Last updated: April 5, 2021
Place
Parade Ground
Quick Facts
Location:
Mammoth Hot Springs Area
Significance:
Historic site of ceremonies and parades at Fort Yellowstone
Designation:
Part of the Fort Yellowstone National Historic District
Amenities
2 listed
Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Wheelchair Accessible
The location of the parade ground at the western end of the post differs from most forts, which featured centrally located parade grounds surrounded by housing and other military structures.
We are soon to leave the park where we have had such a good time. We were treated well by the Tourists and the soldier is sure 'it' among the girls here.
–Private Herbert Angelo, 13th Cavalry, circa 1902
Temporary Quarters
At first, the soldiers lived in temporary frame buildings at Camp Sheridan at the foot of the Mammoth Hot Springs Terraces. After the Army endured five cold, harsh winters, Congress appropriated $50,000 for a permanent post.
Winter in Yellowstone
As soon as the first heavy snow fell, the entire community commuted on skis. Some sidewalks were shoveled, but skis were crucial to leaving the house. The porches of the officers' quarters were lined with skis—from long to short. The officers bought new skis regularly for their children, just as they did new shoes.
Riverside Station, December 3, 1898... Left here for the Post [Fort Yellowstone] the Sunday before Thanksgiving.... I made 26 miles the first day, staying all night at Norris Station. The next morning it was 22 degrees below zero, but I pulled out for the post, which I reached about two p.m. after a cold hard ride of 20 miles. It is not so much sport riding when the snow is so deep that your horse has to work all the time. Stayed at the Post for Thanksgiving dinner and it was a beaut. The cook more than threw himself. Turkey, roast pork, sweet spuds, cranberry sauce, oyster stew, chocolate, three kinds of cake, pie, pickles, nuts and apples--how's that for soldiers? ... There is something about this life in the wilderness that fascinates me. I saddle my beast, and go off on long rides through the forest where everything is so quiet that one can almost hear the solitude.... Love to all the family and Mable, and regards to friends, Edwin.
–Private Edwin Kelsey, to his niece