Near Moran in Teton County, Wyoming — The American West (Mountains)

Stephen Leek's Camera Conservation

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 12, 2015

1. Stephen Leek's Camera Conservation Marker

Caption: (top right) Stephen Leek, 1937; Homesteader, businessman, and conservationist Stephen Leek built a lodge here in 1927. All that remains of the lodge is this chimney.

Inscription. Stephen Leek pioneered the first conservation movement in Jackson Hole. Starting out as a fishing and hunting guide, he later became a passionate campaigner for the Jackson elk herd. Leek's glass plate photographs of starving and dead elk nationally publicized the tragic effects of winter habitat loss. In 1912, Congress approved the creation of the National Elk Refuge.

The establishment of the National Elk Refuge marked an important change in attitudes about land use here.
Once opposed, homesteaders began to support the government purchase of land for conservation.

Erected by Department of the Interior National Park Service and Wyoming Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Environment. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 43° 55.809′ N, 110° 38.367′ W. Marker is near Moran, Wyoming, in Teton County. Marker can be reached from Leeks Marina Road near John D. Rockefeller Jr. Parkway (U.S. 89), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Moran WY 83013, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Bold Trappers (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); A Changing Landscape (approx. 1.9 miles away); The Art of Making Mountains

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

(approx. 1.9 miles away); John Colter (approx. 1.9 miles away); Grand Teton National Park (approx. 4.7 miles away); A New Era (approx. 4.8 miles away); Jackson Lake Lodge (approx. 4.8 miles away); Young, Restless, and Still Rising (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Moran.

More about this marker. This marker is located at Leeks Marina in Grand Teton National Park.

Also see . . . National Elk Refuge: 1912 - 2012 - Grass Roots Conservation - Jackson Hole Historical Society. The efforts of S.N. Leek are widely credited with the actual establishment of the Elk Refuge in 1912. Leek set up a homestead in South Park in 1891 and married Etta Wilson. With few employment opportunities at that time, he became a hunting guide. One of his clients was George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak, who gave Leek a Kodak view camera during one of Eastman’s many hunting trips in the valley. (Submitted on November 26, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Additional keywords. conservation

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, September 12, 2015

2. Stephen Leek's Camera Conservation Marker

The fireplace of Leek's lodge is in the background.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 404 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2015, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.