National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Medora, North Dakota

Peaceful Valley Ranch Cultural Landscape Report

Cultural Resources Midwest Region

June 2019

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Theodore Roosevelt National Park Peaceful Valley Ranch Medora, North Dakota

Cultural Landscape Report

Prepared by:

Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc.

300 West Main Street, Suite 201 Charlottesville, Virginia 22903

(434) 979-1617 and

Historic Resources Group, Inc.

2840 Calvert Street Lincoln, Nebraska 68502

(402) 770-5877

Prepared for:

National Park Service Midwest Regional Office 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68102

(402) 661-1601

June 2019

Cultural Resources Division Midwest Regional Office National Park Service 601 Riverfront Drive Omaha, Nebraska 68102

(402) 661-1601

About the front cover: Peaceful Valley Ranch in 2017, looking across the sagebrush to the ranch house and other buildings

This manuscript has been authored by Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc. and Heritage Resources Group, Inc., under Contract Number P14PC00448 with the National Park Service. The United States Government retains and the publisher, by accepting the article for publication, acknowledges that the United States Government retains a non-exclusive, paid-up, irrevocable, world-wide license to publish or reproduce the published form of this manuscript, or allow others to do so, for United States Government purposes.

National Park Service v

Contents

Figures ............................................................................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................................... xii

Chapter 1: Introduction

Management Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 1-1 Location and Description of Property ...................................................................................................................... 1-2 Historical Overview .................................................................................................................................................... 1-2 Scope of Work and Methodology ............................................................................................................................ 1-5

Scope of Work .................................................................................................................................................... 1-5 Project Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 1-5

Summary of Findings ................................................................................................................................................. 1-9 Significance and Integrity .................................................................................................................................. 1-9 Treatment Plan ................................................................................................................................................. 1-10

Recommendations for Further Study ..................................................................................................................... 1-10

Chapter 2: Site History

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 American Indian History ............................................................................................................................................ 2-1 Early Settlement of Medora ...................................................................................................................................... 2-3 Development of Peaceful Valley Ranch.................................................................................................................... 2-4

Peaceful Valley Ranch and the Open-Range, 1883-1895 .................................................................................. 2-4 Transition to Fee-Simple Ranching, 1896-1915 ............................................................................................... 2-10 The Dude Ranching Era and Early Park Planning, 1915-1936 ........................................................................ 2-16 Peaceful Valley Ranch and Government Management, 1934-1959 ............................................................... 2-26 Mission 66 Development at Theodore Roosevelt National Park .................................................................... 2-36 Peaceful Valley Ranch Concessioner Period, 1967-2014 ................................................................................. 2-43

Peaceful Valley Ranch Chronology ......................................................................................................................... 2-51

Chapter 3: Existing Conditions

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 3-1 Cultural and Environmental Context and Setting ................................................................................................... 3-2

Cultural Context and Setting ............................................................................................................................. 3-2 Environmental Context and Setting .................................................................................................................. 3-7

Site Description ........................................................................................................................................................ 3-17 Existing Conditions Documentation by Landscape Characteristic ........................................................................ 3-17

Natural Systems and Features .......................................................................................................................... 3-18 Responses to Natural Resources ...................................................................................................................... 3-19 Topography and Topographic Modifications ................................................................................................. 3-19 Patterns of Spatial Organization ..................................................................................................................... 3-19 Land Uses and Activities ................................................................................................................................... 3-19 Cultural Vegetation .......................................................................................................................................... 3-20 Circulation ......................................................................................................................................................... 3-20 Views and Vistas ............................................................................................................................................... 3-23 Buildings ........................................................................................................................................................... 3-24 Structures .......................................................................................................................................................... 3-27 Small-Scale Features ......................................................................................................................................... 3-29 Utilities .............................................................................................................................................................. 3-34 Archeological Resources ................................................................................................................................... 3-36

Accessibility Evaluation ........................................................................................................................................... 3-37 vi Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

Buildings............................................................................................................................................................ 3-34 Circulation ......................................................................................................................................................... 3-36 Signage.............................................................................................................................................................. 3-34

Chapter 4: Analysis and Evaluation

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 4-1 National Register of Historic Places .......................................................................................................................... 4-1

Current National Register Status of Peaceful Valley Ranch ............................................................................. 4-1 Cultural Landscape Inventory ............................................................................................................................ 4-2 Historic Resource Survey ..................................................................................................................................... 4-2 Recommended NRHP Update ............................................................................................................................ 4-2

