Hubbell Trading Post Administrative History

Douglas C. McChristian 1986-1987

Doug McChristian surrendered the command of Fort Davis National Historic Site to assume the Superintendency of Hubbell Trading Post. He moved from cavalry post to trading post. He had been Superintendent at Fort Davis for six years, so when he came to Ganado he was one of the most experienced of Hubbell Trading Post's Superintendents. And a good thing he was, because the ranks were pretty thin when he arrived. He had no clerk-typist. The Chief Ranger announced that he would resign in order to pursue a career in the movie industry. The Maintenance Foreman was a rookie. Doug's wife, Mary, helped out wherever she could until some people could be recruited and trained. Among the good people who transferred to the trading post were Rich and Cindy Simmons, and McChristian feels that their inclusion in the ranks of Hubbell Trading Post personnel was one of the successes of his tenure there.

Other accomplishments and activities during the year Doug was at the trading post: Updating the various cyclic funding programs. Culling and updating the Multi-Year Planning and Development Program. Rewriting the Resources Management Plan. A lot of effort went into trying to get the proposed employee housing off dead center (in his opinion, better housing is essential for the good morale of the employees there). Rip-rap was put into Pueblo Colorado Wash. A large portion of the stone fence around the yard of the Hubbell home was taken down, rebuilt, and stabilized with a concrete footing. New exhibits in the Visitor Center were installed (a project started by Barry Cooper). The platform on which the weavers work was installed. A cyclic maintenance program was organized, the cyclic cultural maintenance rehab program improved.

McChristian joined the Park Service at Fort Larned as a seasonal. After graduation from college in 1969 (Fort Hays State University, Kansas), he returned to Fort Larned for another season. Then, after a series of temporary assignments, he assumed his first permanent position, at Fort Davis, where he became Supervisory Park Ranger/Park Historian. After three years at Fort Davis, he was posted to Fort Laramie National Historic Site as Supervisory Historian. In 1978 he transferred to the Southwest Regional Office to be Historian in the Interpretive Division. Doug left SWRO in 1980 to return to Fort Davis, this time as Superintendent.

Doug McChristian has always been interested in military history, especially the military history of the 1870s, so when a position that he was interested in opened up at Fort Union National Monument he applied and was accepted. He was stationed at Fort Union from 1987 to 1989, then he was posted to Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, formerly Custer Battlefield National Monument, where he is now Supervisory Historian.

Figure 57. Douglas C. McChristian, Superintendent of Hubbell Trading Post NHS from 1986-1987. NPS photo from 1991.