ontheroad

T O Y E L L O W S T O N E

Free Travel Guide 2014TO POWELL AND THE GREATER YELLOWSTONE AREA

» ON THE ROAD

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Cody, Wyoming

FIRST LIGHT NATURE PHOTOGRAPHYFine Art Nature Photography by Bob Cochran

Visit my new website at www.firstlightnaturephotography.com or give me a call at 307-764-1847

Limited edition prints (framed and unframed)

Museum quality canvas and photo paper prints

Large variety of products using open edition photos

I will work with you to match that perfect size print and frame for your limited edition prints

Certificate of authenticity with each limited edition print

Offering

What’sI N S I D E

Park County Fair» PAGE 10

Homesteader Museum

» PAGE 16

Amelia Earhart» PAGE 26

Be Bear Aware» PAGE 33

About our coverA grizzly bear is pictured in

Yellowstone National Park. For tips on how to stay safe in bear

country, see 3.Photo by Bob Cochran,

First Light Nature Photography

Powell Tribune Publication

128 South Bent, Powell, WY307-754-2221

www.powelltribune.com

ON THE ROAD » PAGE 3

Going Boating or Camping?Call ahead and order Chester Chicken plus all the good stuff from our deli to make a complete picnic.

30,025 Whopping Square Feetof Shopping Space!

True to the “Super Market” concept... WE HAVE IT ALL!!Especially a huge supply of craft products.

Many shops in one Giant store!IF YOU NEED...

Come in and see our World War II

Memorial Displays!

The

Supermarket

& Variety

supplies...WE’VE GOT THEM!

WE’VE GOT THEM. -

plies

WE’VE GOT THEM.

YOU BET!

Liquor

Red Apple Red Apple

» ON THE ROAD

For any traveler on U.S. 14-A, Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area is a “must see” scenic wonder.

The park straddles the Big Horn River from just east of Lovell into Montana. A lake created by Yel-lowtail Dam stretches more than 70 miles through the canyon.

Bighorn Canyon is administered by the National Park Service. A day pass into the area is $5, and can be purchased at an automated fee machine when entering the area.

The Cal S. Taggart Visitor Center at U.S. 14-A and U.S. 310 in Lovell sells annual passes.

Boating, fishing and other water sports are at the heart of Bighorn Canyon’s offerings. A trip down the canyon between walls and spires towering 500 feet above the water is a spectacular experience. Boats may be launched at Kane off U.S. 14-A, Horseshoe Bend and Barry’s Landing. Commercial boat rides are available.

At Devil’s Canyon overlook, visitors can get a dizzying view of the lake below.

The area is noted for the Pryor Mountain Wild

Horse Range. It is home to a unique band of horses descended from mustangs brought to the area by Spanish explorers.

Four historic ranch sites tell the story of early ranching and of colorful characters such as Caro-line Lockhart, a writer who bought a ranch in the 1920s and operated it until age and health forced her from ranching life.

The park contains more than 25 miles of hik-ing trails.

Camping is available in the park at developed and primitive sites. All campsites are first-come, first-served and no reservations are accepted. Some campsites are free.

Ranger programs are offered on weekend evenings through the summer at Horseshoe Bend.

Information about Bighorn Canyon NRA is available through the area’s website at nps.gov/bica, or by contacting the visitor’s center in Lovell at 307-548-2251.

Craggy Bighorn Canyon is a slice of the Old West

Located at US Hwy 14-16-20 and 26th Street

with Belgian waffles

MOTEL 6 IN RIVERTON ~ 307-856-9201SUPER 8 IN RIVERTON ~ 307-857-2400

Tribune photo by Kevin Kinzley

POWELL OFFICE SUPPLYPartnering with 360 Office Solutions

265 North Bent in Powell, Wyoming

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One of the best things travelers will find on their 14-A adventure between Burgess Junction and Yellowstone National Park are two especially enjoyable stretches of the highway itself.

On the east end, from Burgess Junction across the top and down the Big Horn Mountains’ west face switchbacks to the bottom, is a drive that offers among the most breathtak-ing vistas to be found anywhere. But equally appealing — to driving enthusiasts and especially those in a sports car or

astride a motorcycle — is the design of the road itself.

Initially named Wyoming Wonder-land Way, a moniker that earned Powell resident Pat Deming a hundred bucks in a naming contest, the mountainous east end of U.S. 14-A opened with a

dedication ceremony on June 24, 1983.During construction, all 57 miles of the route from Burgess

Junction to Lovell, which took 19 years from start to comple-tion, required 17 separate highway contracts and came with a price tag of $23.5 million. By itself, the 5.5 miles from bot-tom to top of the west face of the mountain near Lovell cost $11.5 million.

In the time it took for this marvelous feat of engineering and construction to be completed, three different governors had served the citizens of Wyoming.

The marvelous curves and grades make for a great driving experience — within the confines of the liberal speed limits, of course — whether going up or coming down.

Signs on the serpentine downward course suggest lower gears and it’s solid advice. The brake pedal is best left alone on the descent except for a tap or two from time to time as needed. Let the transmission hold you back when descending and save the brakes in case you really, really need them.

Awaiting 14-A adventurers on the west end of their journey to Yellowstone National Park is a wide and smooth North Fork Highway.

Beginning at the Shoshone National Forest boundary west of Cody near the community of Wapiti, and continuing from there to Yellowstone’s east gate, is a highway that required three independent phases of construction.

This piece of road is far less vertical and winding than its counterpart on the west slope of the Big Horns, and in fact climbs gently uphill to the east gate of the park. People, camp-grounds and guest lodges are much more in evidence, too, but don’t be fooled: the drive through Wapiti Valley to the tiny community of the same name, then on west through the Sho-shone National Forest to Yellowstone, is home to fascinating rock formations, mountain river views, world-class wild trout fishing and an abundance of wildlife — from mountain blue birds to moose and grizzly bears — that are all second to none.

Enjoy the drive. U.S. 14-A country has it all.

On the RoadT O Y E L L O W S T O N E

U.S 14-A offers two great drives

Outdoor AdventureStarts Here!

Gateway to Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.

LovellWYOMING’S ROSE CITY

Lovell Area Chamber of CommerceCall 307-548-7552or visit www.lovellchamber.comemail: [email protected] E. Main, Lovell, WY 82431

or the Town of Lovell, 307-548-6551or visit www.townoflovell.com

L O V E L L A R E A F E A T U R E S :

CELEBRATE HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS

» Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area» Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range» Big Horn National Forest

and the mysterious Medicine Wheel

July 19

» ON THE ROAD

On a wind-swept plateau nearly 10,000 feet in elevation, the Medicine Wheel stands as a sacred site and source of spiritual power to Native Americans.

The arrangement of local limestone rocks in the shape of a wheel atop the Big Horn Mountains swirls amid curiosity and controversy over its origins as well as present day use of the national historic landmark.

“We believe that it’s a source of power,” said Francis Brown, a Northern Arapahoe tribal elder.

Astronomical and calendar functions served by the wheel are secondary to the site’s source of

religious power to Native Americans, says Gregory Campbell, a University of Montana anthropologist.

Campbell believes the arrangement of stones in an 80-foot diameter circle with 28 “spokes” radiat-ing from a central cairn should be called “a sacred universe” to native peoples.

After years of negotiations by various Native American tribes with federal officials, the Medi-cine Wheel/Medicine Mountain National Historic Landmark site was expanded to 4,080 acres last year.

The U.S. Forest Service administers the site,

which is in the Bighorn National Forest.Brown said Native Americans saved the wheel

from “being destroyed by tourism” due to the erosion caused by so many people at the site. The site will be “open to anybody, but you have to walk,” he said.

People must walk about a mile to the wheel from a parking area.

Visitors can reach the Medicine Wheel by turn-ing north off U.S. 14-A near the Bald Mountain campground 34 miles east of Lovell. A sign reading “Medicine Wheel Archeological Site” indicates the turnoff with the white dome of a Federal Aviation Administration radar station visible at the turnoff. The road is usually clear of snow by the end of June. Visitors are also asked not to go to the wheel dur-ing certain times when Native American religious ceremonies are conducted, such as at the summer solstice.

112 North Bent Street ~ Downtown Powell ~ 307-754-8085

Have an Ice Cold Cerveza and enjoy the

Best Authentic Mexican Food in Yellowstone country!

Atendidos Por La Familia Acevedo

Dine In or Take Out

SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

Dive In!

www.powel laquat ics.comPOOL HOURS:

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

P o w e l lThe home of Northwest College has a progressive business climate, excellent shopping and dining, plus a visitors center to assist you in your travels and tour planning.

