George Washington Memorial Park (Jackson, Wyoming)

Last updated

George Washington Memorial Park
Jackson wy.jpg
USA Wyoming location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location Jackson, Wyoming
Coordinates 43°28′48″N110°45′42″W / 43.48000°N 110.76167°W / 43.48000; -110.76167
Built1934
ArchitectHarold L. Curtiss
NRHP reference No. 03001250 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 5, 2003

George Washington Memorial Park is located at the center of Jackson, Wyoming. More generally known as "Town Square", the park is notable for its elk-antler arches at each corner of the park, collected from the nearby National Elk Refuge by Boy Scouts and periodically rebuilt. The square originally existed as an open space in the center of town that was made into a park in 1934. The park center also contains a stone memorial to John Colter. [2]

The Town Square originated as an open space in the middle of Jackson where no buildings had yet been built, surrounded by more developed blocks in the sparsely settled street grid of the town. The area was used as a commons area by people and occasionally as a thoroughfare for migrating elk. In 1917 the town graded the surrounding street and obtained title to most of the land, using excess material from the grading to even out depressions in the square's surface. In 1924 the town undertook further improvements to the area, now called "the little park in the center of the town." [3] The initiative yielded further grading. A few trees were planted, and were then indifferently maintained.

Boulder with two hundredth anniversary plaque George Washington Memorial Park Plaque, Jackson, WY.jpg
Boulder with two hundredth anniversary plaque

With the two hundredth anniversary of the birth of George Washington approaching in 1932, the state of Wyoming cooperated with Congress to prepare memorials throughout the state. The Wyoming plan was to establish a George Washington Memorial Park in as many communities as possible. The Town Square was designated the George Washington Memorial Park for Jackson in 1932. The organizing committee, which included Olaus Murie, raised the requisite $150 in public donations to landscape the park. Plantings were not ready until 1933. However, labor shortages remained a problem, and little work was accomplished. Jackson applied for and received $3092 from the New Deal Civil Works Administration, which allowed the town to organize a land transfer allowing the sole building on the square property, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall, to move to another site. Altogether, more than $6000 in CWA funds were expended, just before the CWA was closed down in 1934. [3]

In short order the Square became the center of Jackson's civic life. A memorial to John Colter was placed in the center of the park in 1939. In 1953 the local Rotary Club built an arch of elk antlers at the southwest corner of the park. Arches were erected at the remaining corners in 1966, 1967 and 1969. [3]

In 1959 a house originally built by Charles Wort was moved onto the square, becoming known as the "Stage Stop." The move was unpopular and possibly illegal, but the building remained until 1995 when it was given to Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson, whose grandfather had used the building as a law office. [3] [4] A modern replacement was built in its stead. It was not until 1976 that a plaque was placed in the park for the United States Bicentennial naming the park "George Washington Memorial Park." Stone facings were added to the antler arches the same year. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson, Wyoming</span> Town in Wyoming, United States

Jackson is a town in Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 10,760 at the 2020 census, up from 9,577 in 2010. It is the largest town in Teton County and its county seat. Jackson is the principal town of the Jackson, WY-ID Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Teton County in Wyoming and Teton County in Idaho. The town, often familiarly or mistakenly called Jackson Hole, derives its name from the valley in which it is located. Jackson is a popular tourist destination due to its proximity to the ski resorts Jackson Hole Mountain, Snow King Mountain, and Grand Targhee, as well as Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary Square</span> Neighborhood in Ward 6, United States

Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings. Judiciary Square is located roughly between Pennsylvania Avenue to the south, H Street to the north, 6th Street to the west, and 3rd Street to the east. The center of the neighborhood is an actual plaza named Judiciary Square. The Square itself is bounded by 4th Street to the east, 5th Street to the west, D Street and Indiana Avenue to the south, and F Street to the north. The neighborhood is served by the Judiciary Square station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro, in addition to Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bus stops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colter's Hell</span> United States historic place

Colter's Hell is an area of fumaroles and hot springs on the Shoshone River near Cody in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The thermal area covers about one square mile (2.6 km2) at the mouth of the Shoshone's canyon. Its thermal activity has declined since its description by mountain man John Colter, who parted from the Lewis and Clark Expedition prior to its conclusion, and passed through the region in the winter of 1807–1808. Colter's account of the features on what was then called the Stinkingwater River has subsequently been confused with the much more extensive and powerful geysers in Yellowstone National Park, which Colter may not have actually visited.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ogle County Courthouse</span> Local government building in the United States

