Near Promontory in Box Elder County, Utah — The American Mountains (Southwest)

Stephen Tyng Mather

— July 4, 1867 — Jan. 22, 1930 —

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 17, 2013

1. Stephen Tyng Mather Marker

Inscription.
He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good that he has done.

Erected by National Park Service.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Charity & Public Work • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Stephen Tyng Mather series list.

Location. 41° 37.035′ N, 112° 33.055′ W. Marker is near Promontory, Utah, in Box Elder County. It can be reached from the intersection of Golden Spike Road (22000 West Road) and 6400 North Road. Located at the Golden Spike National Historic Site Visitor Center. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Corinne UT 84307, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Utah’s Cache Valley

and in the West Desert.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and in Colorado Plateau.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Rocky Mountains,

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the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Southern Pacific Monument (here, next to this marker); Golden Spike (a few steps from this marker); Evolution of Rail (within shouting distance of this marker); Last Spike Driven (within shouting distance of this marker); Transforming Communication: from Coast to Coast (within shouting distance of this marker); Original Rail (within shouting distance of this marker); Irish Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Competition 1869 (within shouting distance of this marker).

Another marker is no longer nearby. Jubilation Coast to Coast (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).

Also see . . .
1. Stephen Tyng Mather. American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration entry:
He was the founding director of the National Park Service in 1916. Prior to his involvement with NPS, he was an influential industrialist who

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 17, 2013

2. Stephen Tyng Mather Marker

Located near the visitor center entrance.

had become personally wealthy from his involvement with Twenty Mule Team Borax. Mather was a dedicated conservationist, a member of the Sierra Club, and friend and admirer of John Muir; and an avid mountain climber. On a trip through Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks in 1914 he was shocked by the conditions he found. Mather wrote Secretary Franklin Lane a highly critical report on the mismanagement of the national parks. He and Lane were friends from their student days at the University of California. Quite succinctly Lane responded, "Dear Steve: If you don't like the way the national parks are run, why don't you come on down to Washington and run them yourself." (Submitted on November 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Mather Plaques History. — “When it comes to Mather Plaques, they are spread out from Alaska to the Virgin Islands, Maine to Hawaii. They cover the gamut of National Parks, Monuments, a Sea Shore, Parkways, Memorials, a Preserve, a Battlefield, Recreation Areas, Historical Parks, Historic Sites, three administrative offices, a couple of State Parks, a city park, and two schools. They

Golden Spike National Historic Site Visitor Center image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 17, 2013

3. Golden Spike National Historic Site Visitor Center

The marker is just to the right of this sign.

are in 16 UNESCO Biosphere Reserves. They are in 11 World Heritage Sites.” (Submitted on April 14, 2022, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.)

Stephen T. Mather with William Kent image. Click for full size.

Photo courtesy of the Bancroft Library, UC Berkeley, circa 1923

4. Stephen T. Mather with William Kent

As noted on the marker, it was Mather who laid the foundation for the National Park System, but he was not without help in the issue - William Kent was the California congressman who wrote and sponsored the Organic Act of 1916, which established the National Park Service.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 25, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 605 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 11, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 4. submitted on November 11, 2018. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.