Lions Car Show --------------------------------------May 24Summer Concert in the Park Series -- TBA June-Aug.Food Truck Fridays ---------------------- TBA June-Aug.Alumni Weekend ------------------------------ June 27-29Park County Fair -------------------------------- July 22-26Park County Fair Parade -------------------------- July 26Arts Festival -------------------------------------August 16Wings and Wheels ------------------------------August 16Homesteader Days Festival Weekend ---------Sept. 5-7

Moonlight Madness --------------------------------Oct. 24Powelloween Treat Street -------------------------Oct. 31Sample the Season --------------------------------- Nov. 21Festival of Trees ------------------------------------ Nov. 21Santa’s Workshop ---------------------------------- Nov. 28Small Business Saturday ------------------------- Nov. 29Country Christmas ----------------------------------Dec. 6Tour of Homes ----------------------------------------Dec. 7

Powell Valley Chamber of CommerceA N D V I S I T O R S C E N T E R

1 1 1 S O U T H D AY ST R E ET ~ P.O. B OX 8 1 4 � P O W E L L , W YO M I N G 8 2 4 3 5


What better to break up the days in the car than a few whacks on the local golf course.

At Powell, the golf is more than just another “local” layout. It’s golf designed to challenge and entertain the aficionados of the sport with two entirely different sides of an 18-hole course.

The back nine was redesigned and re-built in a massive makeover in 2003, and the vastly enlarged greens are a prime feature.

But the big greens are the singular distinguishing characteristic. Putting is a challenge. The huge, undulating greens have three-putt written all over them. If that’s not enough, the well-placed and plentiful sand traps give the golfer plenty to think about.

On the other side of the course, the front nine layout was completed in the mid-1990s and reflects the influence of present-day golf architecture.

It’s clearly a case of “welcome to target golf ” on the front side, an outward circuit

into desert-like sagebrush and rock country.Even though water is very much at a

premium in the upper rim of the valley, the course’s signature hole, No. 4 brings the wet stuff into play on a dramatic par 3. Golfers better hope the wind isn’t blowing.

The front side finishing hole, No. 9, is another tantalizing test. A wide, usually downwind fairway beckons off the tee on this par 5. But to get to the large ninth green, the golfer is faced with a second-shot decision. A wide drainage ditch lurks some 140 yards from the green. Golfers must pick their poison: let ‘er rip and try to carry the ditch on the second shot, or play it close to the vest and lay up short.

The Powell Golf Course is a public course and welcomes non-member, green fee players. The complex includes a club-house, pro shop and a fleet of carts.

The Powell Golf Club sits 7 miles east of the City of Powell off Wyoming Highway 114.

Up to par

Lunch Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-2pmDinner Hours: Monday-Saturday, 5pm-close

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Powell Golf Club

Tribune photo by Dante Geoffrey

PAGE 8 » ON THE ROAD

Take the time to visit Powell on your travels to Yellowstone country!

Camping, Fishing& RV Supplies!

Stop in for live bait (worms).

Getting help at Ace is like going to your neighbor!

Coulter Avenue/14-ABent

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» ON THE ROAD

Park County is proud as punch of its annual summer fair, and U.S. 14- A travelers are more than welcome to join locals for tons of fun.

All it takes is to be passing through Powell the week of July 22-26.This year’s fair — themed “Park County Proud” — celebrates the pride

residents have for their county fair.The Park County Fair opens with free admission and an evening of

raucous pig mud wrestling on Tuesday, July 22, in front of the grandstand. The carnival officially opens on the midway Tuesday at noon and will continue daily from noon to midnight through Saturday.

Knights of Valour take to the arena on Wednesday, July 23, a new fair event this year.

Thursday night features the Park County Endurocross, and on Friday evening, Figure 8 Races return to the grand-stands.

Saturday is parade day at the Park County Fair. The kids’ day parade will fill main street in downtown Powell Saturday morning, followed by the main fair parade in all its color and pageantry.

The ever-popular demolition derby closes out fair week on Saturday night. The crash ‘em up

action is co-sponsored in a partnership between the fair and the Powell Lions Club.

As always, the Park County Fair will also feature a wide variety of continuous entertainment by musicians, cloggers, a caricaturist and others on the free stage. This year’s schedule includes the Young Guns Wild West Fun Park, the Bird Man of Las Vegas, Artie Hemphill and the Iron Horse Band, Freddie Prez, Caricatures by Connie, juggler Charles » Cont’d

Food VendorsServing goodies 11am to 10pm

Park County FairTuesday - Saturday, July 22-26

Traditional and gourmet pizzas, steaks and other entrées, pastas, sandwiches, salads, burgers and wraps, delicious daily soups and specials!GOOD EATS!

A Full Bar

CODY736 Yellowstone Ave

307-527-7819

POWELL855 E Coulter

307-754-9588

Unique gift items and home decor.

From our Back Porch to yours ...

Peachock and hypnotist Chris Mabrey.Enjoy a wonderful selection of foods

from dozens of vendors and buildings filled with exhibits — from canned goods to cucumbers and culinary to clothing.

Like all good county fairs, this one will host non-stop 4-H and FFA contests revolving around dogs, cats, poultry, swine, sheep, rabbits, goats, cattle, horses

and perhaps even the odd canary or hedgehog.To find the Park County Fairgrounds, head north on any through street

from U.S. 14-A to Fifth Street, then simply roll down the windows and let the delightful smells of the food court lead you by the nose straight to all the excitement in the northeast quadrant of Powell.

Daily gate admission is $5 per person — children 12 and younger are admitted free. Weekly passes are available for $10. Daily parking passes are $5, and weekly parking passes can be purchased for $10.

Head north on any through street from U.S. 14-A to Fifth Street, then simply roll down the windows and let the delightful smells of the food court lead you by the nose to all the excitement in the northeast quadrant of Powell.

Midway comes alivenoon to midnight daily, starting July 22

Smashing, crashing, fire and fun are all part of the annual demolition derby at the

Park County Fair. This year’s derby takes place Saturday, July 26 at

the fairgrounds in Powell.

Tribune file photo by Carla Wensky


Tribune file photo by Ben Wetzel

TUESDAYPig Mud WrestlingWEDNESDAYKnights of ValourTHURSDAYPark County EndurocrossFRIDAYFigure 8 RacesSATURDAYDemolition Derby

Over-night and long-term

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Powell ValleyChamber of Commerce111 South Day, Powell, Wyoming

307-754-3494www.powellchamber.org

Customized tours for: Individuals, Families, Groups, OrganizationsTour area farms and ranches - See area crops, livestock production, irrigation systems and more

O F T H E P O W E L L V A L L E Y .Nestled between the picturesque Big Horn and Absaroka mountain ranges of Northwest Wyoming,

Powell is a community historically rooted in agriculture. Early in the 20th century, homesteaders around Powell were rewarded with life-sustaining irrigation water when the United States Reclamation Service established the dams and canals of the Shoshone Irrigation Project. Today, what was once a barren, desert-like landscape has been transformed into fields and pastures capable of producing a rich variety of crops, forages and livestock. Farmers around Powell excel at producing malt barley, edible beans, sugar beets and alfalfa; while local ranchers proudly raise cattle, horses and sheep, sustainably and efficiently.

The Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce can help you learn more about the agriculture industry in and around Powell by customizing a tour for you or your group. Learn about area crops, livestock produc-tion, irrigation systems and more from area farmers and ranchers. Here at the Chamber we offer custom-ized agriculture tours for groups, organizations, families and individuals. Area farmers and ranchers who participate in our agro tourism ventures realize the value that consumers place on visiting rural settings where food is produced, and they strive to provide tours that are informative, pleasurable and inspiring.

Powell was incorporated in 1909, having been named after Major John Wesley Powell who was one of the first to explore the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River and former Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Powell is only 20 minutes from historic Cody, Wyoming. Contact us and let us arrange a customized tour for you!


Powell’s roots are in agriculture and so is its future. As technology advances, its effects on agriculture can affect the whole community.

Powell was founded on agriculture from its beginnings as Camp Coulter in the heart of the Sho-shone Irrigation Project. Visitors to the area can get a first-hand look at modern agriculture by touring area farms with the Powell Valley Chamber of Com-merce. Tours generally include local farms producing sugar beets, pinto beans, barley and sometimes other specialty or unique crops.

