Page 8 - MFM Aug Sept 2019

The First National Park - Yellowstone
Reid Gardiner, Grand Secretary Emeritus
Yellowstone was established as the world’s fi rst national Hedges was the one who fi rst spoke of setting the area aside
park in 1872. The plaque shown was dedicated by the Second as a National Park. He served as the fi rst Superintendent of
World Conference on National Parks on September 18-27, Yellowstone National Park.
1972. The bronze plaque alluded to the National Park Concept
of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition into Yellowstone A major tribute was paid Judge Cornelius Hedges at the
country in 1870. The plaque is located in Yellowstone National cornerstone laying of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial
Park at the Madison Information Station near the station Arch at the North Entrance to Yellowstone Park on April 24,
1903. Among the articles placed in the cornerstone were the
fl agpole.
following: Pictures of Hon. N. P. Langford, fi rst Superinten-
Nathaniel Pitt Langford became a Master Mason in 1856 dent of the Park and one of the Washburn party of 1870; it
at Pacifi c Lodge No. 10 (MN). In Montana, he affi liated with was Cornelius Hedges a member of the same party, who
Virginia City No. 1 and later Helena No. 3 serving as Worshipful fi rst suggested making a National Park. These were the only
Master in 1867. He served as Grand Historian in 1866 and pictures placed in the cornerstone box, and Hedges was in
Grand Master of Montana in 1869. attendance that day to witness the laying of the cornerstone for
the Memorial Arch.
The National Park concept is identifi ed with Bro. Cornelius
Hedges. As the expedition sat around the campfi re at Firehole It is interesting to note that Hedges’ own journal for the 19th
basin on the evening of September 19, 1870 they discussed and 20th contained nothing of his important idea. Hedges’
the area and its potential as a resort development, Hedges’ humility and unobtrusiveness would explain most of this lack
sense of unselfi shness, of giving and sharing, would not allow of notation of the idea in his journal. The following, written in
him to agree with narrow, mercenary ideas of restricting this 1904, also sheds some light on the matter:
wonderland of nature for exploitation of a few. It was then that “It was at the fi rst camp after leaving the lower Geyser basin
Hedges spoke: when all were speculating which point in the region We had
been through, would become most notable that I fi rst suggested
“He did not approve of any of these plans - that there ought to the uniting all our eff orts to get it made a National Park, little
be no private ownership of any portion of that region, but that dreaming that such a thing were possible.”
the whole of it ought to be set apart as a great National Park,
and that each one of us ought to make an eff ort to have this N. P. Langford also wrote:
accomplished.”
“Who originated the plan of setting apart this region as a National
Writing in the Helena Herald, November 9, 1870, Brother Park? I answer that Judge Cornelius Hedges of Helena wrote the
Hedges article about Yellowstone included “...we hope our fi rst articles ever published by the press urging the dedication of
citizens will soon move to accomplish, as well as to secure its future this region as a park.”
appropriation to the public use.” “The Helena Herald of Nov 9, 1870, contains a letter of Mr.
Hedges, in which he advocated the scheme, and in my lectures
Cornelius Hedges became a Master Mason in Independence
Lodge No. 87, Iowa. By transfer of membership, he affi liated delivered in Washington and New York in January 1871, I directed
with Helena City Lodge No. 10 (now Helena No. 3) in Helena, attention to Mr. Hedges’ suggestion, and urged the passage by
Montana he served as the fi rst Worshipful Master in 1865 Congress of an act setting apart that region as a public park.
and again in 1874. He served as Grand Master in 1870, Grand All this was several months prior to the fi rst exploration by the
Historian in 1871 and Grand Secretary 1872 - 1906. U.S. Geological Survey, in charge of Dr. Hayden. The suggestion
that the region should be made into a National Park was fi rst
On November 9, 1870, as one of a series of articles on the broached to the members of our party on September 19, 1870,
Yellowstone country, Hedges fi rst publicly proposed the by Mr. Hedges, while we were in camp at the confl uence of the
creation of a National Park. From that point, many persons Firehole and Gibbon rivers, as is related in this diary. “
aided in the eff ort to establish Yellowstone National Park. Bro. Hon. William H. Clagett, a delegate from Montana Territory
N. P. Langford delivered a series of lectures on Yellowstone responded to William R. Marshal, Secretary of the Minnesota
in New York and Washington, D.C., during January 1871. Historical Society on July 9, 1894, to the question “Who are
Many others, such as Congressman William H. Clagett (MT), entitled to the principal credit for the passage of the act of
Senator Samuel C. Pomeroy (KS), and Colonel F. V. Hayden Congress establishing Yellowstone National Park?
MD, DGS, LLD, helped see the measure creating the Park
through Congress. Louis C. Cramton, in his Early History of “The history of that measure as known to me, is as follows,…
Yellowstone National Park, asserts that both Samuel T. Hauser It has always been a pleasure to me to give to Professor Hayden
and Cornelius Hedges visited Washington, D.C., in the winter and to Senator Pomeroy, and Mr. Dawes of Mass., all the credit
of 1870-1871 and promoted the National Park idea. they deserve in connection with the passage of that measure, but
the truth of the matter is that the origin of the movement which
Held as a treasure among the archives of the Grand Lodge created the Park was with Hedges, Langford and myself; and
A.F. & A.M. of Montana is a letter from N. P. Langford after Congress met, Langford and I probably did two-thirds, if
in which he states in no uncertain terms that Cornelius not three-fourths of all the work connected with its passage.”
Montana Freemason Page 8 Aug/Sept 2019 Volume 95 No .6