Comparative Analysis of Existing and Historic Conditions ...................................................................................... 4-4 Natural Systems and Features ............................................................................................................................ 4-4 Responses to Natural Resources ......................................................................................................................... 4-4 Topography and Topographic Modifications ................................................................................................... 4-7 Patterns of Spatial Organization ....................................................................................................................... 4-7 Land Uses and Activities ..................................................................................................................................... 4-9 Cultural Vegetation ............................................................................................................................................ 4-9 Circulation ......................................................................................................................................................... 4-10 Views and Vistas ............................................................................................................................................... 4-12 Buildings............................................................................................................................................................ 4-13 Structures .......................................................................................................................................................... 4-15 Small-Scale Features ......................................................................................................................................... 4-18

Integrity Assessment ................................................................................................................................................ 4-20 FMSS Table ............................................................................................................................................................... 4-21

Chapter 5: Treatment Plan

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 5-1 Park Management Goals, Issues, and Concerns ....................................................................................................... 5-1

Previous Planning Documents ............................................................................................................................ 5-1 Meetings with Park ............................................................................................................................................ 5-3

Treatment Approach ................................................................................................................................................. 5-4 Recommended Treatment Approach for Peaceful Valley Ranch ..................................................................... 5-4 Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation .................................................................................. 5-5

Treatment Concept and Recommendations ............................................................................................................. 5-6 Treatment Concept Plan..................................................................................................................................... 5-6 Treatment Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 5-9

Bibliography .................................................................................................................................................................. R-1 Appendices

Appendix A: Inventory of Cultural Landscape Features ......................................................................................... A-1

National Park Service vii

Figures

Unless otherwise noted, all figures in the report were prepared by the authors.

Introduction

1-1 Theodore Roosevelt National Park. National Park Service.

1-2 Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit. Annotated to show the location of Peaceful

Valley Ranch. National Park Service.

1-3 Extent of the project area. GoogleEarth, annotated by CHG.

1-4 Peaceful Valley Ranch in 2017.

Site History

2-1 1895 Period Plan, Context.

2-2 1895 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

2-3 This ca.1895-1903 photograph shows the ranch house that Lamb constructed, along with out-buildings and split-rail fences. National Park Service.

2-4 1915 Period Plan, Context.

2-5 1915 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

2-6 View of the ranch house ca.1903-1906, looking west, with carriage in the foreground. National

Park Service.

2-7 Photograph of the Burgess farm ca.1904, looking northwest. The windmill stands at the far right. National Park Service.

2-8 A ca.1910 photograph of the front of the ranch house taken from the southeast showing the new porch on its front (south) side and horses in the corral. National Park Service.

2-9 Photograph taken ca.1910s of the ranch house taken from the southwest showing the new porch on its front (south) side. Note the chicken in the yard. National Park Service.

2-10 1936 Period Plan, Context.

2-11 1936 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

2-12 Postcard ca.1922, showing the road crossing Paddock Creek from the east into the ranch.

Original photograph by B.L. Brown, Northern Pacific Railway, owned by National Park Service.

2-13 Postcard ca.1922, entitled “Little Missouri River, Peaceful Valley Ranch,” showing a view of the river from a butte located to the east of the ranch. Original photograph by B.L. Brown, Northern Pacific Railway, owned by National Park Service.

2-14 Postcard ca.1922, showing a tour group setting out from the ranch. The bunkhouse is in the background. Original photograph by B.L. Brown, Northern Pacific Railway, owned by National Park Service.

2-15 Farm Name Certificate for Peaceful Valley Ranch, March 9, 1922. National Park Service.

2-16 Aerial postcard ca.1922, looking northwest, showing Peaceful Valley Ranch as it appeared during the dude ranching operation of Carl Olsen. A two-track road extends southeast towards Paddock Creek. National Park Service.

2-17 A ca.1930 aerial image of Peaceful Valley Ranch showing the ranch road in its new location as it passes a newly-constructed residence standing south of the barn. Peaceful Valley Ranch files.

2-18 Photograph of the entrance to Peaceful Valley Ranch in the 1920s, showing the main ranch house, fence, and the head gate displaying the name. National Park Service.

2-19 Photograph of attendees at a gathering of the Northwest Farm Managers in the 1920s. National Park Service.

viii Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

2-20 Postcard, “Branding Cattle at a Badland Ranch,” made from a 1928 photo taken inside the south section of the corral looking north. National Park Service, courtesy of Osborn Studios of Dickenson, ND.

2-21 1959 Period Plan, Context.

2-22 1959 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

2-23 Photograph of CCC enrollee, Andy Mathson, in front of the log barn at Peaceful Valley Ranch.

