Norris also hired Harry Yount (nicknamed "Rocky Mountain Harry" - pictured ) to control poaching and vandalism in the park. Yount spent one winter alone in a cabin in the Lamar Valley. He was isolated in a vast wilderness, with deep snow, howling wind, and driving cold. His primary companions were the herds of animals he was to protect and the poachers he was single-handedly charged to control! It was a difficult job for one person and Yount resigned the following fall. In his letter of resignation he wrote:
Today, Harry Yount is considered the very first national park ranger. |