Enjoying Yellowstone Park
September 17, 2007
CowboyPoetry.com
http://www.cowboypoetry.com/photowk15.htm
Photographer and journalist Jeri Dobrowski shared family photos from Yellowstone, from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. She told us:
Listening to the 16 finalists in the Western Folklife Center's Yellowstone Teton Song Writing Contest brought back a lot of great memories of times spent in and around Yellowstone Park as a child. Living in eastern Montana, and having numerous relatives in the western part of the state, our family made several trips through the park. It wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime kinda deal like it is for some people.
Looking through vintage photo albums reveals a long-standing affinity for Yellowstone by my grandparents, on both sides. That's probably why my folks loved the park so and took us kids there.
Just so you know, in our family, West Yellowstone is as much a part of the park as any of the natural features. If you went through the park, you had to go to West Yellowstone too. We'd stay in a cabin or motel there, but finding one during peak season could be a challenge. (This was in a time before toll-free numbers and reservation services.) Driving from office to office, inquiring about lodging, was part of the adventure. Hence, the inclusion of West Yellowstone photos in this selection.
Circa 1934: Vacation from Powder River County, Montana, to Yellowstone Park. Hallie Janssen, my paternal grandmother, in back of family's 1929 Chevy truck. Granddad Bill converted it from a mercantile delivery vehicle to a camper for the adventure. Imagine driving across the state of Montana in that rig with three boys—before modern highways, let alone the interstate rest areas, air conditioning, and convenience stores.
Granddad Bill "fishing" in a posted stream on a later trip, maybe. Maybe not. He was such a ham in front of a camera, I seriously doubt that he was fishing. BUT, his love for photography was equaled by that of fishing. You never know ...
Taken on the same trip, that's Grandma Hallie (in the light colored dress) standing on the observation deck in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The two boys wearing the jaunty caps are her sons.
This photo, taken at a West Yellowstone photo concession, is of my mother, Alice Campbell. Taken in 1946, she was vacationing in the park with her family. (She and my father married in 1953.) Too bad the photographer didn't make sure the bronc rein was on the right side of the horse's neck. It would have made for a more realistic shot.
Granddad Bill in waders with the catch of the day. You know what they had for supper that night. Notice the two poles in the back of the truck, along with one of the boys' caps. He wasn't the only one fishing.
Labeled "In Yellowstone Park" on the back in my maternal grandmother's hand, this photo tells the story of a time now gone. Today you're warned not to feed the bears, to stay away from them. Fifty years ago, begging bears were as much a part of the scenery as the bubbling mud pots and Old Faithful. They'd come up to car windows and mooch whatever road food tourists would share.
Floyd & Lew, Yellowstone Lake
1952: That's my dad, John Janssen's, Cadillac fueling up at the Union 76 station in West Yellowstone. This was taken on the way back from a trip to Albuquerque, New Mexico, and California. Dad's friend, Bob Rask, represented Montana State College at an intercollegiate rodeo convention, and they took Dad's car. On the way back, they made a swing through California and took in the Tournament of Roses Parade. Dad and Bob were plenty happy to see West Yellowstone. They had spent the night in the car, the road blocked by a truck stuck on a hill between Ashton, Idaho and West Yellowstone. It was a long, cold night.
Fishing in Yellowstone Park Floyd, John & Lew
This photo, taken at a West Yellowstone photo concession, is of my mother, Alice Campbell. Taken in 1946, she was vacationing in the park with her family. (She and my father married in 1953.) Too bad the photographer didn't make sure the bronc rein was on the right side of the horse's neck. It would have made for a more realistic shot.