Theodore Roosevelt Center.

2-24 A September 1947 photo of the back driveway of Park Headquarters Peaceful Valley Ranch from the West showing the log recreation hall, headquarters office and Superintendent’s Residence.

National Park Service.

2-25 Photograph from 1947 of the barn, corrals, and other outbuildings at Peaceful Valley Ranch.

National Park Service.

2-26 Photograph from 1947 of the ranch house showing decorative wagon wheels at the door, logs used to edge planting beds around the house, and a tire swing on the west side. National Park Service.

2-27 Photograph ca.1947 showing the park headquarters in the foreground and the bunkhouse in the background. National Park Service.

2-28 Photograph from 1952, showing the bunkhouse with its addition, and a sign board installed in front of the park headquarters. National Park Service.

2-29 Aerial view of Peaceful Valley Ranch as Park Headquarters in 1956. Interpretive Planning Report on Peaceful Valley Ranch.

2-30 Plan of Peaceful Valley Ranch in 1956. Interpretive Planning Report on Peaceful Valley Ranch.

2-31 Corrals at Peaceful Valley Ranch, April 1951. National Park Service.

2-32 Photograph showing the results of spring run-off. Power and utility poles appear next to the bunkhouse at right hand side of image, May 1952. National Park Service.

2-33 1967 Period Plan, Context.

2-34 1967 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

2-35 Photo looking northwest at barn and corrals, 1967. The irregular fencing of corrals in 1929 had changed to an even pattern by 1967. Corral has shifted to the east and south side of the barn.

National Park Service.

2-36 Looking north at main ranch house in March 1967 after National Park Service vacated occupancy of Peaceful Valley Ranch. National Park Service.

2-37 Visitors on a surrey ride out of Peaceful Valley Ranch, ca.1971. Theodore Roosevelt Center.

2-38 Aerial view of Peaceful Valley Ranch looking northwest, March 1967. National Park Service.

2-39 2014 Period Plan, Context.

2-40 2014 Period Plan, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

Existing Conditions

3-1 Existing Conditions Map, Context.

3-2 Existing Conditions Map, Peaceful Valley Ranch detail.

3-3 Badlands landscape in the South Unit of the park.

3-4 100-year floodplain of the Little Missouri River within the South Unit of the park. National Park

Service.

3-5 Vegetation communities in the vicinity of Peaceful Valley Ranch. CHG, created using NPS-provided GIS data.

3-6 Reintroduced bison roam freely through the park.

3-7 The park is home to a variety of grazing species, including mule deer.

3-8 Feral horse in the vicinity of Peaceful Valley Ranch.

3-9 Prairie dogs form large colonies through the park.

National Park Service ix

3-10 The Little Missouri River in the vicinity of Peaceful Valley Ranch.

3-11 Paddock Creek south of the ranch site.

3-12 Native clinker was used to construct the bunkhouse chimney.

3-13 A mature cottonwood tree west of the ranch house is in poor condition.

3-14 Cottonwoods in the Little Missouri River floodplain terrace.

3-15 The Peaceful Valley Ranch access road.

3-16 Gravel parking area, looking west.

3-17 The gravel trailhead parking lot north of the access road.

3-18 East River Road, part of the Scenic Loop Drive, south of the ranch. Halliday Well Road and the bridge crossing Paddock Creek are visible in the foreground.

3-19 East River Road, looking east.

3-20 Wood board walkway between the ranch house and the barn.

3-21 The board walkway along the west side of the barn.

3-22 Segment of concrete sidewalk at the bunkhouse addition.

3-23 The Elkblom Trail as it passes through the cottonwoods in the Little Missouri River floodplain terrace.

3-24 The junction of the Elkblom and CCC Trails, looking east along the CCC Trail.

3-25 The Lower Paddock Creek Trail runs north-south between Paddock Creek and the ranch holding pens.

3-26 Gated road trace extending north of the trailhead parking area.

3-27 View to the ranch from East River Road.

3-28 View looking northwest toward the ranch from the top of the adjacent bluffs.

3-29 View from the ranch to the larger badlands landscape.

3-30 View looking west between the bunkhouse and ranch house.

3-31 The 1885 ranch house has been heavily altered since its original construction.

3-32 The 1920 bunkhouse.

3-33 The rear of the bunkhouse, showing the addition.

3-34 The 1905 barn.

3-35 Hay storage shed east of the bunkhouse.

3-36 Water shed. The green pipes marking the location of the well are visible at left.

3-37 Vault toilet.

