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"The Yellowstone Park is something absolutely unique in the world...This Park was created and is now administered for the benefit and enjoyment of the people...it is the property of Uncle Sam and therefore of us all."
President Theodore Roosevelt
April 24, 1903 at Gardiner, Montana
Speech dedicating the North Entrance Arch
First Came Yellowstone
To President Theodore Roosevelt, Yellowstone's uniqueness was no the geysers or wildlife he had observed during his visit. Its uniqueness was being the first national park anywhere in the world. It was a new symbol of democracy - land that the federal government set aside from development or settlement, land that belonged to all the people. President Roosevelt recognized this would be Yellowstone National Park's legacy.
Then the National Park Service
Fourteen other national parks were set aside before the National Park Service itself was established in 1916. Today, the National Park Service operates 387 park units, including monuments, battlefields, and historic sites. If you drive out the south entrance of Yellowstone, you immediately enter one of those other units: the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Parkway, which connects Yellowstone to Grand Teton National Park. If you drive out the north entrance and across Montana, you'll reach Glacier National Park in six hours. To the northwest are Grant Kohrs National Historic Site and Big Hole National Battlefield, to the southwest Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve. And from Oregon comes the Nez Perce Historic Trail which crosses Yellowstone and ends in Montana 30 miles from the Canadian border.
And the New Idea Spread
Our example has inspired countries around the world to establish more than 100 national parks - modeled in whole or part on Yellowstone National Park and the national Park Service idea. Our neighbor to the north Canada, has 41 national parks; Mexico has 39.
Arch Facts
A Landmark and Symbol Turns 100 Years Old
In the early years of Yellowstone National Park, most visitors came through the North Entrance. Visitation increased in 1903 when the Northern Pacific Railroad reached the adjacent town of Gardiner, Montana. The arch was built to serve as a formal gateway to the park.
President Theodore Roosevelt, while vacationing here in the spring of 1903, agreed to lay the cornerstone of the new arch at the North Entrance. Several thousand people attended the ceremony marking this event.
During his vacation, Roosevelt viewed the geysers and hot springs, and spent many hours watching elk and bighorn sheep. To Roosevelt, though, Yellowstone's uniqueness was as the first national park set aside anywhere in the world. It was a symbol of democracy--land set aside for all the people and belonging to all the people. President Roosevelt recognized this would be Yellowstone National Park's legacy to the rest of the world.
President Theodore Roosevelt was a also a mason. The corner stone ceremony was presided over by the Grand Master of Montana. When they came to the point of being ready to lay the corner stone, the Grand Master handed the trowel to President Roosevelt, who spread the mortar on the stone that was to be the resting place of the corner stone. The corner stone was then lowered into place.
With the corner stone in place, President Roosevelt addressed the crowd of residents and visitors.
The National Park Service and the town of Gardiner will celebrate the Arch on 23, 24 & 25 August 2003. There will be a ceremony, speakers, Theodore Roosevelt IV (Roosevelt's great great grandson) and events to celebrate this historic occasion.
Some of the information provided above is from the National Park Service.
23 Aug 2003 - Sat - Buffalo Days Activities & BBQ
24 Aug 2003 - Sun - First Annual Arch Park Art Show
25 Aug 2003 - Mon - Arch Celebration - Re-enactment of Arch Dedication and Chamber BBQ
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