Historical Notes - Week of November 30th

Laramie Republican, December 3, 1915

TOURISTS VISIT YELLOWSTONE PARK---This was a banner year for the Yellowstone national park in point of tourist patronage, and the figures soar so high that their being reached or passed may not occur again for some years. Official figures have been received by the Oregon Short Line passenger department, for the season of 1915, recently closed. The total for the western, northern, Cook City, Cody, and Jackson Hole entrances, five in all, was 51,820 visitors, the season extending from June 15 to Sept. 15. The western or Oregon Short Line entrance took care of 32,473 person as follows: Yellowstone and west stage and hotels, 20,124; Wylie Way Camping company, 6,949; Shaw & Powell Camping company, 1,966; Old Faithful Camping company, 1,612; other licensed camps, 34; private campers, 1,385; by automobile, 1,403. The total for automobiles (all entrances) was 938 cars, 3,513 people. This is the first year automobiles were admitted to the park, August 1 being the date of admission, and there was, much less confusion than was anticipated on account of the stringency of the regulations. Motorcycles were not admitted, and it is doubtful if they will be allowed in the park for some years, on account of their noise. The railroad and hotel people were often hard put to care for the crowds, and there were several times when sudden and unexpected rushes made it necessary to curtail the sale of tickets, but considering the enormous attendance, the various transportation and camping companies handled the people with little friction.

The statistics for the other entrances are not at hand and can not be ascertained until the superintendent of the park makes his report to the secretary of the Interior. But subtracting this year's western entrance total of 32,473 from the total of 51,880, leaves a total of 19,347 persons who went into the park through the other entrances.

"Condition of Cooke City road in spring of 1922."