Tours are offered for individuals or groups. At least two people must sign up for these individual tours. Group tours are offered for groups of five or more people. Tour prices do not include lodging or meals, but offer a guided tour of farms on the Powell flat. One-day tours include local farms and area attractions. Two-day tours are offered that include one day of farm visits and a second day that includes a visit to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and the Pryor Mountain Mustang Center. Tours are

given by appointment throughout the summer, but no tours will be given the last week of July during the Park County Fair.

The Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce oper-ates a visitor center at 111 S. Day St. (P.O. Box 1258)

in downtown Powell. The visitor center offers maps, tourist information about Park County attractions as well as Yellowstone National Park.

Call the chamber at (307) 754-3494 or (800) 325-4278 or email [email protected]

An up-close look at


“ Y O U R P L A C E T O R E L A X A N D E N J O Y P O W E L L ”

Complimentary Continental Breakfast

agricultureTribune file photo by Kevin Kinzley

Drive a little. Save a lot.

Just minutes from Cody!FREE Expanded Continental Breakfast.

845 East Coulter (14A)Powell, Wyoming1-307-754-72311-800-800-8000

» Comfortable Rooms» Pillowtop Mattresses» FREE Wireless Internet» Cable TV with HBO» FREE Local Calls» Truck & RV Parking

Summer Rates from $99Winter Rates from $69

» PAGE 15

» ON THE ROAD

SUMMER HOURS: Tuesday-Friday, 10am-5pm & Saturday, 10am-2pm

The Four Caballeros:The Travels of Photographers A.G. Lucier, W. Zimmerman,

B. Brown and L. Calvin, 1902-1909

Now through June 7Reception June 5

June 7 ----- Heart Mountain Canal Bus Tour (9am-2pm)Tickets $20. Learn how the Heart Mountain Irrigation Canal works from the North Fork Canyon to Heart Mountain

June 25-Oct. 3 --- What’s Up Doc?Rural Medicine in the Big Horn Basin 1900-1950. Exhibit Opening Reception and Special Program TBA.

Sept. 5-6 -- Homesteader Days Festival WeekendSept. 5 ---- Street Dance at Plaza DianeOct. 31 ---- Haunted Homesteader (3:30-5:30pm)Oct. 23-Nov. 30 --- Terror in the Theatres

Film Posters from the 1950s. An American Heritage UW Exhibit

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From the first settlers who vowed to “turn the desert green,” to the modern-day residents who populate the valley — Homesteader Museum offers a look through the ages.

The log cabin-style Homesteader Museum, just off Highway 14-A in Pow-ell, houses a collection that chronicles the history of the Powell Valley.

The museum’s summer exhibits include “The Four Caballeros: The Travels of Photographers A.G. Lucier, W. Zimmerman, B. Brown and L. Calvin, 1902-1909,” which is on display through June 7.

The exhibit “What’s Up Doc?”, ex-ploring rural medicine in the Big Horn Basin from 1900-1950 with hundreds of objects from the museum’s permanent collection, opens June 25 and is on display through Oct. 3.

The Homesteader Days Festival Weekend Sept. 5-6 promises fun for the entire family, featuring kids games, pony cart rides, fiddlers and a car and truck show. Learn more about Powell’s past on a history walk, see historic machinery and watch a blacksmith demonstration during the festival.

The festival features a street dance, free dance lessons and a live band at Plaza Diane in downtown Powell on Sept. 5.

This autumn, Homesteader Mu-seum will be home to the Haunted Homesteader on Halloween from 3:30-5:30. Homesteader hosts “Terror in the

Theatres,” featuring film posters from the 1950s, from Oct. 23 to Nov. 30.

Founded in 1968 and encompassing more than 10,000 square feet of space, Homesteader Museum has a number of permanent exhibits and photographs, including vintage barbershop, clothing, kitchen, cameras and a hunting and fish-ing display featuring antique firearms and fishing poles, to name a few. There is also an exhibit dedicated to the history of the Powell Fire Department.

The exhibit spotlighting the story surrounding the legendary outlaw Earl Durand is a continuing fascination.

The museum’s collection of his-torical memorabilia also includes a photographic history of the Shoshone Reclamation Project that brought water to the valley and made possible the lush agriculture that visitors marvel at today.

The museum also features the Bever Homestead, a 1913 homesteader house moved in 2004 from its original location east of Powell. The popular renovated building offers a firsthand glimpse of the early settlers’ lifestyle.

A second building is chock full of antique equipment and there is a bright red caboose on the grounds that the kids will love to explore.

The Homesteader Museum is open, free to the public, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The museum may also be opened at other times by special appointment.

Homesteader Museum

A PEEK INTO THE PIONEER PAST


In addition to a beautiful setting, the Heart Mountain World War II Japanese American Confinement Site west of Powell offers both an artifact of World War II-era politics and hysteria, as well as a reminder of the fragility of democracy in times of conflict.

Today, the site features an Interpretive Center, war memo-rial, walking tour and original camp structures, all dedicated to telling the stories of the 14,000 Japanese Americans confined there during World War II. The site is managed by the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, a private nonprofit that formed in 1996.

The Interpretive Center is the focal point of the site, featur-ing a museum, gallery, theater and victory garden. The area immediately surrounding the Interpretive Center evokes the sparseness of the landscape that greeted the internees when they arrived. Inside, a visit to the Center begins with a powerful film created by Oscar-winning documentarian Steven Oka-zaki. It is titled “All We Could Carry,” and features internees speaking directly about their experiences. The museum is punctuated by interactive exhibits featuring oral histories and original film footage from life in camp.

There are also photographs, artifacts and art pieces created by internees. The building also includes two full-scale bar-racks rooms that have been replicated to provide an authentic portrayal of living quarters in the camp. The pieces are tied together through a narrative that allows visitors to experience life at Heart Mountain through the eyes of those who were confined there.

Brian Liesinger, Executive Director of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation, believes the site is not only significant historically but also for what it can teach visitors about the

importance of defending civil rights, even in the most dire circumstances. “This is not merely a Japanese American story. This is an American story,” he said. “We’re a country of immi-grants, and this is one of our powerful immigrant stories—one that unfortunately includes a chapter on injustice.”

Yet, within the Japanese American confinement, Liesinger notes stories of perseverance, loyalty and patriotism that inspire his work on a daily basis. “Somehow, they endured incarceration with grace,” he said. “To know these stories is to have a more complete understanding of what it means to be American. By knowing our faults as well as our successes, we know what it means to be better citizens.”

The Interpretive Center opened amid a grand celebra-tion in August 2011. Turning out for the event were former internees, their families, and dignitaries including Tom Brokaw, former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and former U.S. Congressman and Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta (who met Simpson as a Boy Scout at the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp). Mineta was interned with his family and a Boy Scout in a camp troop. Simpson was a Cody Boy Scout.

“What you are doing here is drawing that line in the sand to say that never again will there be something like what hap-pened at Heart Mountain and other relocation camps,” said Mineta during a grand opening ceremony attended by more than 1,200 people.

Since then, the Center has established itself as a world-class facility and was recognized for its excellence with an award from the American Associations of Museums in 2012. “Due to the uniqueness of the history, the quality of the information and, frankly, the haunting beauty of the site, I am of the opin-ion that this is a must-see if you’re in the area,” said Liesinger.

Heart Mountain A look inside the internment camp

Shizuiko Morita of Virginia, a former internee at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, is framed by historical, life-sized photos of internees while she reads information on another display at the new Heart Mountain Inter-pretive Center during the center’s grand opening in August 2011. The center is open daily from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. through September. Tribune file photo by Ilene Olson

The Heart Mountain WWII Japanese American Confinement site is located between Cody and Powell, on Highway 14A. The address is 1539 Road 19, Powell, Wyo., 82435.

The Interpretive Center is open daily in the summer from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students and children under 12 are free. For more information please call 307-754-8000 or visit www.HeartMountain.org.

If yougo:

Heart Mountain camp wJapanese Americans confined here in wake of Pearl Harbor

DECEMBER 7, 1941 Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

FEBRUARY 19, 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt issues Executive Order 9066, forcing 120,000 people of Japanese ancestry — most American-born citizens — to move from their West Coast homes to relocation camps.

JUNE 1942 Work begins on the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp near Powell. “So many carloads of lumber have been taken from local yards — yards at Powell, Cody, and neighbor towns as far as Billings — are almost denuded,” reported the Powell Tribune on June 25. Work is completed by early August.

AUGUST 12, 1942 The first 292 Japanese-Americans arrive at Heart Mountain. At its peak, the camp houses 10,767 internees, making it, at the time, the third-largest city in Wyoming.

NOVEMBER 10, 1945 The last train departs from the Heart Mountain Relocation Center.

