Human History

The human history of Jackson Hole and the Teton Range dates back thousands of years.

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Human History Details

The human history of Jackson Hole and the Teton Range dates back thousands of years. The stunning beauty and abundant wildlife and plants found here has drawn humans to this place for more than 11,000 years. Nomadic paleo-Indians first entered the Jackson Hole valley shortly after Pleistocene Ice Age glaciers retreated. They left behind tipi rings, fire pits, and stone tools. Summers were a time of abundance. Indians harvested bulbs and berries, fished the lakes and streams, and hunted wildlife. With the approach of the harsh winter, indigenous people followed their prey out of the valley in search of milder weather. The first euro-American explorer who may have entered the Jackson Hole was John Colter. He left Lewis and Clark's expedition in the fall of 1806 and traveled through this region in 1807-1808, but left no written record of his journeys. People also came here seeking wealth. Fur trappers, known as "mountain men," trekked west in search of prized beaver fur for hats that became fashionable in the early 1800s. Many trappers, including David Edward (Davey) Jackson, based their operations in the area. The valley we know as Jackson Hole was once known as Davey Jackson's Hole, and later, Jackson's Hole. The beaver population declined rapidly with over-trapping, and fashion turned from beaver to silk hats, ending the era of the mountain men by 1840. Even though the Homestead Act of 1862 encouraged settlement of the West, homesteaders did not arrive in Jackson Hole until 1884, when they became the valley's first year-round residents. Over the next decade, many settlers established homesteads. Conditions were difficult; the soil was sandy and rocky, the winters long, and the summers dry. Homesteaders struggled to raise crops and cattle, and became desperate as an agricultural depression swept the country around 1920. Wealthy Easterners enchanted with the West visited Jackson Hole for a "cowboy" experience. Homesteaders began to shift their operations to accommodate these visitors in 1908. These eastern "dudes" (men) and "dudenes" (women) paid handsomely for lodging, food, the use of a horse, and other outdoor activities. Local ranchers quickly realized dude ranching was more profitable and easier than traditional ranching, leading to the golden age of dude ranching in the 1920s. Development began to crowd Jackson Hole: cabins, gas stations, dance halls, billboards and racetracks sprang up. Local ranchers and other businessmen wanted to preserve the valley as a "museum on the hoof." In 1926, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. toured the area with Yellowstone Superintendent Horace Albright. Rockefeller began purchasing private land throughout the valley. Over the next two decades, he amassed 35,000 acres through the Snake River Land Company, with the intent of donating the land to the park. Grand Teton National Park took decades to establish. Congress established the original park in 1929 to protect the Teton Range and some of the lakes along its base. In 1943, Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared the remaining federal land in the valley Jackson Hole National Monument. In 1949, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. donated the land he purchased to the government to be included in the national park. Finally, in 1950, Congress combined the original park, most of the national monument, and the Rockefeller land to establish the park we see today. In 1972, Congress established the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway to honor Rockefeller's commitment to the National Park Service, connecting Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. After World War II, more people owned cars and began to explore the country. With increased visitation, the park also saw the need to expand visitor services. As the National Park Service approached its 50th anniversary in 1966, the park had new visitor centers at Colter Bay and Moos to provide information and ranger activities as part of the "Mission 66" program. Adventure has always drawn people to this area. No one knows who first climbed Grand Teton. American Indians built an "enclosure" at 13,280 feet on a sub-peak of the 13,770-foot-tall Grand Teton. Members of the Hayden Expedition of 1872 claimed to have reached the summit. William Owen, Franklin Spalding, John Shive and Frank Petersen claimed the first documented summit in 1898. Many other followed. Paul Petzoldt and Glen Exum established the first guide service in 1931, still operating today as Exum Mountain Guides. Today over 90 different routes and variations lead to the summit of the Grand Teton.

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