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Posted by Ballpark Frank (199.231.243.100) on 10:41:30 04/09/14
In Reply to: The Moulton Barns: 1963-1965 posted by Mike Jackson
Mike,
Thanks to you for all the work putting this together, and to Sue for providing public access to the photos.
In my experience, each national park seems to be at a different level in the effort to preserve vestiges of its modern human history. Obviously, there is always the necessary balance that has to be struck between managing the resource for the present enjoyment of visitors and preserving it for the benefit of future generations. It is such a high wire act for management. Thankfully, in recent years, we have seen park foundations spring up in recognition that, with limited federal funding for national parks, if "someone" doesn't help fill the gap, necessary work will not be done. (I know you and Sue are both plenty aware of all this. I threw it in here for the benefit of any casual readers that might not be aware.) The cooperating associations also make a mighty contribution, but their efforts are supposed to concentrate on the education mission.
I was a volunteer photographer for Rocky Mountain National Park back in the 1980s and early 1990s. The park had no budget to hire a photographer, so several of us volunteers tried to bridge the gap. When I look at the work Jim Peaco has done for Yellowstone, I realize that we didn't even come close! We had so many competing demands. The seasonal interpretive staff would submit requests for a variety of photos they needed for planned campfire slide programs. (A good example for Tetons would be "I need some good lynx and wolverine shots" or "I need some historic shots of the valley before any settlement".) The permanent interpretive staff had done some good work in collaboration with the Denver Public Library's Western American History collection, but we still found ourselves occasionally using photos of Native Americans that were outtakes from the filming of western movies in Hollywood or on location.
Yellowstone has always been the envy of other national parks, for its historic ability to procure much more money for research and resource management, yet we know Yellowstone has chronic shortfalls in its budget. (The road conditions and water/sewage treatment facilities speak volumes.) At least, Yellowstone has the benefit of tremendous public support, and the funding opportunities that come with it. Witness the donor dollars that contributed to the Canyon Visitor Center remake and the new Old Faithful Visitor Center. The Heritage Research Center in Gardiner is an incredibly invaluable contribution to the preservation of Yellowstone history.
When I was volunteering at Rocky, I watched the ebb and flow of the effort to manage the Neversummer Ranch as a living history exhibit. Some years, it was open, even including "rented" farm animals. Some years, it was only partially open. Some years, it was just flat closed, and all visitors could do was walk around the outside of the buildings. There is some incredible history on the west side of Rocky, outside that of the ranch, mostly involving mining in the early 1880s, but we have precious little remaining in the way of structures or even images of what was once there.
I know little of what existing infrastructure exists to preserve modern human history in Grand Tetons, but I'll bet it pales in comparison to what Yellowstone has. I hope there is someone in a position to preserve Al's photos within the framework of the park for the benefit of future generations of visitors!
Thanks again to you and Sue for providing this glimpse of history.
Ballpark
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