Grant-Kohrs Ranch Administrative History

Vern Hennesay proceeded to identify no less than seventeen projects at the ranch that needed immediate funding. These priorities were submitted as high park priorities, but the 1976 National Bicentennial celebration, for which the NPS was the designated lead agency, took precedence throughout the System. Beyond having enough money to construct an access road to the meadows for Con Warren, thereby circumventing traffic around the historic zone, none of the projects were approved. "We all deeply regret that development of the area has not progressed more rapidly," a Department of Interior official wrote to Warren. "However, sufficient funds are not available to accomplish all the development projects within units of the National Park System." He went on to say that the community could expect a delay of two to three years before the Grant-Kohrs projects could be integrated into the system. [9]

Things at the ranch remained little changed until the park's first on-site manger, Richard R. Peterson, and Historian Paul Gordon arrived within a day of each other early in August 1974. They faced great challenges in a park that needed almost everything. Besides establishing a rapport with the community and giving momentum to the planning effort, a more practical need was to find a larger office space than that provided by the old trailer. The basement of the ranch house offered the only area large enough. The two decided to fire up the old coal furnace and to partition off a portion near the door with plastic sheeting, with the hope of surviving their first winter in Montana. They also acquired two desks and other basic equipment from the parent park. "We had a cold winter there," Peterson remembered. "The cold would come right up through your legs." If that were not enough, the basement lacked a ceiling and dust persisted in seeping through the floor above, covering everything in the makeshift office. Everything had to be covered with plastic sheeting when the office was not occupied. "It was pretty grim," recalled Gordon. [10]

Prior to their arrival, Hennesay had brought yet a third mobile home to the ranch, this one intended as additional employee housing. Peterson had been fortunate enough to locate a house in town for his family, but the Gordons moved into the trailer. It was situated immediately in front of the buggy shed (HS-17). He resided there until the spring 1976 when he too moved into Deer Lodge. The "New Moon" trailer Gordon vacated was then relocated alongside the thoroughbred barn (HS-15) where it remained. [11]

Prior to the arrival of the permanent staff, Hennesay had proposed that office space for park headquarters be leased in the city of Deer Lodge. The final decision was left to the new manager. Soon after Peterson arrived, it became obvious to him that the community was bent on getting the park open to the public, and money flowing into local commerce. He quickly became embroiled in the already heated issue of where to locate the park entrance, examined in a previous chapter. Faced with mounting public pressure to construct railroad crossings either on Milwaukee or Rainbow Avenues, Peterson championed an access directly from Highway 10, just outside the city limit. It was a more logical and much more economical entrance to construct than either of the other two alternatives. Besides, a picnic area desired by some citizens could still be developed on a parcel of land, known as Tract E, in the southeast corner of the site. "I see no advantage to be gained by locating our administrative offices in Deer Lodge proper," Peterson wrote. It was his opinion that if the access and attendant visitor facilities were developed on the 11-acre parcel south of the Warren residence, there would be no need to move into town. [12] Following public meetings on the environmental assessment in April 1975, the question was settled. Visitors would enter the park from the highway.

First park headquarters at 314 Main Street, Deer Lodge.
(Photo by D. McChristian)

Before the area could host the public, however, Peterson saw an urgent need to install basic utilities systems. The agreement with the city to provide fire suppression services was fine as far as it went but Peterson recognized that a fire in a wooden historic structure would cause extensive damage, if not total destruction, in a matter of a few crucial minutes. The new park needed its own city water lines to supply both domestic needs and a network of fire hydrants in the historic zone. Electricity, too, was needed, along with public rest rooms. Additionally, there was the need to replace the old coal-fired furnace in the main house with a modern gas unit that would be both safer and cleaner to operate. The superintendent also wanted to see the intrusive trailers removed from the park. In order to do this, the old upstairs apartment in the ranch house had to be thoroughly rehabilitated for use as temporary employee quarters. Peterson also considered adaptively restoring one of the other buildings to house a permanent employee. [13]

