Posted: 4/27/2014 12:40:28 PM EDT
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In 1872, the area now known as Yellowstone National Park was set aside as a federal reservation. The area started to attract tourists, and others with not so nice intentions. The Interior Department transferred administration of the park over to the War Department in 1886, and cavalry was sent in to keep order. They built a temporary post, Camp Sheridan, which was later renamed Ft. Yellowstone in 1891, and rebuilt with permanent structures. The Army administered the park until 1918.
Many of the buildings are still in use today as part of the YNP headquarters. Company M, 1st Cavalry arrives in Yellowstone from Ft. Custer, Montana: 
Ft. Yellowstone, circa 1910: 
Map of Ft. Yellowstone buildings in the modern HQ area: 
NCO Quarters, also known as "Soap Suds Row": 
Bachelor Officer's Quarters, now a park visitor center: 
Stone barracks, now serving as park HQ: 
"U.S. Army management of Yellowstone was so successful that by 1891 they were also managing Sequoia, Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. The National Park Service later followed the precedents established by the army and incorporated them into their own management strategy. During its tenure at Yellowstone, the army developed regulations that put emphasis on protection of park resources, safety of visitors, and positive but effective visitor interaction. Under the watchful eyes of the army, the geothermal features, forests and wildlife of Yellowstone were protected from vandalism, fire and poaching. These practices were adopted by the National Park Service and continue as a foundation of National Park management policy. Proactive actions by the army in stopping poaching in the park led to the passing of the Lacey Act of 1894, which established legal protection for the wildlife and remedies for dealing with violators." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ft._Yellowstone |