The Ogle County Courthouse is a National Register of Historic Places listing in the Ogle County, Illinois, county seat of Oregon. The building stands on a public square in the city's downtown commercial district. The current structure was completed in 1891 and was preceded by two other buildings, one of which was destroyed by a group of outlaws. Following the destruction of the courthouse, the county was without a judicial building for a period during the 1840s. The Ogle County Courthouse was designed by Chicago architect George O. Garnsey in the Romanesque Revival style of architecture. The ridged roof is dominated by its wooden cupola which stands out at a distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson Lake Lodge</span> United States historic place

Jackson Lake Lodge is located near Moran in Grand Teton National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. The lodge has 385 rooms, a restaurant, conference rooms, and offers numerous recreational opportunities. The lodge is owned by the National Park Service, and operated under contract by the Grand Teton Lodge Company. The Grand Teton Lodge Company also manages the Jenny Lake Lodge, as well as cabins, restaurants and other services at Colter Bay Village. The lodge is located east of Jackson Lake adjacent to prime moose habitat below the Jackson Lake Dam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mormon Row Historic District</span> Historic district in Wyoming, United States

Mormon Row is a historic district in Teton County, Wyoming, United States that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Moran Bay Patrol Cabin was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps about 1932. The log structure was located in the northern backcountry of Grand Teton National Park, and was built to a standard design for such structures, in the National Park Service Rustic style, but for the U.S. Forest Service, which administered much of the area prior to the expansion of the park in 1943. The Upper Granite Canyon Patrol Cabin is similar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AMK Ranch</span> United States historic place

The AMK Ranch is a former personal retreat on the eastern shore of Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park. Also known as the Merymare, Lonetree and Mae-Lou Ranch, it was a former homestead, expanded beginning in the 1920s by William Louis Johnson, then further developed in the 1930s by Alfred Berol (Berolzheimer). Johnson built a lodge, barn and boathouse in 1927, while Berol added a larger lodge, new boathouse, and cabins, all in the rustic style.

The Gap Puche Cabin is a log cabin near Jackson, Wyoming that is the last survivor of the early outfitting industry in Jackson Hole. It was built c. 1929 at the junction of the Gros Ventre River and Crystal Creek by brothers-in-law Actor Nelson and Charlie Smith. Beginning in 1930 the property was used by John Wort and Steve Callaghan as a base camp for their hunting guide, or outfitting operation, and became known as "Wort's Hunting Camp". Callaghan's interest in the operation was bought by Billy Stilson around 1935, and bought out Wort by 1939. The cabin was moved in 1942 or 1943 to its present location.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wort Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Wort Hotel was built in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, United States by brothers John and Jess Wort, who were significant figures in the transformation of the economy of Jackson Hole from ranching to tourism. The somewhat Tudor-style building was the first luxury hotel in Jackson. The two-story building features brick facing, with half-timbering and stucco on the second floor and a series of gables facing the street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miller Cabin</span> Historic house in Wyoming, United States

The Miller Cabin complex consists of three buildings that were the residence of Robert A. Miller, the first superintendent of Teton National Monument. A house, a barn and a cabin built by the U.S. Forest Service are included. The property was eventually transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in what became the National Elk Refuge. The buildings are a component of the closely related Grace and Robert Miller Ranch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manges Cabin</span> Historic house in Wyoming, United States

The Manges Cabin in Grand Teton National Park, also known as the Old Elbo Ranch Homestead Cabin, Mangus Cabin and the Taggart Creek Barn, was built in 1911 by James Manges. Manges was the second settler on the west side of the Snake River after Bill Menor, setting up a homestead near Taggart Creek. James Manges arrived in Jackson Hole in 1910, where he cut wood for Charles or William Wort. Manges' cabin is stated to have been the first two-story structure in the northern part of the valley. A root cellar was excavated beneath. The log and frame structure features wide eaves to keep the winter snow away from the walls. It was heated in winter by a single stove, with one room on each level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leek's Lodge</span> Historic house in Wyoming, United States

