Tourism and Conservation in the National Parks

This item is a letter from Abby Williams Hill to Horace Albright, the Director (misidentified by Hill as “superintendent”) of the National Park Service, dated October 8, 1929. Abby Williams Hill was a landscape artist who painted a series of canvases depicting various national parks in the western United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Note where Hill is writing from. When reading the letter, think about Hill’s commentary on the environment. Consider the impact that tourism has on our national parks.

This guidebook to Yosemite National Park was published in the early 1920s by the Yosemite National Park Company. The company was responsible for building and providing services within the park including lodging, dining, stores, and other conveniences. While looking through the guidebook, notice what types of activities are being highlighted and how tourists are being encouraged to experience the park.

This guidebook to Yosemite National Park was published in 1929 by the U.S. Government Printing Office. It is the official National Park Service guidebook to Yosemite. Note the rules and regulations outlined in the guidebook and think about how the government is encouraging tourists to experience the park.

This Motorist’s Guide to Crater Lake National Park was published in 1924 by the Department of the Interior. It outlines “useful hints” for motorists traveling within the park. Note the sentence on the front of the brochure that states, “These are not the regulations” and the text that follows. Think about what this brochure is telling tourists about the park. Notice how it does, or does not, address issues of conservation and the environment.

This pamphlet on Crater Lake National Park was published by the Department of the Interior; the date of publication is unknown. The pamphlet is noticeably different than other government publications in this source set. It contains many photographs of the scenery at Crater Lake and discusses the “mysterious” nature of the lake. In addition, the Native American “Legend of Llao” is included. Note how this brochure differs from the other guidebooks in this set published by the Department of the Interior, and think about the story it conveys about the park.

These are national park passes from Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. The passes belonged to Abby Williams Hill, a landscape artist who visited the parks with her family. Note the information printed on the back side of the passes. Consider how the stated rules promote conservation and safety within the parks.

This letter was written by Abby Williams Hill to her husband, Frank Hill, on October 30, 1921. Hill, a landscape artist, was writing from Yosemite National Park. When reading the letter, note Hill’s descriptions of the nature and wildlife that surrounds her. Think about her experience and description of the environment in comparison to the guidebooks about Yosemite National Park in this source set.

This document is a report written by John Pitcher, the Acting Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, summarizing activities in the park in 1903. Activities described include land and transportation improvements, meteorological reports, wildlife sightings and numbers, statistics on visitors to the park, and rules and regulations for visitors.

This guidebook to Yellowstone National Park was published in 1925 by the Union Pacific Railroad. The railroad was one way that tourists could access the park. While looking through the guidebook, notice what types of activities are being highlighted and how tourists are being encouraged to experience the park.

This is a letter from Horace Albright, Director of the National Park Service, to Abby Williams Hill, written on January 31, 1930. Abby Williams Hill was a landscape artist who painted a series of canvases depicting various national parks in the western United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Albright is addressing Hill’s concerns about conservation issues in Sequoia National Park. Read this letter together with Hill’s letter to Albright dated October 8, 1929 and consider the solutions that Albright proposes.

This is a letter from Abby Williams Hill to Horace Albright, the Director (misidentified by Hill as “superintendent”) of the National Park Service. Abby Williams Hill was a landscape artist who painted a series of canvases depicting various national parks in the western United States in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Hill is responding to Albright’s letter of January 31, 1930, which is also included in this source set. When reading the letter, think about Hill’s commentary on the environment. Consider the impact that tourism has on our national parks.

This book, Illustrated Guide Book to Mount Tacoma, by Fred G. Plummer was published in 1897, two years before Mt. Rainier was designated as a national park. It is a guidebook to the mountain, including its trails, flowers, wildlife, and various points of interest. It also includes an explanation of Native American words and spellings related to the mountain’s name. Note how this publication is different from the other publications related to national parks in this source set.

This guidebook to Mt. Rainier National Park was published in 1932 by the U.S. Government Printing Office. It is the official National Park Service guidebook to Mt. Rainier. While looking through the guidebook, what do you notice? Note the rules and regulations outlined in the guidebook and think about how the government is encouraging tourists to experience the park. Compare this item with the 1897 guidebook by Fred G. Plummer.

This set of souvenir photographs from Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington was created around 1920 by the Rainier National Park Company. The Rainier National Park Company was founded by significant members of Seattle-Tacoma society for the purpose of developing recreational and tourist facilities in the park. The set includes 20 photographs, although only 7 have been digitized for this source set. Think about how these photographs depict the park and its scenery.

This letter was written by Merel S. Sager to Abby Williams Hill on May 2, 1932. Sager was a landscape architect who worked for the National Park Service. Sager discusses the practice of Christmas tree cutting and the preservation of timber in the Olympic Mountains, which had not yet been designated as a national park. When reading this letter, think about what we can infer about Hill’s conservation concerns from Sager’s response.

This letter was written by John R. White, Superintendent of Sequoia and General Grant National Parks, to Abby Williams Hill on February 7, 1930. White is responding to concerns raised by Hill about how increased tourism is affecting the natural environment at Sequoia National Park. Think about how White is responding to Hill’s concerns and how tourism impacts the environment.