Mammoth Hot Spring Terraces or other nearby attractions.  Those remaining behind assumed the never-ending task of caring for the post's horses. 

At dusk, the bugler called all troopers back to the field for the lowering of the flag, and the day was concluded with a cannon firing from the top of Capitol Hill (left).  Taps was played as lights winked out and quiet settled over the Fort.
--from tour signage

The next building was the Captain's Quarters, dating from 1909 it housed two apartments.

The pamphlet contains this cautionary statement: At present, many buildings in the Fort Yellowstone Historic District are employee residences and are not open to the public.  Please respect the privacy of residents by staying on the paved route and treating living areas with courtesy.

Several of these buildings were next on the path.

Double Officer's Quarters

Further down was the chapel exhibit, which we'd seen when we first came into town.

Built in 1913, the chapel was the last building completed during the Army era.  Built of native stone with a slate roof and oak furnishings, it is still used today and is the best-preserved building--inside and out.  The bell was added in 1928, and two stained glass windows were placed in 1939.
--from NPS booklet, Fort Yellowstone Historic District Tour Guide, The Army Years 1886-1918

At several points along the tour route explanatory signs along the side of the road provided text to further explain the building's historic significance and show vintage photographs.  I'm not sure why I didn't take a picture of the actual chapel.

At Guard 

Protecting Yellowstone's wildlife and natural wonders was the primary function of the Army.  An important part of this duty was managing the growing visitation to the park and watching for "shady characters." 

Park rods were aligned so that the guardhouse controlled traffic into Yellowstone from the north.  Here soldiers contacted each party and entered the name of the driver, passengers, and type of rig into a large ledger.  Guns not held at the guardhouse were sealed on the spot.  They were checked at each outpost enroute, where soldiers certified on a form that the seal remained intact.  Before visitors left the park, the form was scrutinized at an exit station. 

--from tour signage

As you can see below there are plenty of people living in these houses today.

Just as I think it is great that Cincinnati's Union Terminal has been repurposed as a museum, I think it is great that these houses (far too extensive to all serve as museum buildings) are being put to use by park service personnel.

This building was constructed in 1897 as a cavalry barracks building.  It originally housed 60 men and "a basement was built in in 1909 under one wing so the building could house 100 men."  The Yellowstone Center for Resources now occupies the structure.

The largest building in the fort was the Double Cavalry Barracks, built in 1909.  200 men in two cavalry troops were once housed in this building that is now the park's Administration Building.

Under the construction scaffolding you can see the building's front door.

I think this is the side of the Captain's Quarters shown above.  The tour loop brought us back around to the back of the visitor center.

In 1910, at the height of the Army's presence in Yellowstone, there were 324 soldiers stationed here - plus some families and numerous civilian employees. These troops staffed not only Fort Yellowstone, but were stationed throughout the park in small details at various outposts.
--from Yellowstone website, Fort Yellowstone section

Across the road from the drill field and the visitor center is the U.S. Engineers' Offices.  It was built "in 1903 to house the Army Corps of Engineers, which had responsibility for construction of the park roads."

The detail on this building is fantastic.  Both of the detail shots in the opening paragraph at the start of this entry are from this building.

The nationally known architectural firm of Reed and Stern received $750 for the building plans.  New York City's Grand Central Terminal and Livingston, Montana's Northern Pacific Depot are among the firm's other work.--from NPS booklet, Fort Yellowstone Historic District Tour Guide, The Army Years 1886-1918

I hope that you've enjoyed this tour through Fort Yellowstone.  I only have one more posts left that will cover Yellowstone National Park.

~Matt