AUGUST 10, 1988 Sen. Al Simpson, R-Wyo., and Rep. Norman Mineta, D.-Cal., sponsor the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, a law that acknowledged the fundamental injustices of the internment of Japanese-Americans.

1996 The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation forms. Local leaders include John Collins, Dave Reetz and Pat Wolfe. The foundation goes on to purchase 50 acres of land at the original camp site, restore the camp’s military honor roll and acquire a significant collection of artifacts, oral histories, photos and historic papers.

SEPTEMBER 2000 Wyoming Gov. Jim Geringer and Powell Mayor Jim Milburn send letters to surviving Heart Mountain in-ternees and their families, intended to “acknowledge the difficulties and hardships faced by internees and the lack of consideration given to those at the Heart Mountain Relocation Center.”

JUNE 23, 2005 A walking tour of the Heart Mountain camp is dedicated, named in honor of Setsuko Saito Higuchi, a former internee who served on the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation Board of Directors and Advisory Board.

FEBRUARY 1, 2007 Heart Mountain camp site officially named a National Historic Landmark.

AUGUST 20, 2011 Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center is dedi-cated and opens to the public. Hundreds of guests, including former internees, attend the opening of the 11,000-square foot, $5.5 million facility between Powell and Cody.

T I M E L I N E

The Heart Mountain Interpretive Center west of Powell on U.S. 14-A features a replicPAGE 18 » ON THE ROAD

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center is dedicated and opens to the public. Hundreds of guests, including former internees, attend the opening of the 11,000-square foot, $5.5 million facility between Powell and Cody.

A curious-looking city arose from the barren Wyoming landscape between the towns of Cody and Powell in the summer of 1942. After two months of steady work, it was set to house 11,000 residents—all coming from the West Coast. What made this “city” glaringly different from the rest of Wyoming’s cities was the presence of barbed-wire fences, guard towers and armed sentries. Its “residents” arrived by force — rather than choice — and their arrival came as a result of a complete denial of civil rights.

This “city” opened in August of 1942 as the “Heart Mountain Relocation Camp.” One of 10 “relocation centers” built nationwide, its purpose was to detain Americans of Japanese descent who lived on the West Coast. In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941, many feared Japanese-Americans would conspire with Japan against the United States. Amid the fear and uncertainty, President Franklin Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which paved the way for the forced removal of 120,000 Japanese-Americans — the majority of them U.S. citizens — from their West Coast homes.

With that declaration, an exclusion order was made in California, the southern part of Arizona and the western parts of Oregon and Washington. Signs were posted stating that all Americans of Japanese descent in those areas were required to dispose of their property and possessions and report for exclusion. They were not told where they were going or how long they would be gone. And they were allowed a single suitcase each.

Internees came by train, and at its peak, the Heart Mountain confinement site held 10,767, making it the third-largest “city” in Wyoming. Heart Mountain came to operate much like any other city, with a hospital; internee-managed fire, police and judicial systems;

a post office; water, sewer and electrical systems; two grade schools and a high school; and several coopera-tive enterprises. There were hobby clubs, theaters and ball games, as well as births, deaths, weddings and festivals. Internees formed active recreation programs and developed a successful agricultural program to provide fresh food. It was all done in the spirit of “shigata ga nai,” a phrase roughly translated as, “it cannot be helped” and expressed in Japanese culture as the need to endure unavoidable hardship or injustice with dignity. With that spirit in mind, the internees at-tempted to build community despite the barbed-wire that surrounded them.

The camp itself was constructed on a large, flat swath of Bureau of Reclamation land, and the project employed a workforce of about 2,500. “It seems that any and all who want work find quick employment in the building of this gigantic relocation center,” wrote the Powell Tribune in a June 1942 edition. “From Powell and Cody and other Big Horn Basin towns the labor supply has been requisitioned as if with a fine-tooth comb. As a consequence, labor for the farmers is scarcer than ever before in the valley’s history.”

What rose up in the shadow of Heart Mountain in a period of two months were over 450 barracks, arranged in blocks with communal restrooms and mess halls. When the crew was working full speed, they could build a barrack in about 60 minutes. Each 20-foot by 120-foot barrack contained six apartments and was constructed of untreated lumber covered with tarpaper.

The fear and hysteria that fueled the decision to confine Japanese Americans from the West Coast fol-lowed them to Heart Mountain. Most local residents were not receptive to these new visitors. Former U.S. Senator Alan Simpson, a Cody resident, recalls the

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ion general concern from Cody at the time:

“We were told there were 11,000 people there,” he said. “There were only two cities larger than that in Wyoming… So, people thought, ‘Now, if those people escape, we’ll all be killed.’”

The Powell Tribune noted the in-ternees’ arrival in a story that referred to the camp as a “Heart Mountain haven” and, despite evidence to the contrary, stated that “(T)he Japanese themselves get the point. This com-ing to a peaceful habitation for the duration of the war is welcome and voluntary for the main body of them.”

In reality, the internees did not welcome relocation and they were not made wel-come upon arrival. Nels Smith, the governor of Wyoming at the time, told the federal government, “If you bring Japanese into my state, I promise you they will be hanging from every tree.”

In the 1943 Wyoming Legislative session, Sen. George Burke of Powell in-troduced a law barring the residents of the Heart Mountain Camp from voting in Wyoming. The city councils of Powell and Cody passed a joint resolution. In part, it asked that the Japanese-Americans at Heart Mountain not be permanently relocated to the region and requested that visits to the two towns by camp residents “be held to an absolute minimum,” only “when absolutely necessary.”

However, the council members stressed that they still would like to see the Japanese-Americans released for work on the area’s farms.

That double standard frustrated the center’s employment chief, Joe Carrol. “We are requested to confine them to the center, except to permit them to assist in the planting and harvesting of agriculture. Just what do you want, liquidation or continuance of the center?” he asked at a Powell Club meeting later that May. “Certainly citizens or law abiding aliens cannot be expected to participate in your agricultural work, if they cannot be accorded the same rights as other citizens or aliens, whether they be of Japanese or any other ancestry.”

However, Big Horn Basin residents did extend occasional olive branches to the internees. Many did not know what to make of the camp, but that did not prevent area schools from bringing in sports teams to compete with Heart Mountain High School’s teams, for example. Both Cody and Powell Boy Scouts participated in scouting activities and outings with the Heart Mountain troops. In addition, lo-cal church groups donated gifts for children in camp and baby blankets for those born in the Heart Mountain hospital.

All the while, World War II marched on, and the need for able-bodied soldiers left the War Department scrambling for new recruits. Initially, all internees were declared “enemy aliens” unfit for service, but in 1944, the government decided to make draft-age internees eligible. More than 800 Heart Mountain internees fought for the U.S. in World War II. Several of them had distinguished careers of military service, and 15 were killed in action.

While many answered the call, there were some that refused. Sixty-three of them persisted in their resistance, declaring that their obedience to the draft order was dependent on being released from the camp with their constitutional rights restored. In the largest mass trial in Wyoming’s history, all 63 of these men were found guilty of draft evasion and given federal prison sentences of three years.

At the end of 1944, the government announced that it would begin closing the camps. In the months that followed, internees were released with little more than the suitcase they arrived with and a $25 train ticket. Heart Mountain closed in November of 1945, and the camp buildings were soon dismantled, removed by incoming homesteaders or used by the Bureau of Reclamation. Eventually, all bar-racks were removed from the site, though many can still be seen scattered around the Big Horn Basin today, remnants of homesteads established after World War II.

Today, it is known as the Heart Mountain World War II Japanese American Confinement Site, with the focal point being the Interpretive Center there. The Center opened in 2011 to tell the stories of confinement through museum exhibits, a gallery, victory garden and introductory film titled “All We Could Carry.” The site has been declared a National Historic Landmark and also includes a military memorial, walking trail and original camp structures. The site memorializes the experiences of more than 14,000 Americans of Japanese descent who were brought into and out of the camp from 1942 to 1945.

was third largest city in Wyoming

of a guard tower and barracks. Tribune photo by Toby Bonner

Courtesy photo/Okumoto Collection, Heart Mountain

Wyoming Foundation


general concern from Cody at the time: “We were told there were 11,000 people there,” he said. “There were only two cities larger than that in Wyoming… So, people thought, ‘Now, if those people escape, we’ll all be killed.’”

The Powell Tribune noted the in-ternees’ arrival in a story that referred to the camp as a “Heart Mountain haven” and, despite evidence to the contrary, stated that “(T)he Japanese themselves get the point. This com-ing to a peaceful habitation for the duration of the war is welcome and voluntary for the main body of them.”

