Menor's Ferry
Encyclopedia
Menor's Ferry was a river ferry that crossed the Snake River
near the present-day Moose, Wyoming
. The site was homesteaded by Bill Menor in 1892-94, choosing a location where the river flowed in a single channel, rather than the braided stream that characterizes its course in most of Jackson Hole. During the 1890s it was the only homestead west of the river. Menor's homestead included a five-room cabin, a barn, a store, sheds and an icehouse on 148 acres (59.9 ha), irrigated by a ditch from Cottonwood Creek and at times supplemented by water raised from the Snake River by a waterwheel. Menor operated the ferry until 1918, selling to Maude Noble, who continued operations until 1927, when a bridge was built at Moose.
forms to rustic log construction, an effect heightened by the whitewashed walls of the buildings. Menor made his own whitewash using materials from a lime pit on his brother Holiday Menor's property on the other side of the river. The Menor cabin has three rooms, built individually over a period of time, with a bedroom on the west, a store on the east, and a kitchen and storage room connecting them. The Menor cabin was the pooint of departure for the first ascent of Grand Teton
on August 11, 1898, and it hosted the celebratory party that evening.
The Menor brothers were originally from Ohio. Holiday joined Bill in Jackson Hole in 1905, but the brothers did not speak for two years. Bill moved to California after selling to Noble. Holiday, eleven years younger, joined him about 1927.
and never left. The cabin is a one-story, three room structure that has been repeatedly renovated. The L-shaped building measures about 40 feet (12.2 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m). Noble sold the property to the Snake River Land Company
in 1929 after a bridge was built just downstream to replace the ferry. A tea room operated in the cabin about 1927 or 1928, and again in 1950-51.
The cabin was the site of a meeting on July 23, 1923, where Yellowstone National Park
superintendent and future National Park Service
director Horace Albright met with local ranchers and businessmen, starting the process of creating Grand Teton National Park. Local attendees were Richard Winger, J.R. Jones, J.L. Enyon, and the Bar B C's Struthers Burt
and Horace Carncross. Noble provided the discreet premises, but did not attend herself.
in 1929 who restored the structures and the ferry and donated the property to the National Park Service
in 1953. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1969. The Park Service has restored the hand-operated ferry to operation from 2009. The ferry is a pontoon of two floats with a platform spanning between them, with sufficient room for a wagon and four-horse team. The ferry uses the force of the river to propel the pontoon along a cable stretched across the river. The Park Service has also restored Menor's well. The ferry district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
on April 16, 1969.
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
near the present-day Moose, Wyoming
Moose, Wyoming
Moose is an unincorporated community in Teton County, Wyoming, United States, in the Jackson Hole valley. It has a US Post Office, with the zip code of 83012. The town is located within Grand Teton National Park along the banks of the Snake River...
. The site was homesteaded by Bill Menor in 1892-94, choosing a location where the river flowed in a single channel, rather than the braided stream that characterizes its course in most of Jackson Hole. During the 1890s it was the only homestead west of the river. Menor's homestead included a five-room cabin, a barn, a store, sheds and an icehouse on 148 acres (59.9 ha), irrigated by a ditch from Cottonwood Creek and at times supplemented by water raised from the Snake River by a waterwheel. Menor operated the ferry until 1918, selling to Maude Noble, who continued operations until 1927, when a bridge was built at Moose.
Menor cabin and store
The Menor house and store are unusual in their application of classicalClassical architecture
Classical architecture is a mode of architecture employing vocabulary derived in part from the Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, enriched by classicizing architectural practice in Europe since the Renaissance...
forms to rustic log construction, an effect heightened by the whitewashed walls of the buildings. Menor made his own whitewash using materials from a lime pit on his brother Holiday Menor's property on the other side of the river. The Menor cabin has three rooms, built individually over a period of time, with a bedroom on the west, a store on the east, and a kitchen and storage room connecting them. The Menor cabin was the pooint of departure for the first ascent of Grand Teton
Grand Teton
Grand Teton is the highest mountain in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and a classic destination in American mountaineering.- Geography :...
on August 11, 1898, and it hosted the celebratory party that evening.
The Menor brothers were originally from Ohio. Holiday joined Bill in Jackson Hole in 1905, but the brothers did not speak for two years. Bill moved to California after selling to Noble. Holiday, eleven years younger, joined him about 1927.
Noble Cabin
The property also includes the log Maud Noble Cabin, built in 1916 to the northwest of the present site on Cottonwood Creek and relocated to the ferry site when Noble bought the Menor operation in 1918. Maud Noble was originally from Philadelphia; she arrived in Jackson Hole in 1915 on a visit to the Bar B C Dude RanchBar B C Dude Ranch
The Bar B C Dude Ranch was established near Moose, Wyoming in 1912 as a dude ranch by Struthers Burt and Dr. Horace Carncross, using their initials as the brand. Rather than converting a working ranch, Burt and Carncross built a tourist-oriented dude ranch from the ground up, using a style called...
and never left. The cabin is a one-story, three room structure that has been repeatedly renovated. The L-shaped building measures about 40 feet (12.2 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m). Noble sold the property to the Snake River Land Company
Snake River Land Company
The Snake River Land Company was a land purchasing company established in 1927 by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. The company acted as a front so Rockefeller could buy land in the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming without people knowing of his involvement or his intentions for the property,...
in 1929 after a bridge was built just downstream to replace the ferry. A tea room operated in the cabin about 1927 or 1928, and again in 1950-51.
The cabin was the site of a meeting on July 23, 1923, where 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...
superintendent and future National Park Service
National 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...
director Horace Albright met with local ranchers and businessmen, starting the process of creating Grand Teton National Park. Local attendees were Richard Winger, J.R. Jones, J.L. Enyon, and the Bar B C's Struthers Burt
Maxwell Struthers Burt
Maxwell Struthers Burt , was an American novelist, poet, and short-story writer.-Life:...
and Horace Carncross. Noble provided the discreet premises, but did not attend herself.
Restoration
The property was bought by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
John Davison Rockefeller, Jr. was a major philanthropist and a pivotal member of the prominent Rockefeller family. He was the sole son among the five children of businessman and Standard Oil industrialist John D. Rockefeller and the father of the five famous Rockefeller brothers...
in 1929 who restored the structures and the ferry and donated the property to the National Park Service
National 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...
in 1953. The property was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1969. The Park Service has restored the hand-operated ferry to operation from 2009. The ferry is a pontoon of two floats with a platform spanning between them, with sufficient room for a wagon and four-horse team. The ferry uses the force of the river to propel the pontoon along a cable stretched across the river. The Park Service has also restored Menor's well. The ferry district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on April 16, 1969.
External links
- Menor's Ferry at Grand Teton National Park
- Mountain River Men: The Story of Menor's Ferry at Grand Teton National Park
- Menor's Ferry (Museum), Snake River, Moose, Teton County, WY: 12 drawings, 11 photos, 5 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Maud Noble Cabin, Menor's Ferry, Snake River, moved from Cottonwood Creek, Moose, Teton County, WY: 7 drawings, 5 photos, 6 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Menor's Ferry at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office