3-38 Tack shed at the park work horse paddock.

3-39 The hay shelter in the park work horse paddock.

3-40 The abandoned well is covered by a cinderblock well box.

3-41 The large corral extending south from the barn. A wooden gate and head gate stands at the southwest corner of the corral.

3-42 The corral is subdivided into smaller holding pens close to the barn. Gated entranced lead to the larger corral.

3-43 Gate and head gate south of the barn.

3-44 The fences of the holding pens are in poor condition.

3-45 The park work horse paddock.

3-46 Metal field gate at the park work horse paddock.

3-47 A small mounting platform just east of the barn.

3-48 Mounting platform near the gate entrance to the large corral.

3-49 The flagpole located east of the bunkhouse.

3-50 Row of bollards the north edge of the gravel parking lot.

3-51 Reflector attached to a wood bollard.

3-52 Wood and metal benches along the north facade of the barn.

3-53 Wood benches on the west side of the barn.

3-54 Picnic table and firepit east of the ranch house.

x Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

3-55 Deteriorated fire pit west of the barn.

3-56 A water trough in the park work horse paddock.

3-57 One of the deteriorated hay racks in the corral.

3-58 Hitching rail on the south side of the parking area.

3-59 NRHP sign at the corner of the barn.

3-60 Concessioner signs.

3-61 Wooden sign along East River Road.

3-62 Trailhead sign and wooden bollard at the Peaceful Valley Trailhead.

3-63 Trail marker.

3-64 Water site plan in 2014. Anderson Hallas, Historic Structures Report, Appendix H.

Analysis and Evaluation

4-1 Contributing Features and Proposed Boundary Expansion Map.

4-2 View of the western end of the bunk-house in the 1920s. The bunkhouse stood on a pier and beam foundation that lifted it above the slope of the river terrace. The chimney had a flared base. National Park Service.

4-3 Similar view showing the bunkhouse now resting on a concrete foundation. Fill added to support the foundation obscures the flared base of the chimney.

4-4 Photo from the 1920s taken of the west side of the ranch house, showing the large cottonwood that shaded the house. A planted sapling stands between it and the ranch head gate. National Park Service.

4-5 Similar view from 2017 showing the same large cottonwood shading the house. The sapling is gone.

4-6 View of the ranch house ca.1910s, showing the cottonwoods grouped around the house.

National Park Service.

4-7 Similar view, showing the remaining large cottonwood.

4-8 View of the bunkhouse and park headquarters in 1947, showing the double-trunked cottonwood and location of flagpole. National Park Service.

4-9 Similar view of the bunkhouse from 2017.

4-10 1957 park map, showing the old road to the “Old Lamb Ranch” as a dashed line. National Park

Service.

4-11 2017 park map, showing that the old road has been adapted as a portion of the Maah Daah

Hey Trail. National Park Service.

4-12 View of the ranch from the bluffs to the southeast, ca.1920s. National Park Service.

4-13 Similar view from the same bluffs from 2017.

4-14 Tour group posed in front of the gate into the ranch work area, ca.1920s. National Park Service.

4-15 Similar view showing open views into the ranch work area.

4-16 Series of drawings showing the evolution of the ranch house. Anderson Hallas, Historic

Structures Report, 20.

4-17 View of the southeast corner of the log barn in 1947. National Park Service.

4-18 Similar view of the log barn in 2017.

4-19 Peaceful Valley Ranch Fence Overlay Study.

4-20 View from 1952 of the northeast entrance into the ranch house yard with its wood picket gate.

The photo also shows that the bunkhouse yard was fenced and had a wood picket gate.

National Park Service.

4-21 Similar view in 2017. Note that since 1952, a concrete box has been constructed around the well equipment.

4-22 View of ranch ca.1905. The windmill stands to the right of the barn. National Park Service.

4-23 Similar view of the ranch in 2017.

National Park Service xi

4-24 View of the southwest corner of the ranch house in 1947, showing wagon wheels used as garden ornaments and a tire swing hanging in the large cottonwood. National Park Service.

4-25 Similar view of the ranch house in 2017.

4-26 View of the bunkhouse from 1952, with park headquarters signs shown on the right side.

National Park Service.

4-27 Similar view of the bunkhouse in 2017.

4-28 Pipe-rail clothesline supports stand in the yard between the ranch house and the Burgess bunk house. National Park Service.

4-29 Similar view of the ranch house yard in 2017.

Treatment Plan

5-1 Treatment Concept Map.

5-2 View of the corral fences at Peaceful Valley Ranch, ca.1928. National Park Service.

