Enos Mills
Encyclopedia
Enos Abijah Mills was an American naturalist and homesteader. He was the main figure behind the creation of Rocky Mountain National Park
.
but moved to Colorado
early in his life during a bout with tuberculosis. At age
15, he made his first ascent of the 14,255-foot Longs Peak
. Over the course of his life, he made the trip 40 times
by himself and nearly 300 additional times as a guide.
In 1887, after returning to health, he moved to Butte, Montana
. There he lived and worked intermittently until 1902,
spending more summers traveling the West Coast of the United States, Alaska, and Europe. In 1889, he had a
chance encounter with famed naturalist John Muir
on a San Francisco beach, and from that point on Mills
dedicated his life to conservation activism, lecturing, and writing.
In 1902, Mills returned to Colorado and purchased from his cousin the Longs Peak House in Estes Park. He
eventually homesteaded in the surrounding area and later turned the Longs Peak house into the Longs Peak Inn,
from which he treated guests to excursions into the wilderness and evening nature talks.
From 1902-1906, Mills also served as the Colorado State Snow Observer, a position that took him into the wild he
so loved. His job was to measure the snow depths to predict spring and summer runoff. Following this position, he
served as government lecturer on forestry from 1907-1909. During this time, he also authored several articles and
books on nature and Estes Park area.
Throughout his time in various assignments, Mills was also leading the fight to preserve the area around Longs Peak as a
national park. Aided by groups such as the Sierra Club
and the Daughters of the American Revolution
, Mills succeeded
and Congress established Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. Called the "Father of Rocky Mountain National Park,"
Mills continued to lecture and write books until his death at age 52 in 1922. Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is named in his honor.
The Grizzly, Our Greatest Wild Animal
In Beaver World
Rocky Mountain Wonderland
Story of a Thousand-Year Pine
Wild Life on the Rockies
Story of Estes Park, Grand Lake, and Rocky Mountain National Park
Story of Scotch
Spell of the Rockies
Waiting in the Wilderness
Watched by Wild Animals
Your National Parks
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...
.
Biography
Enos A. Mills was born in KansasKansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
but moved to Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
early in his life during a bout with tuberculosis. At age
15, he made his first ascent of the 14,255-foot Longs Peak
Longs Peak
Longs Peak is one of the 53 mountains with summits over 14,000 feet in Colorado. It can be prominently seen from Longmont, Colorado, as well as from the rest of the Colorado Front Range. It is named after Major Stephen Long, who explored the area in the 1820s...
. Over the course of his life, he made the trip 40 times
by himself and nearly 300 additional times as a guide.
In 1887, after returning to health, he moved to Butte, Montana
Butte, Montana
Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...
. There he lived and worked intermittently until 1902,
spending more summers traveling the West Coast of the United States, Alaska, and Europe. In 1889, he had a
chance encounter with famed naturalist John Muir
John Muir
John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist, author, and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions...
on a San Francisco beach, and from that point on Mills
dedicated his life to conservation activism, lecturing, and writing.
In 1902, Mills returned to Colorado and purchased from his cousin the Longs Peak House in Estes Park. He
eventually homesteaded in the surrounding area and later turned the Longs Peak house into the Longs Peak Inn,
from which he treated guests to excursions into the wilderness and evening nature talks.
From 1902-1906, Mills also served as the Colorado State Snow Observer, a position that took him into the wild he
so loved. His job was to measure the snow depths to predict spring and summer runoff. Following this position, he
served as government lecturer on forestry from 1907-1909. During this time, he also authored several articles and
books on nature and Estes Park area.
Throughout his time in various assignments, Mills was also leading the fight to preserve the area around Longs Peak as a
national park. Aided by groups such as the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
and the Daughters of the American Revolution
Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
, Mills succeeded
and Congress established Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915. Called the "Father of Rocky Mountain National Park,"
Mills continued to lecture and write books until his death at age 52 in 1922. Mills Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park is named in his honor.
List of Books Written
Adventures of a Nature GuideThe Grizzly, Our Greatest Wild Animal
In Beaver World
Rocky Mountain Wonderland
Story of a Thousand-Year Pine
Wild Life on the Rockies
Story of Estes Park, Grand Lake, and Rocky Mountain National Park
Story of Scotch
Spell of the Rockies
Waiting in the Wilderness
Watched by Wild Animals
Your National Parks
Sources
- Biography of Enos Mills, National Park Service
- Short radio episode Universal Kinship from The Adventures of a Nature Guide, 1920, by Enos A. Mills, California Legacy ProjectCalifornia Legacy ProjectThe California Legacy Project began in 2000 as a project at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA and later partnered with Heyday Books in Berkeley, CA. The project uses a research team of SCU interns to create radio scripts for the radio anthology "Your California Legacy" on KAZU 90.3 FM,...
. - Rocky Mountain National Park Dayhiker's Guide, Jerome Malitz, Big Earth Publishing, 2005.
- Watched By Wild Animals, Enos Mills, Doubleday, Page & Company, 1922.