Flagg Ranch
Encyclopedia
Flagg Ranch is a privately operated resort located in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
corridor between Yellowstone National Park
and Grand Teton National Park
in northwestern Wyoming
. The location was initially occupied in the 1890s by the Snake River Military Station, part of a network of U.S. Army outposts for patrol and management of Yellowstone National Park in its early years under military administration. The outpost operated under Army control until 1906, when the land to the south of the Yellowstone boundary were turned over to the U.S. Forest Service, becoming Teton National Forest
in 1908. The station became a stopping point for travelers between Jackson, Wyoming
and Yellowstone, easily identifiable by the flags that flew over it.
settlement in northern Jackson Hole.The Flagg Ranch grew along with the dude ranch
and guest ranch industry as it developed in Jackson Hole, and by Sheffield's death in 1927 the Flagg Ranch was a fully equipped dude ranch. It was described as a 50 miles (80.5 km) stagecoach
ride from Ashton, Idaho
, the nearest point of connection to the Union Pacific Railroad
line.
as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, to be operated by Grand Teton. The Flagg Ranch became a Park Service concessioner with the transfer. The ranch has been operated by International Leisure Hosts, Ltd. since 1964. The original log lodge was destroyed by fire in 1981. A replacement structure was completed in 1995. The Flagg Ranch area was heavily burned during the Yellowstone fires of 1988
by the Huck Fire, started by a tree falling on a power line near the ranch, which eventually covered more than 200000 acres (80,937.2 ha).
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway is a scenic road that connects Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It is federally owned and managed by the National Park Service. It is named in remembrance of John D...
corridor between Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
and Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
in northwestern Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
. The location was initially occupied in the 1890s by the Snake River Military Station, part of a network of U.S. Army outposts for patrol and management of Yellowstone National Park in its early years under military administration. The outpost operated under Army control until 1906, when the land to the south of the Yellowstone boundary were turned over to the U.S. Forest Service, becoming Teton National Forest
Teton National Forest
Teton National Forest was first established by the General Land Office on February 22, 1897 as the Teton Forest Reserve with . A commission was established in 1896 to plan for a system of national forest reserves, recommending an expansion of the territory protected by the Yellowstone Timberland...
in 1908. The station became a stopping point for travelers between Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson, Wyoming
Jackson is a town located in the Jackson Hole valley of Teton County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,647 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Teton County....
and Yellowstone, easily identifiable by the flags that flew over it.
Flagg Ranch
In 1910 the Flagg Ranch was established nearby by Edward S. Sheffield, who named the ranch after the old post's flags. Sheffield obtained a lease from the Forest Service and exploited hot springs along nearby Polecat Creek for bathing. Ed Sheffield was the brother of Ben Sheffield, who operated the a dude ranch of his own, the Teton Lodge Resort near the MoranMoran, Wyoming
Moran is an unincorporated community in south central Teton County, Wyoming, United States, which serves as one of the principal fee collection entrances to Grand Teton National Park. It lies in Grand Teton National Park northeast of the city of Jackson, the county seat of Teton County, at the...
settlement in northern Jackson Hole.The Flagg Ranch grew along with the dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
and guest ranch industry as it developed in Jackson Hole, and by Sheffield's death in 1927 the Flagg Ranch was a fully equipped dude ranch. It was described as a 50 miles (80.5 km) stagecoach
Stagecoach
A stagecoach is a type of covered wagon for passengers and goods, strongly sprung and drawn by four horses, usually four-in-hand. Widely used before the introduction of railway transport, it made regular trips between stages or stations, which were places of rest provided for stagecoach travelers...
ride from Ashton, Idaho
Ashton, Idaho
Ashton is a city in Fremont County, Idaho, United States. It is part of the Rexburg, Idaho Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,129 at the 2000 census. The district is noted for seed potato production and bills itself as the world's largest seed potato growing area.-Geography and...
, the nearest point of connection to the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
line.
Park Service concession
In 1972 the section of Teton National Forest between Yellowstone and Grand Teton was transferred to the National Park ServiceNational Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
as John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, to be operated by Grand Teton. The Flagg Ranch became a Park Service concessioner with the transfer. The ranch has been operated by International Leisure Hosts, Ltd. since 1964. The original log lodge was destroyed by fire in 1981. A replacement structure was completed in 1995. The Flagg Ranch area was heavily burned during the Yellowstone fires of 1988
Yellowstone fires of 1988
The Yellowstone fires of 1988 together formed the largest wildfire in the recorded history of the U.S.'s Yellowstone National Park. Starting as many smaller individual fires, the flames spread quickly out of control with increasing winds and drought and combined into one large conflagration, which...
by the Huck Fire, started by a tree falling on a power line near the ranch, which eventually covered more than 200000 acres (80,937.2 ha).
NPS information station
The National Park Service operates a seasonal information station at Flagg Ranch that provides information of the Rockefeller Parkway and Gand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks.External links
- Flagg Ranch history at the Flagg Ranch website