What is the brief history of Glacier National Park?

Early Inhabitants and Indigenous Significance of Glacier National Park?

Archaeological findings indicate that Native American presence in the Glacier region dates back approximately 10,000 years. Among the earliest groups with ancestral ties to modern tribes were the Flathead (Salish), Kootenai, Shoshone, and Cheyenne. The Blackfeet Nation predominantly inhabited the eastern slopes of what is now the park, as well as the adjacent Great Plains. This region provided them with refuge from the severe winter winds, allowing them to diversify their diet beyond bison hunting by including other sources of game.

The eastern boundary of Glacier National Park directly borders the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, while the Flathead Indian Reservation lies to the west and south. Initially, the Blackfeet Reservation, established under the Lame Bull Treaty of 1855, encompassed the park’s eastern section up to the Continental Divide. The Blackfeet held these lands in high spiritual regard, especially areas like Chief Mountain and Two Medicine, which they considered the “Backbone of the World” and frequently visited for vision quests.

In 1895, Chief White Calf of the Blackfeet agreed to cede roughly 800,000 acres (3,200 km²) of mountainous terrain to the U.S. government for $1.5 million. The agreement granted the Blackfeet continued access for hunting, provided the land remained designated as “public land of the United States.” This transaction effectively defined the modern boundary between the national park and the Blackfeet Reservation.

Early European Exploration and Conservation Efforts

During their 1806 expedition along the Marias River, Lewis and Clark came within 50 miles (80 km) of the present-day park. By the mid-19th century, numerous exploratory missions expanded knowledge of the region. In 1885, renowned explorer and author James Willard Schultz guided George Bird Grinnell on a hunting expedition in the area. Inspired by the landscape’s grandeur, Grinnell spent the next two decades advocating for its protection.

Grinnell’s writings from 1901 famously described the region as the “Crown of the Continent,” reinforcing its significance. His persistent efforts played a critical role in preserving the land. Meanwhile, in 1892, Henry L. Stimson, accompanied by two others, including a Blackfoot guide, scaled the eastern face of Chief Mountain, further increasing the area’s notoriety.

The Role of the Great Northern Railway

In 1891, the Great Northern Railway extended its tracks across the Continental Divide at Marias Pass (5,213 ft or 1,589 m), located along the park’s southern boundary. The railway company heavily promoted the area’s natural beauty to attract tourists and petitioned Congress for increased conservation efforts. In 1897, the land received designation as a forest reserve, allowing limited mining activities, though commercial extraction never gained traction.

Persistent lobbying efforts led to the official establishment of Glacier National Park in 1910. The movement was spearheaded by the Boone and Crockett Club, with strong backing from Grinnell and Louis W. Hill, president of the Great Northern Railway. President William Howard Taft signed the bill into law, formally designating Glacier as a national park. Grinnell later acknowledged the Boone and Crockett Club’s central role in securing the park’s protected status.

Early Park Administration and Native American Rights

Following the park’s establishment, forest reserve supervisor Fremont Nathan Haines temporarily managed its resources until August 1910, when William Logan was appointed as the first superintendent. Initially, the forest reserve status upheld the Blackfeet’s traditional land use rights. However, when the area transitioned into a national park, legal interpretations led to the gradual erosion of these rights.

The U.S. government maintained that the park’s designation nullified previous agreements, a stance reaffirmed by the Court of Claims in 1935. Some Blackfeet, however, have continued to argue that their rights to the land persist. In the 1890s, tensions nearly escalated into armed confrontations on multiple occasions but were ultimately de-escalated.

Tourism and Infrastructure Development

The Great Northern Railway’s Swiss-Style Lodges

Under the leadership of Louis W. Hill, the Great Northern Railway constructed numerous hotels and chalets throughout the park during the 1910s to attract visitors. Designed in a Swiss architectural style, these structures were part of Hill’s broader vision to market Glacier National Park as “America’s Switzerland.”

Hill actively sponsored artists to create works inspired by the park’s scenery, integrating their art into lodges and promotional materials. While the railway’s investments in these facilities never generated significant profits, they successfully drew thousands of tourists who traveled via the Great Northern line.

Tourists explored the park by taking guided horseback tours between lodges or utilizing seasonal stagecoach routes to reach key destinations like Many Glacier.

Chalets and Lodges

Between 1910 and 1915, several chalets were built, including:

• Belton
• St. Mary
• Going-to-the-Sun
• Many Glacier
• Two Medicine
• Sperry
• Granite Park
• Cut Bank
• Gunsight Lake

Additionally, the railway constructed Glacier Park Lodge just outside the park’s eastern boundary, as well as the Many Glacier Hotel on the shores of Swiftcurrent Lake. Louis Hill personally selected each location, prioritizing sites with breathtaking natural backdrops.

In 1913–1914, entrepreneur John Lewis independently built the Lewis Glacier Hotel on Lake McDonald. The Great Northern Railway later purchased it in 1930, renaming it Lake McDonald Lodge.

The railway also established four tent camps at Red Eagle Lake, Cosley Lake, Fifty Mountain, and Goat Haunt. These facilities, situated 10–18 miles apart, allowed visitors to experience the backcountry on foot or horseback via an interconnected trail system. Due to a lack of federal funding, the railway financed trail construction, later receiving reimbursement as funds became available.

Today, only a few of the original chalets remain operational:

• Sperry Chalet
• Granite Park Chalet
• Belton Chalet

Meanwhile, the Two Medicine Chalet now serves as a general store. Many historic buildings within the park have received recognition as National Historic Landmarks, with over 350 structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including ranger stations, patrol cabins, and fire lookouts.

Infrastructure Expansion and Conservation Efforts

Going-to-the-Sun Road

With the increasing popularity of automobiles, construction began on the 53-mile (85 km) Going-to-the-Sun Road to provide easier access to the park’s interior. Completed in 1932, the road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass (6,646 ft or 2,026 m) and remains the only thoroughfare bisecting the park. Recognized for its engineering significance, it was designated both a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Another major route, U.S. Route 2, runs along the park’s southern boundary, crossing the Continental Divide at Marias Pass and linking West Glacier and East Glacier.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and New Deal Projects

Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) played a crucial role in the park’s development. As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, young men in the CCC undertook various projects, including:

• Reforestation efforts
• Campground development
• Trail construction
• Fire management and firefighting

With the rise of automobile tourism in the 1930s, new concession facilities were built at Swiftcurrent and Rising Sun, tailored to car-based visitors. These early auto camps are now also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Modern Challenges and Preservation Efforts

In 2017, the historic Sperry Chalet sustained extensive damage due to the Sprague Fire, which destroyed its interior. The building’s stone exterior was stabilized in late 2017, and reconstruction efforts spanned the summers of 2018 and 2019. The fully restored chalet reopened in February 2020.

Glacier National Park remains a testament to both natural beauty and human ingenuity, with ongoing conservation efforts ensuring its legacy for future generations.