Fort Yellowstone (Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming)
Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park · Wyoming · Indian Wars
History & Significance
Yellowstone was designated in 1872 but the Interior Department was unable to effectively manage the park; administration was transferred to the War Department in August 1886 and General Philip Sheridan sent a company of cavalry to Mammoth Hot Springs to build a cavalry post. Company M of the First United States Cavalry arrived under Captain Moses Harris and initially lived in temporary frame buildings at Camp Sheridan, established at the foot of the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces.
In 1890, Congress appropriated $50,000 for a permanent post, and Fort Yellowstone was completed by late 1891. The fort was constructed between 1891 and 1913 on the eastern edge of the Mammoth Hot Springs terraces at a cost of approximately $700,000.
By 1905, three more troops of cavalry had been added to the original Company M contingent of 50 soldiers, and during this period the fort facilities were almost continuously expanded to meet the requirements of park administration, ordinary cavalry training, and growing numbers of visitors. The Army left a legacy of policies and practices that served as precedents for the future National Park Service management of national parks, implementing backcountry patrols, wildlife protection and management, and protection of natural features. The Army continued to use Fort Yellowstone until they turned over control of the park and the fort to the newly formed National Park Service in October 1918.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Historic Army cavalry post buildings housing park headquarters and visitor centers
- Pioneering wildlife protection and conservation programs developed on-site
- Mammoth Hot Springs geothermal features and park access point
- Foundation site of modern National Park Service management practices
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Yellowstone
- https://www.nps.gov/thingstodo/yell-tour-fort-yellowstone.htm
- https://wyoshpo.wyo.gov/index.php/programs/national-register/wyoming-listings/view-full-list/915-fort-yellowstone-national-historic-landmark
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/wy-fortyellowstone/
- https://www.yellowstone.org/safeguarding-yellowstone-the-us-army-1886-1918/
- https://www.loc.gov/item/2017685855/