In reality, the internees did not welcome relocation and they were not made wel-come upon arrival. Nels Smith, the governor of Wyoming at the time, told the federal government, “If you bring Japanese into my state, I promise you they will be hanging from every tree.”

In the 1943 Wyoming Legislative session, Sen. George Burke of Powell in-troduced a law barring the residents of the Heart Mountain Camp from voting in Wyoming. The city councils of Powell and Cody passed a joint resolution. In part, it asked that the Japanese-Americans at Heart Mountain not be permanently relocated to the region and requested that visits to the two towns by camp residents “be held to an absolute minimum,” only “when absolutely necessary.”

However, the council members stressed that they still would like to see the Japanese-Americans released for work on the area’s farms.

That double standard frustrated the center’s employment chief, Joe Carrol. “We are requested to confine them to the center, except to permit them to assist in the planting and harvesting of agriculture. Just what do you want, liquidation or continuance of the center?” he asked at a Powell Club meeting later that May. “Certainly citizens or law abiding aliens cannot be expected to participate in your agricultural work, if they cannot be accorded the same rights as other citizens or aliens, whether they be of Japanese or any other ancestry.”

However, Big Horn Basin residents did extend occasional olive branches to the internees. Many did not know what to make of the camp, but that did not prevent area schools from bringing in sports teams to compete with Heart Mountain High School’s teams, for example. Both Cody and Powell Boy Scouts participated in scouting activities and outings with the Heart Mountain troops. In addition, lo-cal church groups donated gifts for children in camp and baby blankets for those born in the Heart Mountain hospital.

All the while, World War II marched on, and the need for able-bodied soldiers left the War Department scrambling for new recruits. Initially, all internees were declared “enemy aliens” unfit for service, but in 1944, the government decided to make draft-age internees eligible. More than 800 Heart Mountain internees fought for the U.S. in World War II. Several of them had distinguished careers of military service, and 15 were killed in action.

While many answered the call, there were some that refused. Sixty-three of them persisted in their resistance, declaring that their obedience to the draft order was dependent on being released from the camp with their constitutional rights restored. In the largest mass trial in Wyoming’s history, all 63 of these men were found guilty of draft evasion and given federal prison sentences of three years.

At the end of 1944, the government announced that it would begin closing the camps. In the months that followed, internees were released with little more than the suitcase they arrived with and a $25 train ticket. Heart Mountain closed in November of 1945, and the camp buildings were soon dismantled, removed by incoming homesteaders or used by the Bureau of Reclamation. Eventually, all bar-racks were removed from the site, though many can still be seen scattered around the Big Horn Basin today, remnants of homesteads established after World War II.

Today, it is known as the Heart Mountain World War II Japanese American Confinement Site, with the focal point being the Interpretive Center there. The Center opened in 2011 to tell the stories of confinement through museum exhibits, a gallery, victory garden and introductory film titled “All We Could Carry.” The site has been declared a National Historic Landmark and also includes a military memorial, walking trail and original camp structures. The site memorializes the experiences of more than 14,000 Americans of Japanese descent who were brought into and out of the camp from 1942 to 1945.

was third largest city in Wyoming

of a guard tower and barracks. Tribune photo by Toby Bonner

Courtesy photo/Okumoto Collection, Heart Mountain

Wyoming Foundation


» ON THE ROAD

The Japanese residents of the Heart Mountain Relocation Camp found austere conditions when they arrived at the camp.

Camp resident Mary Oyama wrote a weekly column for the Powell Tribune during her internment. Her writing depicted a camp that wasn’t quite the “haven” referenced by the paper in earlier columns, which depicted comfortable lodgings, good food and happy times for the camp residents.

When they were forced to evacuate the West Coast, internees were not al-lowed to take many belongings with them — often not more than a suitcase. The barracks at the relocation camp didn’t have much either.

Oyama described the typical room as including an army cot, a mattress and a blanket for each person. That was it.

“There were no chairs, no table — no nuthin’,” she wrote.In her opening columns, she spent time assuring Powell readers that there was

no truth to rumors that Japanese-Americans were buying up large quantities of knives and engaging in ancient Japanese “christening ceremonies” at the camp.

Allegations of “coddling” at the camp swirled — driven by the execution of U.S. Prisoners of War in Tokyo.

Wyoming Sen. E.V. Robertson of Cody, who had not visited the camp, said

the internees had things soft and easy. The Denver Post ran a story stating that residents received better food than other Americans, who were subject to food rations at that time.

Guy Robertson, the Heart Mountain Center director, said residents at the center were provided food at a cost of 12.3 cents per meal.

“I believe this does not indicate extravagance or waste,” Robertson told the Tribune.

Oyama similarly promised readers that the residents were not being coddled.“The church, the administration buildings, the department store, the rec-

reation halls, etc., may sound like an imposing group of edifices, but in reality they are all only barracks,” she wrote. “We all live in black tar papered barracks.”

When a reader chastised Oyama for complaining, she didn’t back down.“It was not our intention to express or imply a ‘gripe,’ although of course, you

can’t expect people who have given up their freedom and surrendered all their civil rights although they committed no crime or single act of sabotage (as proven by FBI or NIB records) to be perfectly, blithely happy in confinement,” she wrote.

However, despite the tough times, when Oyama was released to settle in Den-ver in January 1943, she left with kind words for the people of the Powell Valley.

“We are actually sorry about leaving a state whose people have been so genu-inely kind and sincere who have proved themselves truly democratic, Christian and American,” she wrote in her farewell column. “We leave with the feeling that some day we simply must come back so that we can get to know you better. Yes, we want to come back to Wyoming.”

Barracks offered mostly bleak living conditions

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HEART MOUNTAIN

Visit the site where more than 14,000 Japanese Americans were confined

during World War II.

Through interactive exhibits, artifacts, photographs and by walking the grounds of the site, you will experience

life at Heart Mountain through the eyes of the Japanese Americans confined there during WWII.


By Bacon SakataniSpecial to the Tribune

Let me first say that I became 13 years of age on the train ride to Heart Mountain in August 1942 and did not know hardly anything about what was happening. I am now 84.

I think the new Interpretive Cen-ter will help educate the people who see the exhibit in understand-ing what happened there during the war years. We were not put there for our own protection nor because we were a security threat.

The exhibit shows what it was like at the camp during the three years we were there. We were a group of people who obeyed the orders and made best of the situation. Most of us ac-cepted what was happening as the American way. Those who objected were segregated to another camp; those who remained went along with the situation, to show their loyalty to America. Wartime atmosphere with barbed wire fence, guard towers and searchlights at night, soldiers, parents belonging to the enemy race, all created a situation that we were prisoners of war so we obeyed. We adapted ourselves to what we had, we did not riot, we thought everything was legal the way it was approved by the president, Congress and the courts.

I do think people underestimate what happened to us. I received a letter many years ago from a person living near the camp while we were there, and she wrote we in the camp had it better than she did, as she had no running water and sewer system, while we did in the camp. Another Wyoming person told me that he also heard that recently. I have been told that there are still people in Wyoming who feel that the camp was justified. WWII veterans who took over the campland and

lived in the barracks with no piped water and electricity complained to me how hard they had it compared to me. They put up a monument stating, among other things, “...the camp was equipped with modern waterworks and sewer system and a modern hospital and dental clinic...”

Well, my family of seven was put in a room of 20’ by 24’ — just a room to sleep in with a single light bulb and a coal burning stove, no bathroom, nothing, we were fed meals costing the government 15 cents. We got jobs within the camp that paid us $12, $16 and $19 per month. I could go on some more.

When the war ended and we were free to go back to the West Coast,

we had a hard time. I did not forget about Heart Mountain, as I always thought that the U.S. had the right to do what it did, as a youngster of 13-16 years of age. In the 1980s, Congress established the Commis-sion on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians, and found “...the broad historical causes which shaped these decisions were race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership...” (page 18 of report). The redress payment and apology followed. I was surprised by the findings, but in retrospect, the truth came out. And still few people think that the camp was justified. It should be noted that Wyoming did “acknowledge the difficulties and hardships faced by the internees and the lack of consideration given to those at the Heart Mountain Reloca-tion Center” in 2000.

I have gone to the University of Wyoming about six - seven times to look at the camp administrative papers and Wyoming newspapers of that time. How surprised I was to see what was written.

(Editor’s note: Bacon Sakatani lived at the Heart Mountain Reloca-tion Center for three years beginning in August 1942.)

