Photos of horses and the Vehicles they pulled at Yellowstone

I will be revamping this blog - organizing it, adding photos and information and FINISHING my Grandmother's 1915 Yellowstone Journal this year. 

I hope to take a trip that will include Yellowstone this summer.  I will be visiting New Mexico, California and swinging through Yellowstone and back to North Carolina.  I imagine it will be a month-long trip.  I will be writing poetry and possibly a few short stories.  We will see.  I have a lot of old photographs to share with Sepia Saturday - a sight I had SO much fun with years ago and plan on joining in on Saturdays once again. 

Sepia Saturday is celebrating its 500th post!  Sharing history through the medium of photography.

This specific post is once again being linked with "Sepia Saturday - Resharing a Favorite Sepia Saturday contribution"  I particularly LOVE the horses in these images and seeing my Grandmother ride a horse!  I think all the ladies have skirts on...

1915 was nearing the end of the horse drawn carriages in Yellowstone.   A couple of years and they would be gone, replaced by automobiles.  Here are a few photos that feature horses and the various vehicles they pulled...  My grandmother, I believe, is to the left of the white horse.  I had NO idea she could ride!  I am participating in "Sepia Saturday" - please give yourself a treat and see what other photos and memories from the past are being highlighted today.

I like the above as the horse drawn vehicles were soon to be replaced by the automobile... which is "lurking" in the background, above right.    My grandmother is sitting on the far left.

I believe Marguerite is the second to the right.  Doesn't it look like LOADS of fun to trial ride these mountain trails!

This is one of my favorite photos.  

Images from the Past (Part 11) July 8 - July 11th 1915

Feeding a bear.  Not sure if this is "Old Jack" the largest bear around, but big enough at this close of a range!

Thursday, July 8, 1915

210 dudes tonight.  Over a hundred were a party from Cincinnati, the Chamber of Commerce.  Quite a lively crowd - little too much so.

Friday, July 9, 1915

220 dudes tonight.  Rained all day so took nearly all day for tent work.  Very and Elma moved into a tent with Jerry, Fritz, Helen J. & Minnie McC.  Then tomorrow Helen, Ethel, Ruth, Mary, Ethel L. and I move into a tent back of where we are now.

Saturday, July 10, 1915

Worked all morning.  I took most of p.m. for moving.  We have such a nice tent, all fixed up with pennants and pictures.  All of us are so tired but glad to get settled.  Only 140 dudes tonight.  Some here from Illinois.  One was a Mrs. from Mendota.  She went to Dekalb for two summer schools 1912 and 1913.  After curfew the six in our tent and Johnnie, Esther, Vera, Elma, Nurse, Lile, Joe, Herb, Harson, Holmes, Fritz, and Win were invited to Jerry's tent in honor of Paul's birthday.  On the table were 19 candles; in center of table was birthday cake and there were two kinds of candy.  Everything tasted so good.

Sunday, July 11, 1915

Harson and Win left this morning.  Harson could not stand the work and I guess Win was homesick.  Joe took a number of us girls up to the bear dump in the cart to see "Old Jack" the largest bear around here.  We also saw a mother bear and her two tiny cubs were high in a tree.  This p.m. some of the crowd went up "Elephant's Back"(1) and some took a lake trip.  As for me, I slept all the afternoon.  Only 110 dudes tonight.  We had a M. E. minister in from Belton, Texas and he gave us such a nice talk.

A scene photographed while Marguerite hiked the Yellowstone trails in 1915.  Most likely the Yellowstone River

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My thoughts:

I have many photos of nature and some are very small.   The one of the river above is about 1 inch by 2 inches.   I love the excitement of the "after curfew hours" tent party... do you think they snuck over?  I just can't IMAGINE my grandmother doing that!  ha.  Harson and Win - I just love those names!

(1) A link to a photograph of WHY it is called Elephant Back.  The views from this terrace are beautiful.  And a photo I have requested permission to use here (I will take it down if Mr. Wanserski wants me to, but please hop over and view his wonderful photographs below.

Photo by John Wanserski

The photo above is by John Wanserski and he photographs many beautiful places, he calls "sacred places" and I can't argue with him.  One of my favorites is "Prairie Sentinels".

This entire post is linked with the AMAZING! "Sepia Saturday".  Below is my "theme" participation for Sepia Saturday 113:

I couldn't find an amazing photo of a famous actor, nor a man pointing, or anything to do with film... So I resorted to a man sitting in a chair.

This photo is of Marguerite (the writer of this journal) sitting in a rocking chair next to her father, Herbert Hutchins.   The youngest girl is Marguerite's youngest sister, Ann Hutchins, born 1898 and looks to be a little over one year old.  Her mother, Helen, died in 1899.  So at the taking of this photo, they were mother-less, or about to be.  My grandmother, Marguerite, adored her father, and he never remarried.  The Aunts helped raise the girls during the farming season.

Funeral of Mrs. Hutchins of Latham.
A large concourse of sorrowful people gathered at the darkened home of Bert Hutchins, near Latham Park yesterday to do the last rites to one who had been the light and joy of the home. The faithful wife and loving mother of four little daughters. Clearly Mrs. Hutchins was the favorie of the entire community, and freely did tears flow - and indeed was the parting.

Fourth of July

Getting ready for the Fourth of July celebration

Sunday, July 4, 1915

A very quiet Fourth.  Slept most of afternoon.  A small crowd tonight.  114.  Went down to hotel after program for a walk.

