Grand Teton National Park - August 31st

Time to explore Grand Teton National Park.  We got up early (6am) because we heard at the ranger talk that moose have been in the campground amphitheater area recently early in the morning.  So we walked down to the amphitheater, but there were none in sight and you could see quite a distance.  We then decided to walk around the campground some in hopes of seeing them elsewhere.  They are very common in the campground we are staying at.  When we were on the final loop back to our camper we did get to see two male moose in the distance.  They were quite large with very large racks.   We are hoping to have better luck tomorrow.  

We went to the visitor center to get maps for hiking and activities around the park.  We walked down to a restaurant that had a nice view of the Tetons and had breakfast with a view while we decided what to do. 

We went to Menors Ferry Historic District.  William Menor was taking advantage of the Homestead Act and settled in this area.  The requirements for the Homestead Act were build a home, improve the land and stay there for 5 years, then it will become yours.  Menor was a single man and he built a basic room first in 1894. He then added on a kitchen in 1895.        Finally in 1905 he added on a portion to the house that would become the general store.  He started a ferry business taking people across the snake river.  I am hoping you can enlarge this picture to see how he did it.  He was very entrepreneurial and tried to provide what people in the area needed.  

This is the house/store he built in stages. You can tell by the different sidings the different sections.

The conjecture is that he brought in the stove and then built around it as there is no opening that is large enough to get it in or out.  It is the original stove

Sears Catalog replica from 1897.  It was interesting to look through and see what was offered.

One interesting thing we learned in the wagon exhibit is that the top of the wagon could come off when you reached your homestead choice.  You then could use the base to haul lumber to build your home.

The other significant occurrence on this property happened many years later after it was bought by Maud Noble.  There was alot of growth in the area starting and a group of people wanted it preserved.  On June 26, 1923 they got together and started the process to save the land that eventually became Grand Teton National Park.  Rockefeller visited the area in 1924 and 26 and did not like how it was growing in 1926, so he started purchasing all available land to give to the government to preserve.  Locals did not like that their use of the land would be restricted so they fought it.  Thanks to Rockefeller’s purchases and Roosevelt using the Antiquities Act on March 15, 1943 221,610 acres of the Valley were protected.

There was also a church on the property that we looked at.  There were two very pretty stain glass windows.

View from pews

We then went out to the Mormon Row Historic District.  The significance of this area is that people worked together to survive and thrive as opposed to trying to make it on their own.  However, people did not like the name, as it was not all Mormons who settled there.   Dave wanted to go to this area because it is where the “iconic” barn that you see with the Tetons in the background.

Til next time….