Army Era, 1886-1918
Mounted US Army Patrolman; Watson; No date
About
Yellowstone National Park was established on March 1, 1872, and was administered by a civilian staff for the next fourteen years. During this early period the protection of the park from poachers, looters, and vandals was at best very limited. So in 1886 Company M, 1st Cavalry Regiment, was sent to Yellowstone to protect the park. This assignment was only meant to be temporary, but in the end the Army stayed in Yellowstone for 32 years! And while other parks, such as Yosemite, experienced military administrations, only Yellowstone would become the site of a permanent post. In fact, the military administration of Yellowstone was the longest-lived example of this unique experiment (Bawden, 2013).
Helpful Resources
- The Immortal 15, Fort Yellowstone, and Buffalo Soliders, In the Shadow of the Arch
- How the U.S. Army Saved Our National Parks, Smithsonian Magazine
- Yellowstone National Park Army Era Records, Montana History Portal
From the Archive
Library Resources
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Military administration -- Yellowstone National Park -- History.
National parks and reserves -- United States -- Management -- History.
Soldiers -- United States -- Biography.
United States. -- Army -- Biography.
United States. -- Army. -- Cavalry, 1st. -- Troop M -- History.
United States. -- National Park Service -- History.
Yellowstone National Park -- Management -- History -- 19th century.
Yellowstone National Park -- Management -- History -- 20th century.
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