Bacon Sakatani

‘I do think people underestimate what

happened to us’

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Features fun for the familyPowell Aquatic Center

Located in Homesteader Park just off U.S. 14-A, the Powell Aquatic Center features two pools. The new facility, completed in 2010, has a leisure pool with a beach entry, splash pad, continuous river, PEPSI water walk, mountain slide and bench area for relaxing. An eight-lane

pool ranges from 4 to 12 feet deep with plenty of room for exercise and enjoyment.

The aquatic center is open from 5:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday;10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

Daily admission to the pool is $5 for adults

(22-59), $4 for seniors (60 and over) and $4 for youth (3 to 21).

Punch passes and memberships also are available.

For more information, visit www.powella-quatics.com or call 307-754-0639.

Tribune photo by Kevin Kinzley

Chief Joseph and BeartoothsHighway and mountains a bonus for Yellowstone area visitors

Yellowstone National Park is the Big Daddy destination of the summer travel season in northwest Wyoming.

No question about it.But, there are any number of “must sees” for the summer traveler on the

rim of Yellowstone Country, just the sort of thing to add icing to an unforget-table summer in the West.

One such experience that entices many an adventure seeker to extend their stay to or from Yellowstone is the spectacular drive afforded by the Beartooth All-American Highway along the Wyoming-Montana border just outside the Northeast Entrance to Yellowstone. For many, it is a destination unto itself.

The Beartooth Highway ( U.S. 212) is a 68-mile travel cor-ridor between the NE Entrance and Red Lodge, Mont., that reaches nearly 11,000 feet in elevation with sweeping vistas of snow-covered mountains, high plateau views, lakes and trails. A 54-mile segment of the road is designated as the Beartooth All-American Road, one of only 31 All-American Roads highlighted as the most scenic national byways in the country.

Wyoming’s connection to U.S. 212 is the remarkable Chief Joseph HIghway (Wyo 296) north of Cody that climbs over Dead Indian Pass and traverses the Upper Clark’s Fork River Valley to intersect with 212 on the way to Cooke City, Mont. It provides a wonderful loop road from Cody for a day trip (or longer) to access the scenic majesty of the Beartooths.

In the summer travel season of 2012, University of Montana researchers conducted an economic impact study of the Beartooth All-American Road. More than 163,000 non-resident traveler groups were counted. In dollars and cents, they accounted for $45 million in spending in the three gateway communities of Cody, Wyo., Cooke City and Red Lodge, Mont.

Nearly half of them were first-time travelers to the Beartooths, and they told what made the Beartooth Highway special to them.

These are among traveler comments:“Absolutely beautiful drive, we loved it and would highly recommend it.

Only suggestion would be to provide more advance notice of some of the more scenic pullouts.”

“Beartooth Highway is best route off Cody to Mammoth Hot Springs, least traffic, great scenery. Cody is used to stock the RV.”

“Beautiful trip over Monster Mountain was scary for me. I’m scared of heights! God’s handiwork awesome!”

“Best mountain scenery we have ever experienced. Please leave as is. We don’t need another 4 lane highway through scenic America. Slow down and take it all in.”

“Don’t ever change this road. I love the curves and turns just the way it is.”

“Fantastic scenery, great animal watching opportunities., fascinating road construction.”

“God and engineers and builders did a good job.”“Happy we traveled Chief Joseph Scenic Byway, beautiful country even

though we did not go up to Red Lodge.”“Have seen Beartooth Pass written up in the magazines. Highly rated,

should invite PBS or Nat Geo with direction to make a documentary of the building and use of BTH. I find it interesting that the Swedish engineers designed the road.”

“I am from Japan. I don’t understand the expression ‘elbow room.’”“I was familiar with Chief Joseph as I am a historian. The highway was a

highlight of our trip, and I will recommend this passage.”“Most beautiful drive anywhere! More signage needed to remind tourists

not to stop on the roadway, more turnouts needed.”“Primary reason for traveling Beartooth — it was a different route between

Cody and the interstate on the way to Yellowstone.”“Breathtaking drive. Please don’t make it ‘safer’”

‘God and engineers and builders did a good job.’~ Traveler ~

Mothers and kidsMountain goats take a rest after an afternoon of grazing in a wildflower-covered meadow near the summit of the Beartooth Highway

(U.S. 212). The goats were shedding their winter coats and growing new, sleek ones. Tribune file photo by Ilene Olson


» ON THE ROAD

Meeteetse dates its earliest settlements to the 1870s. The town, itself, dates to the establishment of a post office and the school in 1880.

This was 16 years prior to the establishment of Cody in 1896. Meeteeste, in Park County, lies 30 miles southeast of Cody on Wyo-ming 120.

Meeteetse’s history is rich in early day ranching in the upper Greybull River Valley. The Pitchfork Ranch, an icon of pioneer ranch development west of Meeteetse, traces its roots to 1879 and at one time encompassed 250,000 acres.

In 1881, Meeteetse was the terminus of the old Meeteetse Trail, built by the army as a stage and freight road running from Red Lodge (and Billings), Mont., to get supplies to the area. The trail was the first road built in the Big Horn Basin and was eventually extended to Lander and Rawlins.

In the 1880s, Meeteetse became the jumping off point for a minor gold rush to the Upper Wood River Valley. In 1885, William Kirwin discovered gold in the valley, and by 1891, the Wood River Mining Dis-trict had been formed. The center of the mining district was the town of Kirwin 33 miles to the southwest of Meeteetse at 9,500 feet of elevation.

A number of mines were established in the area, and gold was brought out by mules. Snow, and depleting commercial gold, spelled the end of the mining. In a 1907 blizzard, 50 feet of snow fell on Kirwin in eight days, and an avalanche buried the town store, killing three people. With spring thaw, the remaining occupants left town.

Meeteetse even has connection with some of the mystical outlaw history of the West. Butch Cassidy once lived in the area and left his mark on an 1886 petition. In 1894, he was arrested outside the Cowboy Bar. The Cowboy Bar is still operating today.

Kirwin is accessible today, and has buildings still standing.Meeteetse is proud of its

ranching, mining and cowboy heritage. Today the “meeting place” is the center for many and varied outdoor recreation ac-tivities in keeping with Western traditions. The charm of the Old West is preserved in Meeteetse’s wooden boardwalks, watering troughs, hitching posts and historic buildings dating to the turn of the 20th century.

Hiking, hunting and fishing, horseback riding, camping and wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant in the Meeteetse outdoor world. The cowboy heritage of rodeo provides a town celebration each Labor Day weekend. Last year was the 101st running of the Meeteetse Labor Day Rodeo.

For more information, call the Meeteetse Visitor Center at 307-868-2454 or visit www.meeteetsewy.com.

‘Meeting place’In the Shoshone Indian language, Meeteetse means “meeting place,” and for more than 140 years, it has been just that as one of the oldest settlements in the Big Horn Basin of northwest Wyoming.

Meeteetse: Rich with history

Hiking, hunting and fishing, horseback riding, camping and wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant in the Meeteetse outdoor world.

The meadow of the Double D Dude Ranch lies southwest of Meeteetse on the Wood River. Courtesy photo


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» ON THE ROAD

A monument on the north edge of Meeteetse attests to the dream that died with the disappearance somewhere in the Pacific of America’s heroine of aviation, Amelia Earhart.

The first woman to fly across the At-lantic Ocean (and the first person to fly across both the Atlantic and the Pacific) fell in love with the Meeteetse area on a visit in the 1930s. She was having a home built in the Wood River Valley when she mysteriously disappeared in 1937 on a flight to circumnavigate the earth from the equator.

The Meeteetse connection for Amelia Earhart was dude rancher Carl Dunrud and his wife Vera. In the early 1930s, the Dunruds made an effort to revive the abandoned town of Kirwin. They built and opened the Double D Dude Ranch near Kirwin.

Carl Dunrud had previously worked on Meeteetse area ranches, and he had served as a guide in Yellowstone Park. There, he met George P. Putnam, New York City publisher, who would marry

Amelia Earhart in 1931. Putnam em-ployed Dunrud as a roper on Putnam’s 1926 expedition to Greenland where Dunrud roped polar bears, musk oxen and walruses.

Years later, Amelia Earhart and Put-nam were among visitors and guests of the Dunruds at the Double D Dude Ranch. Earhart directed that a cabin be built for her future use after her around-the-world flight.

The Earhart cabin, located one-half mile from Kirwin, remains unfinished, awaiting for the aviatrix who never returned.

“Lady Lindy,” as Earhart was known in the adoring press of the time, had com-pleted 22,000 miles of her flight around the globe. The remaining 7,000 miles would be over the Pacific.