Faced with the prospect of spending another winter in his dungeon-like basement office, Peterson conceded that moving the park headquarters to town would have some advantages after all. The probability of having a new visitor center with administrative space constructed anytime soon was extremely remote. Moreover, having an office right in the community could benefit the park's relationship with the townspeople. By August 1975 he and Gordon, augmented by a secretary and two maintenance personnel, were ensconced in offices at 314 Main. A maintenance shop was set up in the dairy barn (HS 9) at the ranch. [14]

Much of Peterson's attention was focused on the principal goal of gearing up for the public. Everyone wanted that -- the town of Deer Lodge, the Montana delegation, and the Park Service. The NPS had maintained custody over the property for more than four years, yet had very little to show for it. The agency was under pressure to demonstrate progress in a way that was evident to the public. As the result of continued political interest in the ranch, especially by local Congressman Dick Shoup, the planning schedule was advanced and the fiscal year 1975 budget was amended to include significant amounts for Grant-Kohrs Ranch development. In December 1974 NPS Director Ronald H. Walker informed the Montana senators that several line item requests of the park had been approved, including $105,000.00 for road planning and construction, plus additional amounts to install water and fire protection systems. [15]

With money available to construct a parking lot and trails, Peterson lost no time in pursuing these plans, following the spring 1975 announcement of the selected alternative. At issue was the development of a safe, efficient way for visitors to cross the two sets of railroad tracks dissecting the Site from north to south. These formed a major obstacle lying between the proposed parking lot and the historic ranch. Indeed, Peterson discussed design needs and cost estimates with both the Burlington Northern and the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroads since shortly after his arrival. But, until the access location had been finally determined, these talks were only conceptual in nature. Once the decision was made, however, the NPS immediately requested the railroads to prepare detailed proposals and cost estimates for constructing the pedestrian underpasses. No one envisioned any particular problems with accomplishing this goal, apparently failing to consider that three bureaucracies were involved. In May 1975 "Pete" Peterson warned, prophetically as it turned out, that "bureaucracies move slowly." [16]

Nearly-completed parking lot, with visitor contact station and restrooms.
(Courtesy Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS)

While negotiations continued with the railroads, work on the visitor facilities at the historic site shifted into high gear. The Denver Service Center, augmented by an engineer from Yellowstone National Park, coordinated with the fledgling Site to complete plans for the parking area, trails, and utilities. Unfortunately, the appropriation did not include funds for the design and construction of a visitor center, although some basic facilities were of necessity once the area was open for public use. Undaunted, Peterson and Peter Snell, a DSC architect, found two aging structures on the Cliff Benson Ranch (formerly the Kohrs-Bielenberg "Upper Ranch") that were architecturally compatible with the buildings at the Site. One, a "studs-out" granary typical of the Northwest region, embraced about 350 square feet. The other was a small unfloored log homestead cabin that Benson had used as a pig shelter. Thus, these buildings not only appeared much like those at the home ranch, they were associated with Kohrs. [17]

Peterson purchased these buildings and, using a flatbed trailer, had them moved intact to Grant-Kohrs where they were adaptively restored by maintenance workers Mike McWright and Arnold. Larson, based on Snell's plans. The granary, which retained a floor because it had been used recently for storing grain, was converted into a visitor contact station; the log cabin was converted into the public rest rooms. They were positioned adjacent to each other on a knoll near the northwest end of the proposed parking lot.

At the end of July, Peterson proudly announced that the buildings were in place and a "jack-leg" pole fence had. been erected along the north boundary of the parking area. Even more encouraging, the NPS had just awarded a package contract for installing the paved 28-car parking lot, trails, utilities, and paved walkways. Work started on the comprehensive project on August 11, 1975 and was finished by the end of October. The asphalt-paved trail leading from the parking lot to the ranch was built in two segments ending on each side of the railroad rights-of-way, since negotiations for the underpasses were still pending. [18] That fall also saw both the studs-out granary and the log cabin re roofed and wired for electricity. [19] Superintendent Peterson and his staff could be justifiably proud of their accomplishments that year. Grant-Kohrs Ranch NPS was finally beginning to take shape.

Nevertheless, the summer of 1975 had come and gone, and the ranch still was not open. It certainly was not due to any lack of enthusiasm or energy among the park staff They had done much within the short time they had been there.