The Gallatin National Forest was established in 1899 as an administrative unit of the Northern Region of the United States Forest Service, initially under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. In 1905, the Forest Service was transferred to the Department of Agriculture. The total acreage in southwest Montana exceeded 1,800,000 by 1999, mostly located north and west of Yellowstone National Park in Carbon, Gallatin, Madison, Meagher, Park, and Sweet Grass counties. The first supervisor of the Gallatin National Forest was Michael Langohr, and other rangers operating in the early twentieth century included Fred E. Ainger, Cyrus L. Bryant, Fred G. Adams, Harrison M. Crane, W. W. Wetzel and L.H. McLean. Their duties included policing mineral and livestock lessees, combating forest fires, and protecting wildlife.
These log books were kept by all of the above mentioned rangers during the early twentieth century and concern their daily activities both in the field and in the administrative offices. Locations mentioned include the upper Yellowstone River valley (especially including Tom Minor Basin), the Crazy Mountains, Martinsdale, Bozeman, Hyalite Mountains, Brackett Creek, and Trail Creek. Incidents described include forest fires, mining claim violations, and wildlife sightings. The log books have been arranged in chronological order for volumes 1-24. Volumes 25 and 26 are out of sequence.
This collection is open for research.
Twenty-four Log books kept by various rangers of the Gallatin National Forest were donated by the Museum of the Rockies on December 18, 2001 as part of collection 2130. They have been placed with two unidentified log books kept by Gallatin National Forest rangers donated by Merrill G. Burlingame in 1969.
This collection was processed 2009 May 27
General patrol in the Gallatin National Forest; Gallatin Canyon, Hyalite, Trail Creek, etc.
Good detail on ranger and ranch names as well as work inspected.
East and West Boulder and Mission Creek out of Livingston.
West Boulder, Hellroaring, Jardine.
General office work in Livingston.
Detailed report on the Gallatin National Forest from Bozeman.
Probably from Livingston office.
Patrols from Livingston office.
Worked in Bozeman office: went to Fridley and patrolled with Deputy Forest Ranger A.S. Hapner. Later worked with Ranger H.A. Cleaveland on Bracket Creek. Detail excellent. Most of the patrols are from the Upper Yellowstone area.
Patrols in Upper Yellowstone Deep Creek Ranger Station.
Patrols in Upper Yellowstone from base at Fridley.
Patrols in Upper Yellowstone area.
Worked with Rink; patrols in Upper Yellowstone. Much detail about threshing seed from pine cones. Handwriting looks as though these men wrote the unidentified logs.
Patrols out of Big Timber and Melville as on American Fork Creek.
Patrols of Upper Yellowstone, especially Minor.
Patrols of Upper Yellowstone: mostly worked in Bozeman on forest atlas corrections. Patrolled out of Big Creek Station. Frequent mention of Bottler's sheep.
Patrolled from Dome Mountain Ranger Station; worked in office at Big Creek Station.
Working in Upper Yellowstone. Little detail.
Patrol of the Upper Yellowstone: some forest fire problems in late July. Little detail.
Work on Silver King mining claim trespass; Patrol of the Upper Yellowstone. Mention of elk conditions and insects in the timber.
Patrol of the Upper Yellowstone in winter.
Detail on routines near station.
Patrol of the Upper Yellowstone
Patrol of the Upper Yellowstone
Patrol of Crazy Mountains around Martinsdale.