She was on a 2,556-mile leg from New Guinea to Howland Island, between Aus-tralia and Hawaii in July of 1937 when she disappeared. It is widely believed her plane ran short of fuel and had to be ditched.

To see pictures of Amelia or to learn more, visit the Meeteetse Museums.

Aviatrix Amelia Earhart’s Meeteetse dream unfulfilled

Carl M. Dunrud gave Amelia

Earhart a haircut on the Double D

Ranch in 1934.

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Cody is the “Rodeo Capital of the World.”

Night after night, Cody proves that it is rodeo, all summer long. The Cody Nite Rodeo kicks off every night from June 1 to Aug. 31, and the annual Cody Stampede arrives July 1-4.

From the turn of the century, rodeos and parades have been part of the Fourth of July in Cody. For 95 years, starting officially in 1919, the Cody Stampede rodeo has been held every summer.

This year marks the 76th anni-versary of the nightly performances. These two events establish Cody as not only one of the longest running successful professional rodeos, but also the only place in the country that has a rodeo performance nightly.

Mo Betta Rodeo Company and Tate family have been producing the nightly rodeo for more than five years and continue to make history.

For the nightly rodeo, gates open at 7 p.m. with rodeo action kicking off at 8 p.m. All seating is general admission.

Be sure to arrive early and have your picture taken on the live rodeo bull “Hollywood,” get your face painted by the rodeo clowns, learn to rope like the cowboys and cowgirls.

The Cody/Yellowstone Xtreme Bulls, featuring the top 40 bullriders in the world, takes place June 30. Gates open at 5 p.m. and the rodeo kicks off at 7 p.m.

For the Cody Stampede from July 1-3, gates will open at 6 p.m. and the rodeo begins at 8 p.m. On the Fourth of July, gates will open at 3 p.m. with the rodeo beginning at 5 p.m.

For tickets, visit www.codystam-pederodeo.com, www.codynightro-deo.com or call 1-800-207-0744.

CODY IS RODEOCody Nite Rodeo every night from June 1-Aug. 31, Cody Stampede July 1-4

Tribune file photo by Kevin Kinzley

» ON THE ROAD

Whether you have two hours or two days, a visit to the five museums of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West is sure to be one of the best parts of your trip West. The center, a Smithsonian Institution Affiliate, is billed as “The Voice of the American West.” And what a story the center’s five museums tell!

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West recounts the tales of the legendary show-man William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody. Just imagine, by age 22, Cody had worked a wagon train, prospected for gold, rode for the Pony Express, hunted buffalo for the railroad and scouted for the Army. One need only spend some time in the Buffalo Bill Center of the West to meet the man and agree, “Buffalo Bill was so big — even the West couldn’t hold him.”

The Whitney Gallery of Western Art captures the masterworks of the artists of the American West. Remington, Russell, Catlin, Bierstadt, Moran and Wyeth are just a few of the long list of revered artists represented in the collection.

The Plains Indian Museum presents the history of the Northern Plains tribes. Native voices, coupled with beautiful objects, articulate the life stories of Plains Indian peoples — the cultures and histories, as well as the modern-day existence.

Whether cowboy or trapper, settler or Native American, the story of the American West is incomplete without the firearm. Housing the most comprehen-

sive collection of American firearms in the world, the Cody Firearms Museum chronicles the history of the firearm, from the earliest days up to the modern era.

The Draper Museum of Natural History is the first American natural history museum to be established in the 21st century. Here, visitors are encouraged to become explorers of the Greater Yellowstone Area as they explore the relation-ship between the people, the animals, the plants and the landscape of the West.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is located at 720 Sheridan Ave. in Cody.Travelers to Cody in 2014 will find a new name on the museum treasure that

for the last 50 years was known as the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.Now the museum complex bears the name of the Buffalo Bill Center of the

West.The institution’s board of directors said the name change is to more accurately

describe the width and depth of the museum’s mission, collections and programs.The new name captures more fully the great collections and everything

the museum is about. The five museums and research library are a world class experience in Yellowstone nature and science, art of the American West, Plains Indians, firearms and history as told through the life and times of William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody.

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Most museums boast their col-lections—of inanimate objects and artifacts—and rightly so: Those collec-tions are extraordinary, and nowhere is that more true than at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West. But the center goes a step further to leave visitors “rapt with attention”: It added raptors—live birds of prey.

Here the Greater Yellowstone Rap-tor Experience brings visitors face to face with five of the area’s most recog-nizable birds: turkey vulture, red-tailed hawk, peregrine falcon, great horned owl, and the latest addition, a golden eagle. These “avian ambassadors” even have Facebook pages and T-shirts with their likenesses.

Each raptor has an injury or condi-tion that prohibits its return to the wild and has undergone wildlife rehabilita-tion before moving to Cody. For ex-ample, Teasdale, the great horned owl, was found with a severe wing injury by hikers near Teasdale, Utah.

Assistant Curator Melissa Hill explains that the only real problem with the center’s turkey vulture is that she thinks she’s human—which, as it

turns out, is not a good thing for a bird. “Suli (Cherokee for “vulture”) has been raised by humans since she was only a couple weeks old,” Hill explains. “With-out adult turkey vultures to act as foster parents, she didn’t gain the critical skills

for survival that her parents would have taught her. Consequently, she can never be released back into the wild.”

The birds appear in daily programs throughout the summer months, which are free with paid admission.

LIVE RAPTORSl e a v e B u f f a l o B i l l C e n t e r o f t h e We s t v i s i t o r s r a p t w i t h a t t e n t i o n

Visitors to the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody come face to face with raptors —five varieties of live birds of prey — who serve as unique ‘ambassadors.’ Courtesy photo/Buffalo Bill Center of the West

northwestcollege.eduNWC is an EOI

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» ON THE ROAD

Buffalo Bill DamIt’s known today as Buffalo Bill

Dam in the Shoshone Canyon west of Cody.

But it was Shoshone Dam when it was constructed as an engineering marvel between 1906 and 1910.

The name was changed to Buf-falo Bill Dam in 1946 by an act of Congress.

Today the Buffalo Bill Dam is even taller than it was in 1910 when it was ini-tially completed as the world’s tallest concrete arch, then standing 328 feet high. Over a seven-year period between 1985 and 1992, the dam was raised by 25 feet to in-crease the storage capacity of Buffalo Bill Reservoir by 74,000 acre-feet.

Buffalo Bill Dam is now 353 feet high. A modern visitors center has been constructed adjacent to the top of the dam. The visitors center tells the story of dam construction and the story of reclamation of more than 90,000 acres of Shoshone Reclama-tion Project lands downriver.

Powell is at the center of the Sho-shone Reclamation Project, where land was opened to homesteading in 1907, even before the dam was completed. The Corbett Diversion Dam on the Shoshone River some 5 miles below Cody allowed for water to be diverted into the Garland Canal which delivered the irrigation water to the first homestead units near Powell.

The Shoshone Project was the second U.S. Bureau of Reclamation project authorized by Congress

Buffalo Bill Dam, registered as a National Historic structure and re-corded as a National Civil Engineer-ing Landmark, stands unique among structures of its kind.

It was dedicated as a National Civil Engineering Landmark in Sep-tember 1973. Then Commissioner of Reclamation Gilbert Stamm praised Buffalo Bill Dam as a tribute to the

architects, engineers and laborers who built the dam at the turn of the century.

Engineers selected the narrowest part of

the solid granite Shoshone Canyon for the location of the dam. H.N. Savage, supervising engineer for the reclamation service, called the spot “the perfect granite foundation” for the dam.

Before work could begin on the dam, an 8-mile road from Cody to the site had to be carved along the rug-ged river bank. Much of the drilling for the construction was carried on during the winter, and drillers cursed low temperatures, high winds and anchor ice, as well as the huge granite boulders tightly grouted to smaller boulders resting on the bedrock.

The original contract was let for $515,730 on Sept. 5, 1905. Before the dam was completed at a total cost of $929,658, two contractors had gone bankrupt, and the project was finished by a third contractor. Seven workers were killed during construction, three lost limbs, three more lost their eyesight and 28 others were crippled or mutilated.

Lives and limbs sacrificed during

dam’s construction

The Buffalo Bill Dam west of Cody, with the visitor center at upper right, is a key part of the water supply system for both irrigation and munici-pal water needs in the Shoshone River basin. Tribune file photo by Ilene Olson

Once the world’s tallest concrete arch

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The Smith Mansion is private property and no trespassing is allowed.

An architectural wonder atop a hill 15 miles east of Yellowstone National Park prompts many passersby to question: ‘What’s that?’

