Yellowstone Park Company

The early history of concessions in Yellowstone National Park was extremely complex. The Northern Pacific Railroad, its subsidiary the Northwest Improvement Company, and various private parties owned many of the park concessions. The Yellowstone Park Association was incorporated under Minnesota law prior to 1890. It leased land from the Secretary of the Interior to establish hotels at several locations. In 1892, Harry W. Child, Silas S. Huntley, L.H. Hershfield, Aaron Hershfield, and others established the Yellowstone National Park Transportation Company to provide stagecoach travel in the Park. In 1901 Child, Huntley, and E.W. Bach purchased the stock of the Yellowstone Park Association, to consolidate their control of the concessions. Later that year, Huntley died, leaving Harry W. Child in control of the association and the transportation company. In 1909 Child, his wife Adelaide D. Child, and their son Huntley Child reorganized the Yellowstone National Park Transportation Company into its constituent parts the Yellowstone Park Transportation Company and the Yellowstone Park Hotel Company. In spite of this reorganization, they were unable to operate effectively. On the death of Child in 1931, his son-in-law William M. Nichols took over the operation of the concessions. In 1936 Nichols merged the park's transportation, hotel, camping, and boating operations into the new Yellowstone Park Company. World War II however, brought a decline in the concessions as government services to all parks were curtailed and tourist activity decreased. Close to bankrupty during the 1940s, Nichols was financially unprepared for the tourist boom of the early 1950s. To meet the need for improved and expanded facilities, the government initiated "Mission 66", a joint government and private financing of new facilities, the most ambitious of which was the new Canyon Village, completed in 1957. The Yellowstone Park Company continued to operate the concessions until 1980 when the United States Government bought all the company's property.

From the guide to the Yellowstone Park Company Records, 1886-1962, (Montana Historical Society Archives)

The Northern Pacific Railroad, its subsidiary Northwest Improvement Company, and various private parties owned many of the concessions and other businesses that provided visitor services in the earliest years of Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Park Company was incorporated under Minnesota law in the 1880s, in association with the Northern Pacific Railroad. Though the organization of this concession has resulted in a number of associated company names (such as Yellowstone Park Transportation Company, Yellowstone Park Camping company, Yellowstone Park Hotel Company, Yellowstone Park Lodge and Camps Company) they fall under the umbrella of the Yellowstone Park Company.

In 1892, Harry W. Child, with partners Silas S. Huntley, L.H. Hershfield, Aaron Hershfield, and others, established the Yellowstone National Park Transportation Company to provide stagecoach travel in the Park. In 1901 Child, Huntley, and E.W. Back purchased the stock of the Yellowstone Park Association to consolidate their control of the concessions. Later that year, Huntley died, leaving Child to control both companies. Child also operated Child & Anceny with C. L. Anceny; that business dealt in real estate and cattle ranching. In 1909 Child, his wife Adelaide D. Child, and their son Huntley Child reorganized the Yellowstone National Park Transportation Company into its constituent parts, the Yellowstone Park Transportation Company and the Yellowstone Park Hotel Company.

Child died in 1931, and his son-in-law William M. Nichols took over the operation of the concessions. In 1936 Nichols merged the park's transportation, hotel, camping, and boating operations into the new Yellowstone Park Company. World War II brought a decline in the concessions as government services to all parks were curtailed and gas rationing curtailed tourist travel. Close to bankruptcy during the 1940s, Nichols was financially unprepared for the tourist boom of the early 1950s. To meet the need for improved and expanded facilities, the government initiated "Mission 66," a joint government and private financial of new facilities, the most ambitious of which was the new Canyon Village, completed in 1957.

Yellowstone Park Company continued to operate in Yellowstone National Park until the United States Government purchased all associated property of the company and their lease to operate was terminated in 1980.

From the guide to the Yellowstone Park Company Records, 1892-1963, (University of Montana--Missoula Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library Archives and Special Collections)