5-3 Post-and-wire fence around the ranch house yard in 1959. National Park Service.

5-4 Post-and-board fence around the area “C” corral in 1954. National Park Service.

5-5 Many trees have been lost from Peaceful Valley Ranch since this photograph was taken in 1947.

National Park Service.

5-6 Accessible trail created from native soil using StaLok. National Center on Accessibility.

5-7 View of the bunkhouse, ranch house, and barn (l-r) as seen from East River Road.

5-8 This picnic table is made from wood and weathering steel. It can be either bolted down or portable. Metalco.

5-9 This bench is made from two milled wood beams set in weathering steel supports. External

Works.

5-10 These trash containers are made of weathering steel and wood. Gavarres.

5-11 Standing stone used to mark a path. WikiCommons.

5-12 A variety of signs designed for NPS sites. These examples are shown with weathering steel posts.

NPS. UniGuide Program Manual.

5-13 Image from the 1920s showing the old sign for Peaceful Valley Ranch. National Park Service.

5-14 Weathering steel case for utilities. ABK Outdoor.

xii Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank many individuals for their assistance in the preparation of this report. In particular, the active and integral participation in the project by various personnel of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, including Superintendent Wendy Ross, Chief of Resources Management Blake McCann, and Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs Eileen Andes was critical to the development of the cultural landscape report. In addition, this report would not have been possible without the involvement of Marla McEnaney of the National Park Service Midwest Regional Office. Finally, we wish to acknowledge the professional support and guidance provided by National Park Service Contracting Officer James Bissaillon.

National Park Service – Midwest Regional Office

James Bissaillon, Contract Specialist Marla McEnaney, Historic Architecture and Landscapes Program, Historical Landscape Architect

National Park Service – Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Wendy Ross, Superintendent Blake McCann, Chief of Resource Management Chad Sexton, Geographic Information Systems Analyst Eileen Andes, Chief of Interpretation and Public Affairs Amy McCann, South Unit District Interpreter Brian Frailey, Landscape Architect Kevin Melzo, Administrative Officer James Deneen, Facilities Manager

Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc.

Laura Knott, Regional Director, Senior Historical Landscape Architect Christina Osborn, Historic Preservation Specialist Michelle Thompson, Historic Preservation Specialist

Heritage Resources Group, Inc.

Melissa Dirr Gengler, Architectural Historian

National Park Service 1-1

Chapter 1: Introduction

Management Summary

Peaceful Valley Ranch is an approximately 60-acre developed area of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located in western North Dakota. At 70,446 acres, the park’s three units extend across the Little Missouri badlands, an area that profoundly shaped the early conservation views of President Theodore Roosevelt and led him to support the creation of the national park system. The park was established by Congress in 1947 to honor his memory.

Peaceful Valley Ranch was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1994 as significant for its association with the establishment of the park, and local trends in open-range ranching, fee-simple ranching, and dude ranching. Contributing features include three buildings and cultural landscape resources that possess integrity to the expanded period of significance, from 1885 to 1959. These resources are valuable for the story they tell about these events and trends, and the people involved.

The goal of this cultural landscape report (CLR) is to support the long-term preservation and stewardship of the historic landscape of Peaceful Valley Ranch. To conduct this work, the National Park Service (NPS) engaged a team of preservation professionals led by Commonwealth Heritage Group, Inc. (CHG), of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Heritage Resources Group, Inc. (HRG), of Lincoln, Nebraska, conducted historical research and developed the site history narrative.

The team’s objectives for the Peaceful Valley Ranch CLR were to:

Prepare thorough baseline documentation on the history of the ranch landscape and its existing conditions to support an understanding of the qualities and features that contribute to its historic character and significance;

Develop guidelines for the long-term protection of character-defining features with an overall focus on a rehabilitation approach that supports compatible future use; and

Prepare recommendations for conceptual zoning to guide the park as it moves forward with developing the site for flexible use.

The CLR addresses the portion of the ranch within its 0.5-acre NRHP boundary, and its landscape setting, including former grazing lands, corrals and paddocks, historic roads and trails, and other contributing landscape features that comprise the rest of its 60 acres.

This document was developed within a framework of previously-prepared resource inventories and planning studies. Although previous work has provided a sound foundation for the overall history of the development of the ranch, documentation for the evolution of the landscape was lacking. To fill this gap, the team relied on maps, aerial and ground-level photographs, planning and construction drawings, and other primary source materials from the park and online repositories. Based on this, the CLR also recommends adding areas of significance and expanding the boundary of the nominated property beyond that recommended in the 1994 NRHP nomination.

