W. Hudson Kensel
Encyclopedia
W. Hudson Kensel is a western
American
historian
and author.
W. Hudson Kensel is professor emeritus from California State University, Fresno
, where he was a former chairman of the Department of History. His early childhood was spent at Pahaska Tepee
and Cody, Wyoming
. He moved to the state of Washington where he completed his education earning a Ph.D. in western United States
history. Kensel is the author of Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill's Old Hunting Lodge and Hotel, A History, 1901-1946 and Dude Ranching in Yellowstone Country: Larry Larom and Valley Ranch, 1915-1969, published in 2010 by the University of Oklahoma Press
. Valley Ranch, one of the first of the western dude ranch
es, is located on the South Fork of the Shoshone River
in northwestern Wyoming
, Missouri
. He made his first trip to the American West as a newborn when his family bought Pahaska Tepee
, Buffalo Bill
’s hunting lodge near the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park
. His childhood was spent at Pahaska in the summer months and in Cody
, Wyoming, during the school year. The family later moved to Ellensburg
, Washington, where Kensel spent his high school years. Following graduation Kensel served in the United States Army
from 1946 to 1948 and was a part of the occupation forces in Japan
. After completing his military service, Kensel attended the University of Washington
at Seattle
, where he earned a B.A.
degree in Economics and Business in 1951. He attended Central Washington University
in Ellensburg and earned a Bachelor of Arts
in Education in 1952 and a Master of Education
degree in 1955 with a thesis on “Local resource use in a junior high program in the Yakima Valley, Washington.” In 1962, Kensel completed his Ph.D.
in history at Washington State University
in Pullman
, with his dissertation on "The Economic History of Spokane, Washington
, 1881-1910." He married the former Carol J. Jessup on April 4, 1969, with whom he reared four children.
in Pasco
, Washington. In 1965, he joined the Department of History at California State University, Fresno
, where he served as assistant professor. In 1969 Kensel became an associate professor and in 1973 he became a tenured professor. He was a visiting Professor in the Department of History at Pacific Lutheran University
in Tacoma
, Washington, during the summers of 1974-1976. While at Cal State, Fresno, Kensel served as the Chairman of the Department of History from 1972 to 1982. He became Professor Emeritus in 2002.
Now living in Edmonds
, Washington, Kensel continues to research and write on topics related to western American history. While conducting research in 2004 Kensel acquired a rare photo album of the Sunlight Ranch, which is located east of Cody. This photo album led Kensel to research the subjects in the pictures and in the Spring 2006 the Annals of Wyoming published, “Hope and Reality in the Sunlight Basin, Wyoming
: The Painter Family and John K. Rollinson
.” While conducting research on the Sunlight Ranch and dude ranching, Kensel found his next research topic – Larry Larom
and the Valley Ranch. In 2006, as a resident fellow at the Cody Institute for Western American Studies at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center
in Cody, Kensel researched this topic extensively.
, Buffalo Bill
's Old Hunting Lodge and Hotel, A History, 1901-1946. Buffalo Bill Historical Center
, 1987.
Dude Ranching in Yellowstone Country: Larry Larom and Valley Ranch, 1915-1969. University of Oklahoma Press
, 2010.
: The Painter Family and John K. Rollinson
," Annals of Wyoming, Spring 2006.
"Spokane
: The First Decade," Idaho Yesterdays, Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 1971.
"Inland Empire Mining and the Growth of Spokane
, 1883-1905," Pacific Northwestern Quarterly, April 1969.
“The Early Spokane
Lumber Industry, 1871-1910," Idaho Yesterdays, Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 1968.
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author.
W. Hudson Kensel is professor emeritus from California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
, where he was a former chairman of the Department of History. His early childhood was spent at Pahaska Tepee
Pahaska Tepee
Pahaska Tepee is William "Buffalo Bill" Cody’s old hunting lodge and hotel in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is located 50 miles west of the town of Cody and two miles from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Cody built Pahaska Tepee to accommodate tourists traveling up the Cody Road...
and Cody, Wyoming
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
. He moved to the state of Washington where he completed his education earning a Ph.D. in western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history. Kensel is the author of Pahaska Tepee, Buffalo Bill's Old Hunting Lodge and Hotel, A History, 1901-1946 and Dude Ranching in Yellowstone Country: Larry Larom and Valley Ranch, 1915-1969, published in 2010 by the University of Oklahoma Press
University of Oklahoma Press
The University of Oklahoma Press is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. It has been in operation for over seventy-five years, and was the first university press established in the American Southwest. It was founded by William Bennett Bizzell, the fifth president of the University of...
. Valley Ranch, one of the first of the western 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:...
es, is located on the South Fork of the Shoshone River
Shoshone River
The Shoshone River is long river in northern Wyoming in the United States. Its headwaters are in the Absaroka Range in Shoshone National Forest. It ends when it runs into the Big Horn River near Lovell, Wyoming. Cities it runs near or through are Cody, Powell, Byron, and Lovell. Near Cody, it...
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...
Early life and education
The son of Willard F. “Bill” Wilkinson and his wife Jessie R. Brenizer, Kensel was born in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. He made his first trip to the American West as a newborn when his family bought Pahaska Tepee
Pahaska Tepee
Pahaska Tepee is William "Buffalo Bill" Cody’s old hunting lodge and hotel in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is located 50 miles west of the town of Cody and two miles from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Cody built Pahaska Tepee to accommodate tourists traveling up the Cody Road...
, Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
’s hunting lodge near the east entrance to 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...