Just west of Wapiti, the 75-foot-high Smith mansion, or, as it’s also known, “The Crazy House,” was built by Francis Lee Smith.

While working on the home on a April day in 1992, Smith slipped from an upper floor and fell to his death.

Sunny Smith Larsen, who grew up in the home, is organizing an effort to restore and preserve the site.

“Everything is pretty much left how he left it,” says Smith Larsen.You can still see stains on the roof of the first floor where he fell.Beneath the spot, on the rocky ground, a rose bush has grown. “Makes you kind of wonder,” says Smith Larsen. “Nothing grows up here.”Most of the floorboards of the old Meeteetse High gymnasium still are sitting on shelves in

the first-floor attic of the house, right where Smith put them after tearing the boards out of the gym. They’re still waiting to be used — or, as Smith Larsen now plans, to be cleared out.

A deflated vacuum cleaner sits on the floor of the central “cold room,” tied to the wall in a weave of extension cords. The cords once ran all the way through the house — powering everything from a TV in the eating room to a lamp in the crow’s nest.

The cords were the only source of electricity for the home, stretching from the electrical pole a couple hundred yards away at the foot of the hill.

“I bet he (Smith) would have 15 extension cords at a time,” Smith Larsen says, adding, “I’m surprised we never had a fire.”

She took a renewed interest in the mansion after her brother, Bucky Smith, died in 2005, leaving her with sole ownership.

“It’s amazing that it was all done by hand,” she says, pointing out pieces that were to be used as a hand-drawn elevator.

“We’ve had architects come up here, and they’re amazed,” she said.It was a talent unique to Smith, who, when not working on the home, worked as an architect

in Cody.Many years ago, Smith Larsen and her late brother Bucky spent a good six hours trying to

finish a portion of the third floor.“We ended with two logs up, and we lost them both,” she says.

Any blueprints for the site are gone, leaving Larsen with few clues as to what exactly her father had planned.

“I wish he was here so I could ask him,” she says.At the time of his death, Smith was close to completing two decades of

work on the mansion. “That’s all I can remember him doing pretty much as a kid,” says Smith

Larsen, adding, “Boy, did we have a weird upbringing.“He was very strange in a lot of ways,” she says.Smith was also wildly creative. As a testament to its eccentricity, opinions of the home widely differ. Some

neighbors enjoy the mansion’s towering profile, others find it an eyesore. “You either love it or you hate it,” says Smith Larsen. “You’re either really

intrigued or you’re just put off.”Interest in the hilltop high-rise, however, is near universal. For passing

tourists or long-time locals, the structure is hard to miss or ignore. One summer, Smith Larsen worked at the nearby Red Barn service

station and dealt with a constant flood of inquiries about the mysterious house on the hill.

“I got tired from telling the story after two weeks,” she said.Smith Larsen has a number of ideas for the mansion, perhaps selling

branded memorabilia, perhaps creating a tourist attraction, perhaps turning it into a bed and breakfast where floors, and not rooms, would be rented out to guests.

“It just comes down to the money,” she says.Realistically, Smith Larsen says it would take $400,000 to $500,000 to

restore the place. For more information, visit www.smithmansion.org.

The Smith Mansion stands on a ridge above the North Fork highway west of Cody near the community of Wapiti. Construc-tion on this home halted with the owner/builder’s death in a fall from the structure. Clean-up efforts continue at the site, which is privately owned. Tribune file photo



Be alertSee the bear before you surprise it. Watch for bear

sign such as tracks, scat and feeding sites. When hiking, stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Frequently look ahead, off to the sides, and behind you.

Carry bear sprayBear spray is a non-lethal bear deterrent designed to

stop aggressive behavior in bears. You don’t have to be a good shot with bear spray. All you need to do is put up a cloud of bear spray between you and the charging bear when it’s about 30-60 feet away. Bear spray must be immediately accessible in a quick draw holster, not stored in your pack.

Avoid hiking at dawn, dusk or at night

Whenever possible avoid hiking at dawn, dusk or at night. During the hot summer season these are the periods when grizzly bears are most active.

Hike close together or in groups

Whenever possible hike in groups of three or more people — 91 percent of the people injured by bears in Yellowstone since 1970 were hiking alone or with only

one hiking partner. Only 9 percent of the people injured by bears were in groups of three or more people.

Make noise, alert bears to your presence

When hiking, periodically yell “Hey bear,” espe-cially when walking through dense vegetation or blind spots, or when traveling upwind, near loud streams or on windy days. Avoid thick brush whenever possible.

Avoid carcassesUngulate carcasses are a highly preferred bear food

that bears will guard and defend against other scaven-gers or humans. Dead ungulates will attract and hold many bears near the carcass site. It is risky to approach a carcass; many bears may be bedded nearby just out of sight. Leave the immediate area by the same route you approached the carcass from. Report all carcasses to the nearest ranger station or visitor center.

Stay with your gearDon’t leave your packs, lunches, food or beverages

unattended as they may attract and hold bears at the site. If you surprise a bear that’s eating your stashed food, you may lose more than your lunch.

(From the National Park Service)

Reduce the risk of a bear encounter

A PROGRESSIVE CITY WITH HOMETOWN SPIRIT!Come and enjoy shopping in our downtown area with lots of convenient parking.

Powell’s 9 city parks are unmatched and cover 125 acres.With open green spaces, picnic tables and picnic shelters, playgrounds, tennis courts, skate park, wading pool, Aquatic Center, band shell and stage, 1.5 miles of paved pathways, basketball courts, soccer fields, horseshoe pitches, fishing pond, R/C off-road track, ice skating and skate rental, four softball, one American Legion and one Babe Ruth baseball fields.

America’s first national park offers something for every traveler — exciting adventure, beautiful scenery, wildlife, serenity, geysers, fine food and accommodations ranging from rustic to glamorous.

Yellowstone National Park was founded in 1872 after early explorers reported finding dazzling geysers, colorful mineral ponds, rumbling waterfalls and abundant wildlife. More than 100 years later, little has changed in the park’s backcountry, although beautiful hotels, campgrounds, visitor centers and other facilities dot the park’s 466 miles of paved roads. To leave the beaten path, go to one of the park’s 92 trailheads, leading to more than 1,100 miles of backcountry trails.

Come early; come often — an annual pass allowing unlimited access to the park is $50, while a seven-day pass for a private car full of visitors is $25. A visitor riding a motorcycle or snowmobile pays $20. Those walking in or riding a bike pay $12 apiece. An an-nual interagency pass that covers admission to most national parks and federal recreation areas throughout the United States is $80.

Discounted passes are available for senior citizens or disabled visitors.

But for a few days a year, you can get into the park for free — the National Park Service waives entrance fees on Aug. 25, “NPS Birthday;” Sept. 28, National Public Lands Day; and Nov. 9 for Veterans Day weekend.

Roads are open 24 hours a day throughout the park through the summer, although various road construction projects are planned each year. For current conditions and road construction schedules, call (307) 344-2117 or visit www.nps.gov/yell. Xanterra Parks and Resorts operates lodging and store facilities in Yellowstone. For lodging reservations, camping information and other visitor services, call (307) 344-7311 or toll-free at 866-GEYSERLAND (866-439-7375) or check the company’s website, www.yellowston-enationalparklodges.com.

Information about Yellowstone National Park is also available at the Powell Valley Chamber of Commerce along U.S. 14-A or at visitor information offices in gateway cities like Cody and Cooke

City, Mont.To drive to Cooke City, take the sce-

nic Chief Joseph Highway off Wyo. 120 about 16 miles north of Cody and follow the signs leading to the park’s northeast entrance.

Yellowstone National Park beckons travelers

Current conditions and road

construction schedules:

307-344-2117

Buffalo Bill DamV I S I T O R C E N T E R

Visit us at www.bbdvc.orgCall us at 307-527-6076

Located on the road to YellowstoneOpen daily May through September

Located 6 miles west of Cody, Wyoming

Buffalo Bill Dam World’s Tallest Dam in 1910

Civil Engineering Landmark

FF R E E A D M I S S I O NN

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FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF EVENTS IN OUR AREA, VISIT WWW.CODYCHAMBERORG/CALENDAR.HTML

» Buffalo Bill Center of the West» Buffalo Bill Horse Rides» Cody Cattle Company» Cody Night Rodeo» Cody Trolley Tour» Dan Miller’s Cowboy Music Revue» Hidden Charter Treasure Boat Tours» Monster Lake Horseback Rides

& Fishing Trips» Old Trail Town» Shoshone Horseback Riding & Pack Trips

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