Introduction

1-2 Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

The CLR fulfills a park planning priority for resource, facility asset, and visitor use management for Peaceful Valley Ranch at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. It serves as a component of the park’s planning portfolio, which consists of the individual plans, studies, and inventories that together guide park decision making. The planning portfolio enables the use of targeted planning documents, such as this one, to meet a broad range of park planning needs and fulfill legal and policy requirements. The park’s General Management Plan remains a critical piece of the its planning portfolio and will continue to be updated and/or supplemented in a timely manner through the development of additional park planning documents.

Location and Description of Property

Peaceful Valley Ranch lies within the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, approximately seven miles northeast of the town of Medora, North Dakota (Figure 1-1 and Figure 1-2). The ranch is accessed via the scenic park drive that winds through the badlands landscape of the South Unit. An asphalt-paved access road leads from the main park road to the ranch building cluster.

The project area for the CLR, which includes the developed area of the ranch and its landscape setting, is generally bounded by East River Road to the south, Paddock Creek to the east, and the Little Missouri River to the north. To the west, it extends to encompass the ranch access drive (Figure 1-3).

The developed portion of Peaceful Valley Ranch is oriented east-to-west along the crest of the river terrace, with two parallel lines of buildings framing a central parking/work area. Fenced corrals extend south from the building cluster toward East River Road. Stands of cottonwood trees growing in the river floodplain north of the developed area provide a backdrop for these built features (Figure 1-4).

Historical Overview

Peaceful Valley Ranch is representative of the lifestyle of many enterprising and independent pioneers, including Theodore Roosevelt, who came to the North Dakota badlands and the Little Missouri River valley in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Among the earliest permanent Euro-American settlers in the area were the Marquis de Mores and his wife Medora who arrived in 1883. De Mores planned to build a prosperous cattle ranching economy in the area;

several historic properties remain in and around Medora that are historically associated with the Marquis.

Theodore Roosevelt crossed paths with the Marquis during his first visit to the badlands for a bison hunting trip in 1883. This trip had a great impact on Roosevelt and influenced him to invest in his first cattle ranch in the area, called the Maltese Cross. In 1884, he purchased his second property, Elkhorn Ranch, following the sudden

FIGURE 1-1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

National Park Service.

National Park Service 1-3 death of his wife and mother within a week’s time.

His grief was soothed by the work and setting of his ranching operations. Roosevelt’s eloquent descriptions of his experiences in the West, which were published in East Coast newspapers, lured many other adventure seekers to the American West, and North Dakota in particular. His direct association with the area dwindled as he began to cultivate his political career and by 1890, Roosevelt had completely abandoned his badlands ranches.

The earliest permanent Euro-American settler on the land near Peaceful Valley Ranch was Eldridge “Gerry” Paddock, who in 1883 built a cabin on his claim, located approximately one-quarter mile south of the ranch. In 1885, Benjamin Lamb, a 22-year-old from Boston, purchased Paddock’s claim and cabin, and built the one-and-one-half story, wood-frame ranch house that is now part of Peaceful Valley Ranch. Lamb and subsequent owners continued to erect buildings and structures to support the ranching operation.

These included a barn, blacksmith shop, cow shed, horse barn, and complex of split-rail fences.

George and Nettie Burgess purchased the property in 1896 and held it until 1915. During their tenure many of the changes and additions to the property that can be seen today took place.

Most notable is the log barn constructed in 1905.

The Burgesses filed the first homestead patent for Peaceful Valley Ranch in 1906 and continued operating the property until they sold it to Harry Olsen in 1915. Olsen and his brother Carl began the dude ranching enterprise at Peaceful Valley Ranch in 1918. The Olsens owned and operated the dude ranch until 1936 when the federal government acquired the property.

The Olsen’s dude ranch program offered visitors outdoor cooking experiences, overnight campouts, branding exhibitions, cattle roundups, and guided trips to the nearby petrified forest. In 1920, the Olsens added the log main lodge (bunkhouse) present today, along with guest

FIGURE 1-2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, South Unit, annotated to show the location of Peaceful Valley Ranch. National Park Service.

1-4 Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

FIGURE 1-3. Extent of the project area. GoogleEarth, annotated by CHG.

FIGURE 1-4. Peaceful Valley Ranch in 2017. CHG.

National Park Service 1-5 cabins and other support structures that are no longer extant at the site. Carl Olsen filed a Farm Name Certificate with the Register of Deeds in Billings County, formalizing the name “Peaceful Valley Ranch.”