. His childhood was spent at Pahaska in the summer months and in Cody
Cody, Wyoming
Cody is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. It is named after William Frederick Cody, primarily known as Buffalo Bill, from William Cody's part in the creation of the original town. The population was 9,520 at the 2010 census...
, Wyoming, during the school year. The family later moved to Ellensburg
Ellensburg, Washington
Ellensburg is a city in, and the county seat of, Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 18,174 at the 2010 census. The population was 18,250 at 2011 Estimate from Office of Financial Management. Ellensburg is located just east of the Cascade Range on I-90 and is known as the...
, Washington, where Kensel spent his high school years. Following graduation Kensel served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1946 to 1948 and was a part of the occupation forces in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. After completing his military service, Kensel attended the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
at Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, where he earned a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in Economics and Business in 1951. He attended Central Washington University
Central Washington University
Central Washington University, often abbreviated CWU, is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington in the United States.This location was selected by the state legislature as a consolation prize after Ellensburg lost its bid to be state capital...
in Ellensburg and earned a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Education in 1952 and a Master of Education
Master of Education
The Master of Education is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in a large number of countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum and instruction, counseling, and administration. It is often conferred for educators advancing in...
degree in 1955 with a thesis on “Local resource use in a junior high program in the Yakima Valley, Washington.” In 1962, Kensel completed his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in history at Washington State University
Washington State University
Washington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
in Pullman
Pullman, Washington
Pullman is the largest city in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The population was 24,675 at the 2000 census and 29,799 according to the 2010 census...
, with his dissertation on "The Economic History of Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
, 1881-1910." He married the former Carol J. Jessup on April 4, 1969, with whom he reared four children.
Professional career
Upon earning his Ph.D., Kensel taught at Columbia Basin CollegeColumbia Basin College
Columbia Basin College is a community college based in Pasco, Washington. The College offers many associate degrees and one baccalaureate business degree in applied management....
in Pasco
Pasco, Washington
Pasco is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Washington, United States.Pasco is one of three cities that make up the Tri-Cities region of the state of Washington...
, Washington. In 1965, he joined the Department of History at California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
, where he served as assistant professor. In 1969 Kensel became an associate professor and in 1973 he became a tenured professor. He was a visiting Professor in the Department of History at Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
in Tacoma
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, Washington, during the summers of 1974-1976. While at Cal State, Fresno, Kensel served as the Chairman of the Department of History from 1972 to 1982. He became Professor Emeritus in 2002.
Now living in Edmonds
Edmonds, Washington
Edmonds is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. Edmonds has a view of Puget Sound and both the Olympic Mountains and Cascade Range. The third most populous city in Snohomish County after Everett and Marysville, the population was 39,709 according to the 2010 census...
, Washington, Kensel continues to research and write on topics related to western American history. While conducting research in 2004 Kensel acquired a rare photo album of the Sunlight Ranch, which is located east of Cody. This photo album led Kensel to research the subjects in the pictures and in the Spring 2006 the Annals of Wyoming published, “Hope and Reality in the Sunlight Basin, 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 Painter Family and John K. Rollinson
John K. Rollinson
John K. Rollinson was an American writer of western non-fiction.Born in Buffalo, New York, Rollinson was inspired by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exhibition to travel to the West and become a cowboy. Rollinson arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1903 and gained experience as a ranch hand before moving to...
.” While conducting research on the Sunlight Ranch and dude ranching, Kensel found his next research topic – Larry Larom
Larry Larom
Irving Hastings Larom, known as Larry Larom , was the founding president of the Dude Ranchers Association and an owner of the Valley Ranch near Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming....
and the Valley Ranch. In 2006, as a resident fellow at the Cody Institute for Western American Studies at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a complex of museums displaying artifacts and art of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming. Founded in 1917, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the oldest museum in the West...
in Cody, Kensel researched this topic extensively.
Works
Pahaska TepeePahaska Tepee
Pahaska Tepee is William "Buffalo Bill" Cody’s old hunting lodge and hotel in the U.S. state of Wyoming. It is located 50 miles west of the town of Cody and two miles from the east entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Cody built Pahaska Tepee to accommodate tourists traveling up the Cody Road...
, Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
's Old Hunting Lodge and Hotel, A History, 1901-1946. Buffalo Bill Historical Center
Buffalo Bill Historical Center
The Buffalo Bill Historical Center is a complex of museums displaying artifacts and art of the American West located in Cody, Wyoming. Founded in 1917, the Buffalo Bill Historical Center is the oldest museum in the West...
, 1987.
Dude Ranching in Yellowstone Country: Larry Larom and Valley Ranch, 1915-1969. University of Oklahoma Press
University of Oklahoma Press
The University of Oklahoma Press is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. It has been in operation for over seventy-five years, and was the first university press established in the American Southwest. It was founded by William Bennett Bizzell, the fifth president of the University of...
, 2010.
Articles
"Hope and Reality in the Sunlight Basin, WyomingWyoming
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 Painter Family and John K. Rollinson
John K. Rollinson
John K. Rollinson was an American writer of western non-fiction.Born in Buffalo, New York, Rollinson was inspired by Buffalo Bill’s Wild West exhibition to travel to the West and become a cowboy. Rollinson arrived in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1903 and gained experience as a ranch hand before moving to...
," Annals of Wyoming, Spring 2006.
"Spokane
Spokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
: The First Decade," Idaho Yesterdays, Vol. 15, No. 1, Spring 1971.
"Inland Empire Mining and the Growth of Spokane
Spokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
, 1883-1905," Pacific Northwestern Quarterly, April 1969.
“The Early Spokane
Spokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
Lumber Industry, 1871-1910," Idaho Yesterdays, Vol. 12, No. 1, Spring 1968.