Leek's Lodge is part of a former resort and dude ranch in Grand Teton National Park, near Jackson Lake. The ranch was established to offer activities to boys in a frontier setting. Its founder, Steven N. Leek, was instrumental in the establishment of the National Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole. The rustic lodge was built in 1927.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenny Lake Boat Concession Facilities</span> United States historic place

The Jenny Lake Boat Concession Facilities, also known as Reimer's Cabin and the Wort Boathouse, are a group of buildings on Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park. They include a dock, a boathouse, two employee cabins and Reimer's Cabin. The boathouse was built by concessioner Charles Wort, who held the original U.S. Forest Service use permit from the time before the establishment of Grand Teton National Park, when the lands and lake were under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service. Robert Reimer took over the concession by 1935 and built a personal residence in 1937. The log cabin is an example of the National Park Service Rustic style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lafayette Park Historic District</span> Neighborhood in central Albany, New York, where state capitol, city hall and courthouse are located

The Lafayette Park Historic District is located in central Albany, New York, United States. It includes the park and the combination of large government buildings and small rowhouses on the neighboring streets. In 1978 it was recognized as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Many of its contributing properties are themselves listed on the National Register. One of them, the New York State Capitol, is a National Historic Landmark as well. Other government buildings include City Hall, the building housing Albany County government, the state's highest court and the offices of its Education Department along with the offices of the City School District of Albany. The Episcopal Diocese of Albany's cathedral is at one corner of the district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valparaiso Downtown Commercial District</span> Historic district in Indiana, United States

Valparaiso has retained an active downtown. It remains a mix of government, retail and business center, with a mixed residential and service area. Numerous economic changes have not changed the basic character, historic courthouse area. The historic district retains the distinctive turn-of-the-19th-century architecture, supporting numerous small specialty shops, shaded sidewalks, and a people friendly environment. The Downtown District, is anchored on the Porter County Courthouse. It includes 14-blocks surrounding the square, bounded on the north by Jefferson Street, on the east by Morgan Street, on the south by Monroe Street, and on the west by Napoleon Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elks Lodge No. 1353</span> United States historic place

The Elks Lodge No. 1353 is a historic building located in Casper, Wyoming. It was built in 1922 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National Park</span> United States historic place

The historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National Park include a variety of buildings and built remains that pre-date the establishment of Grand Teton National Park, together with facilities built by the National Park Service to serve park visitors. Many of these places and structures have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The pre-Park Service structures include homestead cabins from the earliest settlement of Jackson Hole, working ranches that once covered the valley floor, and dude ranches or guest ranches that catered to the tourist trade that grew up in the 1920s and 1930s, before the park was expanded to encompass nearly all of Jackson Hole. Many of these were incorporated into the park to serve as Park Service personnel housing, or were razed to restore the landscape to a natural appearance. Others continued to function as inholdings under a life estate in which their former owners could continue to use and occupy the property until their death. Other buildings, built in the mountains after the initial establishment of the park in 1929, or in the valley after the park was expanded in 1950, were built by the Park Service to serve park visitors, frequently employing the National Park Service Rustic style of design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elk Mountain Hotel</span> United States historic place

The Elk Mountain Hotel, also known as the John S. Evans Hotel, Mountain View Hotel and Grandview Hotel was built in 1905 in Elk Mountain, Wyoming on the bank of the Medicine Bow River. The two-story wood-frame building was built next to the 1880 Garden Spot Pavilion, a dance hall that was a social center in an otherwise isolated portion of Wyoming. The hotel was built by John Evans, the owner of the Elk Mountain Saloon, who in 1903 had acquired the Pavilion. Evans catered to the mining trade through the 1930s. By that time better roads allowed tourism to increase, and the hotel provided accommodation to hunters and tourists. Evans sold the property in 1947 to Mark and Lucille Jackson, who remodeled the hotel and the pavilion.

References

  1. "National Register Information System  (#03001250)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. "George Washington Memorial Park". National Register of Historic Places. Wyoming State Preservation Office. August 12, 2008. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Cassity, Michael (February 19, 2003). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: George Washington Memorial Park". National Park Service. Retrieved May 26, 2009.
  4. Grever, Joan; Dennis, Barry; Lynn, Ann; Dubbe, Kurt; O'Connor, Jesse; Jacobson, Silver; Rigter, Robert (April 15, 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Wort Hotel". National Park Service. Retrieved May 24, 2009.