It was shortly after the death of Theodore Roosevelt in 1919 that several proposals arose to establish a memorial in his honor. These early efforts slowed during the Great Depression, but were revisited as part of the New Deal. In the 1930s, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), established its headquarters at Peaceful Valley Ranch and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) set up a camp nearby. Finally, after years of hard work, lobbying, and shifting federal agency management, the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park was established in 1947 with Peaceful Valley Ranch as its headquarters. The National Park Service (NPS) acquired and built other support buildings for the ranch, including trailers for temporary residences, storage sheds, propane tanks, and garages.

In 1959, the groundbreaking Mission 66 program funded the construction of a new park headquarters building, visitor center, and several new residences at the park’s entrance in Medora.

After the completion of the new facilities, Peaceful Valley Ranch was no longer used for park activities and vacated. Beginning in 1967, the NPS leased the ranch to a concessioner for horseback rentals and trail rides. In 2014, the concessioner retired and ceased operating their guided horseback tours.

Scope of Work and Methodology

Scope of Work

The NPS commissioned the project team to complete a CLR for Peaceful Valley Ranch by preparing thorough baseline documentation, including site history and existing conditions, and by conducting a significance and integrity analysis.

The team used this information to develop a conceptual treatment plan to provide guidance as the park moves forward with managing the ranch for flexible use. The plan also includes guidelines for long-term protection of character-defining features with an overall focus on a rehabilitation approach that supports compatible future use.

Project Methodology

The CLR for Peaceful Valley Ranch was prepared in accordance with the guidelines afforded in the most recent versions of various federal standards documents, including:

A Guide to Cultural Landscape Reports:

Contents, Process, and Techniques, National Park Service, 2005;

The Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties with Guidelines for the Treatment of Cultural Landscapes;

NPS Director’s Order 28: Cultural Resources Management;

NPS Director’s Order 77: Natural Resource Protection and Reference Manual 77: Natural Resource Management;

NPS-SER-82: Biotic Cultural Resources:

Management Considerations for Historic Districts in the National Park system, Southeast Region;

Architectural Barriers Act Accessibility Standards (ABAAS);

The National Park Service’s Guiding Principles of Sustainable Design;

National Register Bulletin: Guidelines for Documenting and Evaluating Rural Historic Landscapes;

National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation;

National Register Bulletin: Telling the Stories:

Planning Effective Interpretive Programs for Properties Listed in the National Register of Historic Places;

1-6 Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

Landscape Lines 17: Cultural Landscapes and NPS Facility Management; and

Drafting Standards: Directors Order 10A and Denver Service Center CAD Standards Guide.

The methodology used by project team members in preparing each component of this study is described in detail below.

Background Research and Data Collection.

Prior to visiting the site in November 2017, CLR team members began to collect documents and other materials pertaining to the project and site.

These included the National Park Service’s List of Classified Structures for park resources, secondary sources addressing the history of the site and region, and information available from the Denver Service Center Technical Information Center.

Recently-completed reports for Peaceful Valley Ranch were reviewed, including the 2012 Cultural Landscapes Inventory (CLI) and 2014 Historic Structures Report (HSR). In preparation for field investigations, project personnel used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files from the park to develop base maps for the field inventory.

Online resources available at Dickinson State University’s Theodore Roosevelt Center digital library, along with online resources from the State Archives at the State Historical Society of North Dakota and the North Dakota State Historic Preservation Office were consulted. Published materials, including two biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, “The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt,” by Edmund Morris, and “Mornings on Horseback,” by David McCullough, added to general context information.

Start-up Meeting. On November 14, 2017, the CLR team members met with park and regional NPS personnel at Theodore Roosevelt National Park headquarters to discuss the purpose, goals, methodology, and schedule.

After the meeting, NPS personnel toured the site with the CLR team to provide overview and orientation information. Park personnel indicated the locations of current and anticipated future rehabilitation and construction projects, and shared their ongoing maintenance issues and concerns.

The team historian conducted research at the park headquarters, including an exhaustive search of park history file folders. The park headquarters retains individual files, correspondence, reports, compliance documents, and photographs in file folders and individual file cabinets. The park also maintains a library in the visitor center, which contains books and publications related to the life of Theodore Roosevelt, ranching, as well as other documents, such as museum catalog records and professional journals. Research was conducted by park staff searching for and pulling documents.

The library provided an area where researchers could independently search stacks and files for reference materials.

Research was also conducted by reviewing documents provided through the NPS e-TIC list.

