Hubbell Trading Post Administrative History

Thomas G. Vaughan 1974-1978

Tom Vaughan was Superintendent at Hubbell Trading Post from August, 1974, to January, 1978. He had been with the Park Service for about ten years before he arrived in Ganado, coming from Point Reyes National Seashore where he was Assistant Chief Naturalist. His interest in the Park Service began when he was in school and worked several seasons as a seasonal ranger at Mesa Verde. He is a native of Wisconsin. He has an undergraduate degree in sociology and did graduate work in anthropology. He feels his five years in Hawaii were very important for his success at Hubbell Trading Post. His first permanent position was at City of Refuge National Historic Park, then at Maui as a District Ranger at Haleakala National Park. His experience there as a member of a minority, as a member of a linguistic minority, would help him when he arrived at Hubbell Trading Post.

Some of Tom's accomplishments at the trading post: The effort of searching for period restoration was dropped in favor of simply trying to keep the site looking as much as possible as it did when the Park Service inherited the place from Dorothy Hubbell. Developing a Collection Management Plan, the first for the NPS, and implementing it with an on-site qualified Curator, improving storage conditions for the collection, and getting many thousands of dollars of project into the funding pipeline. Vaughan was instrumental in blocking the ascendancy of John Young to his father's position as trader, and this resulted in the establishment of some standards for future traders: fluency in the Navajo language, active marketing and the improvement of crafts, the establishment of the philosophy that the traders at Hubbell's should consider "how much can I sell this item for and how much of that can I pay the maker," rather than "how little can I buy this for and how much profit can I make." The Ganado Fire Department was integrated with Hubbell Trading Post, for the benefit of both. And it was established that at least one of the Ranger positions should require some Navajo language and cultural requirements. It was a busy and important three years for Hubbell Trading Post.

From October of 1977 to August of 1980 he was Superintendent of Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site; then, from August of 1980 and on into 1982 he was Chief, Branch of Conservation Laboratories, Division of Museum Service, Harpers Ferry. In 1982 he became a Staff Curator, Chief Curator's Staff, at Harpers Ferry, a position he held until 1985. From 1985 until 1989 he was Superintendent, Chaco Culture NHP; and in 1989 he accepted a position as Interpretive Specialist at Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, Colorado.

Figure 54. Thomas G. Vaughan, Superintendent at Hubbell Trading Post NHS from 1974 to 1977. NPS photo.