History

History of the Park

Grand Teton National Park by Denis Brunke

Introduction
Grand Teton National Park, created in 1929 and expanded to its present boundaries in 1950, is a special place. Famous for the beautifully rugged and jagged peaks of the Teton Range which have awed travelers and indigenous peoples for centuries, the park also includes a large section of Jackson Hole, a huge bowl-shaped valley surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges.

The park is about 45 miles long and 26 miles wide, encompassing 310,000 acres of mountains, glacial lakes, wild rivers, and scenic, undeveloped valley land. Along with Yellowstone National Park to the north and several surrounding national forests, Grand Teton National Park is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the most wildlife-rich areas of the world outside of the tropics. Jackson Hole itself has been dubbed the “Serengeti Plain of North America” because of its numerous wildlife viewing opportunities. Elk, moose, pronghorn antelope, prairie dogs and marmots are just some of the animals you can expect to see.

The Teton mountains (don’t call them “the Grand Tetons”), which rise abruptly and dramatically out of the valley floor, are crowned by Grand Teton peak – the highest point in Wyoming at 13,770 feet. Other major peaks include South Teton, Middle Teton, Mount Owen, and Teewinot. Seven glacial lakes, including Jackson Lake and Jenny Lake, are found at the base of the Teton Range. The Snake River, part of the headwaters of the Columbia River system, winds its way through the park.

A Short History
The formation of Grand Teton National Park is one of the greatest conservation victories in U.S. history. The park’s creation was the result of decades of controversy and struggle, buoyed by the efforts of several individuals who recognized the need to protect the area’s wild character. While it took only 2 years to finalize the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, it took about 50 years to create the present-day Grand Teton National Park.

Hardy pioneers began homesteading Jackson Hole around 1885. In 1897 the acting superintendent of Yellowstone suggested the extension of his park’s southern boundaries into Jackson Hole to protect migrating elk herds. Similar suggestions were made in 1898 and throughout the first two decades of the 1900’s. Horace Albright, another superintendent of Yellowstone, continually lobbied for inclusion of the Teton Range and Jackson Hole in the federal national park system. He almost succeeded in 1919, but the park expansion bill barely failed in the Senate.

Many ranchers and other Jackson Hole residents resented attempts by the government to take control of their valley, beginning decades of bitter opposition to park plans. In 1923 Horace Albright held a historic meeting with local residents who worried about the degradation of the area by commercial interests. The Jackson Hole Plan they devised focused on raising private funds to buy up and protect private lands in the valley.

In 1929 Congress finally passed a bill to create a national park that included the Teton Range and the glacial lakes near the base of the mountains. The important ecosystem of Jackson Hole, however, was not included in the park. Around this time the wealthy magnate John D. Rockefeller, Jr. made a couple of visits to the area. Horace Albright led him on a tour of the region and explained to him the need to buy up private lands in the valley to preserve them from unsightly development. Rockefeller agreed. Using an anonymous purchasing agent, he began to buy over 35,000 acres of land in Jackson Hole, with the goal of donating the land to the government for an expanded national park.

When locals found out about Rockefeller’s actions, it set off a storm of debate and hostility. Anti-park sentiments stalled all attempts to expand the park and prevented Rockefeller from donating his land holdings. After 15 years, an impatient Rockefeller wrote President Roosevelt and threatened to sell his lands. In 1943 Roosevelt used his presidential powers to create a Jackson Hole National Monument incorporating 221,000 acres, including Rockefeller’s land.

Local opposition to the monument was fierce, but after World War II the opposition began to wane, as people began to realize the economic benefits of tourism to the area. In 1950 Congress merged the monument and the park, creating the present-day boundaries of Grand Teton National Park. However, concessions were made to appease local concerns. The Park Service agreed to reimburse local governments for lost tax revenues. Existing grazing rights and residences inside park boundaries were allowed to continue. Elk management in the park, including controlled hunting, was agreed to. It was agreed that no other national parks or monuments would be allowed in Wyoming without congressional authorization – making Wyoming the only state in the country with such restrictions. In addition, a compromise allowed for the continued operation of Jackson Hole airport within park boundaries, as well as the creation of a state highway inside the park.

The John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, a 23,700 acre recreation area that connects Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks was established in 1972 to commemorate Rockefeller’s generous philanthropic efforts. These lands, along with much of the surrounding national forest land which has been given wilderness designation, protect large sections of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

For more information:

Creation of Grand Teton National Park http://www.nps.gov/grte/cult/parkhis1.htm

Crucible for Conservation: The Struggle for Grand Teton National Park by Robert Righter

A Place Called Jackson Hole: The Historic Resource Study of Grand Teton National Park by John Daugherty

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
History
http://biology.usgs.gov/s+t/noframe/r114.htm

Initiative
http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/public/html/gye/