History Fort Yellowstone

company m, 1st cavalry rides mammoth, 1886

more 40 years before creation of national park service, yellowstone national park established on march 1, 1872, world s first national park. between 1872 , 1886, park administered interior department , managed civilian superintendent limited resources or legal authority maintain , protect park s natural features , wildlife, or deal poaching, vandalism , other destructive activities. on next decade, special interest groups such concessionaires, railroad , mining interests attempted commercialize , privatize park lands. poorly funded interior department unable prevent degradation of park , in circumstances, complicit special interest groups. senator george vest led efforts prevent railroads , other special interests misusing resource, , along other members of congress believed military protect park. study of situation , amendments yellowstone park act proposed senator vest resulted in sundry civil appropriations bill of 1883 allowed interior department transfer control of park war department, thereby protecting yellowstone schemes commercialize park.

camp sheridan, circa 1900

in august 1886, lieutenant general philip sheridan sent company m, 1st u.s. cavalry park, established camp sheridan, named after general sheridan, @ mammoth hot springs. camp sheridan consisted of arrangement of temporary facilities @ base of capitol hill east of mammoth hot springs travertine terraces. none of facilities comprised camp sheridan remain removed on years.

congress appropriated funds establishment of permanent fort in 1891, , interior department allocated land north of camp sheridan permanent facilities. camp sheridan renamed fort yellowstone on may 11, 1891. army continued use fort yellowstone until turned on control of park , fort newly formed national park service in october 1918.

fort yellowstone designated national historic landmark on july 31, 2003. fort, along concessionaire facilities built after national park service assumed management of park, comprise collectively known mammoth hot springs historic district.

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