|
|||||
MONDAY, MAY 18, 1998 |
|
|
|||
|
PARK
WEATHER MORE NEWS The Yellowstone Net Newspaper is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays
ARCHIVES DISCUSSION FORUMS Go to the Yellowstone Net Home Page Send us
your Comments
PUBLISHER EDITOR IN CHIEF INTERN CONTRIBUTING WRITERS AND COLUMNISTS
|
CODY, Wyo. (YNET) -- The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is often called the Smithsonian of the West. It is arguably the finest Western museum in the world, and is the "cornerstone" of Cody's tourism draw. The 237,000 square-foot Historical Center actually includes four museums: the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, Cody Firearms Museum, Buffalo Bill Museum and Plains Indian Museum. The newest of the four, the Cody Firearms Museum, opened in 1991. The BBHC kicked off the summer season this past weekend with the opening of a special exhibit, "Powerful Images: Portrayals of Native Americans." This exhibit will run through August 16. A number of other special exhibits will be housed at the Center this summer as well. The Center also plays host to a number of exciting summer activities, such as the 17th annual Plains Indian Powwow (June 20-21) and the 16th annual Frontier Festival (July 18-19). The powwow is an authentic Plains Indian cultural pageant, while the Frontier Festival is showcases authentic frontier skills, crafts and competition. In August, the fifth annual Buffalo Bill Celebrity Shootout will take place the 21-23. The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is open daily from 7 AM to 8 PM through September. For more information, call the Center at 307-587-4771..
Yellowstone Postcards:
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- Fat snowflakes fell steadily on the small band of men huddled amongst the fir trees. Soon the swirling, twirling mass of whiteness enshrouded the mountain. To keep warm the explorers alternately huddled together and jumped up and down flailing their arms. The next day they proceeded on and were caught up in another alpine blizzard -- only this time they were on the hillside’s open face with Dunraven Pass still in the distance. After surviving a second night of piercing cold, wailing winds and snowfall, this band of adventurous investigators trudged back to the Tower Falls area and Pleasant Valley Hotel. Later F. Jay Haynes returned to Fargo, Dakota Territory with the first pictures of Yellowstone Park in winter. F. J. Haynes is a name synonymous with Yellowstone National Park and Wonderland postcards. Haynes was the Congress appointed “Official Photographer of Yellowstone National Park," and while his photos were indeed on the first mailing card of Yellowstone Park, the credit goes to California publisher Albert Kayser. Kayser’s copyrighted 1897 Gruss-aus style card pictured eight plagiarized Haynes’ photos including Liberty Cap and National Hotel, Rainbow Falls and Old Faithful. In 1900 Haynes did publish his first set of private mailing cards, but credit for being second and third go to Edward Mitchell who re-published Kayser’s card and William Jackson of the 1871 Hayden Expedition, who published an experimental set a year earlier. Jackson’s pictures were the photos used to convince Congress that the Yellowstone area should be declared a national park. Originally joining the expedition as a “useful citizen," not the official photographer, Jackson retained all rights to his photos. Unfortunately, the official negatives and photographs were consumed by the Chicago Fire, forcing Hayden to request use of Jackson’s photos for his Geological Report. Both Haynes’ and Jackson’s first cards were vignettes -- small oval, round or rectangular images slightly off center. Labeled "private mailing card," these small sized letters seemed ideally suited for the cosmopolitan traveler to communicate “wish you were here” sentiments back home.
Originally, American postcards were government-only produced correspondence devices, sold over the counter. Businesses printed advertising messages on them, however, there were usually no pictures. The first private picture cards were issued for the 1893 Chicago World Colombian Exposition. However, PMCs could only be mailed first-class, 2 cents at that time, while the government cards postage requirement was 1 cent. The 1898 Private Mailing Card Act lowered the postage rate to 1 cent, creating the penny postcard and spurring supply-and-demand interest that led to the U.S. Golden Age of Postcards. During this Golden Age millions of cards were mailed, including a portion of the five million cards Haynes produced between 1900-1915. By 1968 the Haynes Studios had produced an estimated 51 million postcards. These high numbers are almost unremarkable given Haynes was only one amongst 86 known names of YNP postcard publishers between 1897-1951. And as for those first winter photographs -- Haynes published them around 1910.
