Mammoth in Yellowstone National Park in Park County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)
A Golden Opportunity / Mission 66 in Yellowstone / The Mission Continues
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
1. A Golden Opportunity Marker
Inscription.
A Golden Opportunity, also, Mission 66 in Yellowstone, also, The Mission Continues. .
A Golden Opportunity. When Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872, only 300 people reached its borders.
-----------------------------------------. For decades, traveling to Yellowstone and other remote parks remained slow and expensive., Privately owned automobiles – the wave of the future – were first permitted in Yellowstone in 1915, but few people owned them then. In 1916, the year the National Park Service was created as a federal agency, nearly 36,000 visitors enjoyed traveling in Yellowstone., After World War II, new highways stretched across the country and automobiles became affordable for many families, leading vacationers on new adventures. Road trips became a pastime, and national parks grew in popularity as affordable destinations. In 1948, three years after the war ended, the number of visitors to Yellowstone skyrocketed to more than a million., But during the war years, national parks had suffered from a lack of funds. The visitors who arrived in Yellowstone in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s found structures had fallen into disrepair, and far too few services existed to accommodate growing crowds. As more and more people traveled to their national parks, they marveled at spectacular scenery and historic structures, but they needed basic services.
Mission 66 in Yellowstone. In 1955, the National Park Service embarked on an ambitious federal plan. During the coming decade, additional roads, bridges, visitor centers, campgrounds, lodges, restaurants, restrooms, trails, and other public services would be built in national parks. The National Park Service Director set a goal for completion in 1966 – the 50th Anniversary of the National Park Service., The Mission 66 program would eventually be the largest capital investment made in the history of the National Park Service, providing the infrastructure that would serve a generation of visitors and beyond.
-------------------------------. In the spirit of post-war modernization, new structures would be built with a modern flair rather than traditional nature-inspired buildings. In large parks, visitor services would be grouped for convenience in scenic landscapes. In large parks, visitor services would be grouped for convenience near popular destinations and park visitor centers, allowing for modern amenities and cultural resources to visitors., In addition to modern services and interpretation, the goal of Yellowstone’s Mission 66 program was to move development away from important resources. The scenic area near Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River received rapid attention, and a new village laid out in a convenient complex was quickly constructed. The village, set back from the canyon, replaced buildings scattered along the canyon rim, restoring spectacular scenery.
The Mission Continues. Tailored for the independent auto traveler, Canyon Lodge opened for business in 1957, complete with cafeteria and 500 motel cabins. For more than half a century, the cabins offered affordable accommodations to Yellowstone visitors.
-------------------------------. The simple and unadorned rustic architectural style of the buildings during the Mission 66 period has come to be called “NPS Modern.” It was a noted departure from the traditional park service “rustic” and was intended to modernize the post world war two visitor experience. Notice the straight lines and modern commercial look of the buildings arranged in a horseshoe pattern around the large parking lot. This development around you is the most prominent example of Mission 66 architecture in Yellowstone., The Loop A and Loop C Canyon Cabins were temporary structures built in the early 1950’s. They were one of the very first Mission 66 projects in the entire National Park Service. Affectionately referred to as “brownies” by staff and visitors, the square, flat-roofed cabins represent earliest attempts to provide modern style accommodations to visitors. The cabins have served their purpose but are being replaced by modern lodges. To mitigate for the loss of these historic cabins, Yellowstone has committed to a multi-year rehabilitation of the Canyon Lodge and Registration buildings to restore them to their 1960’s grandeur; reestablishing the modernist features so characteristic of the post-world war two era in American history.
A Golden Opportunity
When Yellowstone became the world’s first national park in 1872, only 300 people reached its borders.
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For decades, traveling to Yellowstone and other remote parks remained slow and expensive.
Privately owned automobiles – the wave of the future – were first permitted in Yellowstone in 1915, but few people owned them then. In 1916, the year the National Park Service was created as a federal agency, nearly 36,000 visitors enjoyed traveling in Yellowstone.
After World War II, new highways stretched across the country and automobiles became affordable for many families, leading vacationers on new adventures. Road trips became a pastime, and national parks grew in popularity as affordable destinations. In 1948, three years after the war ended, the number of visitors to Yellowstone skyrocketed to more than a million.
But during the war years, national parks had suffered from a lack of funds. The visitors who arrived in Yellowstone in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s found structures had fallen into disrepair, and far too few services existed to accommodate growing crowds. As more and more people traveled to their national parks, they marveled at spectacular scenery and historic structures, but they needed basic
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services.
Mission 66 in Yellowstone
In 1955, the National Park Service embarked on an ambitious federal plan. During the coming decade, additional roads, bridges, visitor centers, campgrounds, lodges, restaurants, restrooms, trails, and other public services would be built in national parks. The National Park Service Director set a goal for completion in 1966 – the 50th Anniversary of the National Park Service.
The Mission 66 program would eventually be the largest capital investment made in the history of the National Park Service, providing the infrastructure that would serve a generation of visitors and beyond.
-------------------------------
In the spirit of post-war modernization, new structures would be built with a modern flair rather than traditional nature-inspired buildings. In large parks, visitor services would be grouped for convenience in scenic landscapes. In large parks, visitor services would be grouped for convenience near popular destinations and park visitor centers, allowing for modern amenities and cultural resources to visitors.
In addition to modern services and interpretation, the goal of Yellowstone’s Mission 66 program was to move development away from important resources. The scenic area near Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River received rapid attention, and a new village laid out in a convenient
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
2. Mission 66 in Yellowstone Marker
complex was quickly constructed. The village, set back from the canyon, replaced buildings scattered along the canyon rim, restoring spectacular scenery.
The Mission Continues
Tailored for the independent auto traveler, Canyon Lodge opened for business in 1957, complete with cafeteria and 500 motel cabins. For more than half a century, the cabins offered affordable accommodations to Yellowstone visitors.
-------------------------------
The simple and unadorned rustic architectural style of the buildings during the Mission 66 period has come to be called “NPS Modern.” It was a noted departure from the traditional park service “rustic” and was intended to modernize the post WWII visitor experience. Notice the straight lines and modern commercial look of the buildings arranged in a horseshoe pattern around the large parking lot. This development around you is the most prominent example of Mission 66 architecture in Yellowstone.
The Loop A and Loop C Canyon Cabins were temporary structures built in the early 1950’s. They were one of the very first Mission 66 projects in the entire National Park Service. Affectionately referred to as “brownies” by staff and visitors, the square, flat-roofed cabins represent earliest attempts to provide modern style accommodations to visitors. The cabins have served their
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
3. The Mission Continues Marker
purpose but are being replaced by modern lodges. To mitigate for the loss of these historic cabins, Yellowstone has committed to a multi-year rehabilitation of the Canyon Lodge and Registration buildings to restore them to their 1960’s grandeur; reestablishing the modernist features so characteristic of the post-WWII era in American history.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places.
Location. 44° 44.053′ N, 110° 29.382′ W. Marker is in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, in Park County. It is in Mammoth. Marker is on Grand Loop Road, on the right when traveling north. This a a set of three markers, and is located in Canyon Village near the restaurants. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yellowstone National Park WY 82190, United States of America. Touch for directions.
More about this marker. Several photographs of Yellowstone in the early years and the Canyon Area facilities appear on the markers.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
5. Marker in Canyon Village
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
6. Three Marker Set
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
7. Canyon Visitor Education Center
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, July 28, 2015
8. Canyon Lodge Facility
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 18, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 357 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on September 18, 2015, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.