Many of these individual resources included annual reports, strategic planning documents, interpretive planning documents, documents associated with individual resource issues, such as water, power lines, or telephone lines, and the Mission 66 planning prospectus. Information found in loose files, such as interview note cards from the 1950s, the National Register nomination, and Penny and Larson’s Extended Narrative History contributed to the physical historic and landscape documentation.

In addition, the CLR team visited the digital library of the Theodore Roosevelt Center at Dickinson State University, where Roosevelt’s experiences in North Dakota and the west are documented.

Resources consulted included letters, photographs, magazine articles, film clips, reports and other primary sources.

Base Mapping. An AutoCAD base map of the park was created by the CLR team by compiling information available from NPS GIS data, aerial photography, site plans, and field investigations.

The GIS data was also used with the AutoCAD map to generate diagrams and other report graphics in AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator.

National Park Service 1-7

Field Investigations. CLR team members conducted field investigations to document landscape resources associated with the site. Team members photographed primary and representative landscape features (both cultural and natural) and annotated copies of base mapping with observations about materials, resource condition, and information that was later used to update the mapping files. Where available mapping was lacking in detail, team members prepared sketch maps in the field that were later used to enhance the electronic files.

Site Physical History. The site physical history was drafted based on review of materials collected during the various research efforts. Important dates associated with physical events at Peaceful Valley Ranch were organized into a site history chronology. The chronology was then used to identify a series of five definable historic periods of the ranch’s evolution.

Each period was described through historical narrative that provides a chronological description of the landscape and its evolution over time. The narrative is supported by graphics, including historic maps, plans, and photographs. It provides sufficient supporting material to illustrate the physical character, attributes, features, and materials that contribute to the significance of the landscape over the course of its history. This section also introduces the historical contexts and the period of significance associated with the landscape. Each significant period of development or change is illustrated with historic plans and photographs.

A period plan for each significant historic period is provided with the associated section of the narrative. The period plans were prepared by reviewing historic photographs, maps, and written descriptions of the landscape found in the research materials. Limited secondary sources were also used to corroborate information and to generate queries for primary sources. Secondary sources were evaluated for their credibility and utilized with caution.

Existing Conditions Documentation. The existing conditions documentation includes a narrative description of the extant landscape as composed of individual resources and systems illustrated with maps, plans, and photographs taken in 2017. The information was derived from existing conditions base mapping, 2017 field investigations, review of photographs taken in the field, and examination of park planning documents, park files, and other relevant cultural and natural resource documents received from the NPS or acquired through research.

Current site functions, visitor services, and natural resources are described to the extent that they contribute to or influence treatment decisions.

Existing conditions information was organized into a series of landscape characteristics, as follows:

Natural Systems and Features;

Responses to Natural Resources;

Topography and Topographic Modifications;

Patterns of Spatial Organization;

Land Uses and Activities;

Cultural Vegetation;

Circulation;

Views and Vistas;

Buildings;

Structures;

Small-Scale Features;

Utilities; and

Archeological Resources

The team also prepared an inventory of existing landscape features based on documentation of the ranch and an understanding of historic conditions (see Appendix A). The inventory was used to ensure that each feature was discussed in the text and its condition assessed. It also formed the basis for the subsequent comparative analysis of historic and existing landscape conditions.

1-8 Cultural Landscape Report: Peaceful Valley Ranch

Feature condition assessments were rated using the categories suggested by the Guide to Cultural Landscape Reports: Good, Fair, Poor, and Unknown. The condition ratings were annotated to include specific, condition-related observations made in the field that help to justify the ratings.

In addition, as part of the existing conditions documentation the team noted challenges in providing ABAAS-compliant access to building entrances and across the site.

Significance Evaluation. The 1994 NRHP nomination for Peaceful Valley Ranch served as the preliminary basis for evaluating site significance. This information, as well as the National Register criteria for evaluation as discussed in the National Register Bulletin: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation, were taken into consideration in developing the evaluation of significance presented herein.

Recommendations were made for an update to the current nomination to expand the site boundary and add the category of “Site” to the nomination to include cultural landscape resources.

Comparative Analysis of Historic and Existing Conditions. To better understand the relationship between the existing landscape and its character during the period of significance, the CLR team prepared a comparative analysis of historic and existing landscape conditions. The analysis focused on extant features, their dates of origin, and their evolution over time. The primary goals of the comparative analysis were to:

Understand which features survive from the period of significance, identifying contributing, non-contributing, and missing landscape resources.

Provide an understanding of the similarities and differences between historic and existing conditions to serve as the basis for the development of a well-grounded…