Yellowstone Road Construction
Information YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- This summer two segments of Yellowstone's roadways will be under construction: the Northeast and East entrance roads. Road openings for these two roads for the summer of 1998 are as follows: NORTHEAST ENTRANCE ROAD WORK: March 15-31 -- Open 24 hours, up to 30 minute delays from 7am-9pm June 1-Oct 31 -- Open 5am to midnight with up to thirty minute delays EAST ENTRANCE ROAD WORK: May 1-June 16 -- Open 24 hours, up to 30 minute delays June 17-Sept 5 -- Open 9am to 9pm, up to 30 minute delays Sept 8-Nov 2 -- Open, up to 30 minute delays Both roads will be open Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day weekends. For more information, call 307-344-7381.
|
A YNET Weekly Feature
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- The Yellowstone River is special in many ways. It starts high in the mountains surrounding the southern portion of Yellowstone National Park, but it's major source is Yellowstone Lake, the largest natural lake resting at an elevation of over 7000 feet in the lower forty-eight states of the United States. Yellowstone Lake has 110 miles of shoreline, and when the winds kick up over the Lake, ocean-sized waves are often stirred up. Yellowstone River flows out of the Lake, a broad-flowing river which soon drops into the awesome depths of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, coursing maddeningly through canyon walls as it flows out of the Park and makes its way toward the beautiful Paradise Valley. At Livingston, Montana, the River turns and heads east, where it follows the northern edge of the Absaroka mountains. Cutting through Billings, Montana's largest city, the River flows more to the northeast, winding its way through the hills of plains of eastern Montana and eventually emptying into the Missouri River near the Montana-North Dakota border. Its total journey is over 600 miles, and it provides water for many communities along the way. The Yellowstone River stands alone among the major river systems of America: it is the only major river system which is undammed. Its waters flow freely and unhindered as it courses through the mountains of Yellowstone and onto the broad plains of eastern Montana. Its untamed condition stands as a testimony to the wildness of the American West that Lewis and Clark visited at the turn of the 19th century. A recent proposal was made to include the Yellowstone River as a "Heritage River," establishing new interpretative centers along its course and to bring together people who live along its banks for the purpose of better caring for and managing its resources. However, Montana's congressional Republicans incited unsupported fears that the Heritage River program would harm landowners, and the program was killed. With the Heritage River proposal dead, a Montana governor's task force is now planning a $640,000 study of the upper Yellowstone River, the 75-mile portion of the river which stretches from Gardiner, Montana (located on the boundary of Yellowstone) to Springdale, Montana. The proposed three-year study would catalog the rivers resources (such as wildlife, vegetation and structures) and take a close look at how the past two years of record flooding has affected the river. The study would be used in future flood management and river-front development. Any recommendations that might result from such a study are bound to displease some people, as the Yellowstone River is prized by conservationists, land owners, fishing guides and recreationalists. The potential danger in this study is that attention to the health of the River could be minimized if those who would harmfully exploit it's resources for personal or corporate gain secure the loudest voice in the study process. The wild and free Yellowstone River must be allowed to remain just that. Are you concerned about the health and vitality of Yellowstone National Park? Join the campaign to Protect Yellowstone from those forces which would exploit and destroy the Park!
College Guide to a Summer Job in
Yellowstone  This column is based on my interactions with people who have worked
in Yellowstone (or who want to work in the Park). Some of these stories will be the
"behind the scenes" story of why I wrote a particular story in my book. If
you have a story to contribute to this column, email
me. For more information about my book, College Guide to a Summer Job in Yellowstone, click here.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK (YNET) -- My partner Bruce is rarely as wrong as he is about my favorite subject---ICE CREAM! Now, Bruce thinks that that Amfac ice cream cones in the Park are the
best. I'll agree that their ice cream taste great and they hire some terrific people to
work for the summer. However, just take a bite out of one of the Hamilton Stores Ice Cream cones and even though it tastes just as good as the Amfac cones, you will see the difference. Hamilton Stores serves BIGGER SCOOPS. To me there is nothing more important in eating an ice cream cone than when you take the first bite you wind up with ice cream on your cheeks and nose. Thats a sure sign of either a perfect scoop, or maybe I'm just a slob. Whichever, I still say Hamilton Stores is best. Just like Amfac they hire some great folks to spend the summer in Yellowstone. Free job applications are available for all the
|
|||
Yellowstone is a national treasure
which is owned by the American public. Protecting Yellowstone is the responsibility
of the American public. This weekly feature will help identify and explore the
issues which are crucial to the ongoing, healthy existence of the "Crown Jewel"
of America's National Park system.