I imagine this might have been a scene on the trail to the hotel...

Monday, July 5, 1915

Hurried thru with our work, went down to hotel to see boat races, etc.  Our boys entered with hotel boys and fish hatchery boys.  Went down in p.m. to see the races, etc.  104 dudes tonight.  Had a special program and it certainly was good, then dancing.

The Fourth of July bon fire

Tuesday, July 6, 1915

Had a large crowd tonight, 201 dudes.  Had our log cabin bon-fire as it was too rainy to have it last night.  Frank Turtillott took Ruth L. and me down to hotel store and we had a soda.

Perhaps a photo opp on the way to the hotel store for a soda?  Marguerite is on the left.

Wednesday, July 7, 1915

Rain nearly all day.  Slept most of p.m.  Helen and a driver went fishing.  Only 110 dudes to-night.  About 9:30 to-night we six girls (Vera, Mary, Elma, Ethel L., Helen, and I) and Torg, Jam, Win, Frank, and Starkey (driver) Mary's man (a wood sawer) came to our tent No. 8.  Had two flash lights and ate fudge and bread and jam.  Had lots of fun even if we did break curfew.

My Notes:

The above are journal entries of some simple and fun days at Yellowstone.  The original photographs are actually quite small and I have blown them up.  I wonder what kind of camera took these?  I googled 1915 cameras and the Kodak Vest Pocket Autographic Camera sold for between $6 - $10.  It was a small camera that could be carried in a vest pocket.   Another site that showcases cameras between 1909-1926 is HERE.  

Texas & Wisconsin Visitors, the Thumb Geyser, & A Fire

One of Yellowstone's Geyser's ... possibly "The Thumb".  Taken 1915

Saturday, July 3, 1915

Had about 200 dudes last night.  150 were a Texas party being taken through by Rev. Young of Texas.  They were such a jolly bunch, gave yells, songs, etc.  There were so many pretty Southern girls and our boys surely made use of the short time they were here.  The Texas crowd stayed to lunch so we have had to work all day.  The second crowd from Beloit, WI came tonight.  They had their trip before arriving here.  Yesterday, Ethel, Vera, and Phill went by boat to the "Thumb" to help serve lunch to the Texas party.

I believe this is the inside of a tent my Grandmother shared

 Had an exciting time tonight.  Just as we began eating dinner, one of the lights in the office exploded and set the tent on fire.  Drivers and all came to the rescue and cut the tent through the middle saving half of it.  Win was certainly scared.  Ruth L.  had a raincoat burn up.

Holmes Ferris, Esther Kellogg, Phill Sprague & Dorothy Dinsmore - some of my Grandmother's friends from camp.

Ethel & Joe Gibson - my Grandmother's friend's from camp

Esther & Joe Gibson - close-up

My notes:

Sifting through the plethora of photos, I struggle with what photos go with her journal entries.  I have always loved the last photo - unusual to capture "in-the-moment" smiles like that back then.  I assume my grandmother might have knows a few of the Beloit WI "gang" that came to Yellowstone as it was close to Roscoe IL - where she spent much of her early years.

Sunsets, Visitors, the Hatchery, Elephant Back Mountain, & the Yellowstone Inn

Marguerite is second from right.  Looks like a fun working crew!  The bungalows are in the background.  I love all the pots on the left hand side.

June 28, 1915, Monday

Last night Vera Elma, Helen, Mary and I and some of the other girls and boys were sick all night.  Guess it was something we ate; haven't recovered yet.  Did tent work all morning.  Helped settle some bungalows this p.m.  Elna and I washed our heads.  Feel quite stiff from my walk yesterday.  Watched the moon rise over the mountains last evening - it was certainly beautiful.  Also saw a beautiful sunset.  114 dudes tonight.

Marguerite is under the buckets, sitting holding the watermelon!.  They don't look like they are in working clothes, but ready for a bit of fun.  Maybe a picnic?  I wish I knew which ones were the girlfriends she mentions.  I believe Helen, her sister is the 3rd one standing from the left hand side.  

June 29, 1915, Tuesday

Ruth and I made 50 beds this a.m.  Had 165 dudes tonight.  Over 100 of them were from Iowa.  Mable Smith of Rockford (Illinois) was in the party.  Many of the crowd were teachers and all were so jolly.  They gave yells, etc.  Had a dandy program for them and then dancing, as usual.

June 30, 1915, Wednesday

This p.m. Mary, Vera, Helen, and I went down to hotel and went on top.   Took pictures of the lake and "Elephant Back".  Went through part of hotel and then visited the fish hatcheries.  Saw them separate the bad eggs from the good ones; also saw eggs that were just hatched.  We had 95 dudes tonight.  Had popcorn for the first time since we have been here.

This might be Elephant Back Mountiain in the background and Yellowstone Lake, but I really don't know.  I find it interesting that the man jumping off the tree was caught in mid action as photography tended to blur...  Marguerite is second from left, partially hidden.

Marguerite's 1915 Postcard, well preserved!  

My notes:

"HERE" is a thorough and fun read as to how the "Old Faithful Inn" was built.  I THINK this dining room was inside of the Inn I featured here.  If someone knows, differently, please let me know!

The photos I shared with this post are some scattered throughout the box I have and I posted them with the journal's daily posts, realizing they don't exactly correlate with her words.  Oh how I wish there had been a bit more writing on the backs of all the photos I have!

This post is a participant in "Sepia Saturday's, post #80".  Click to see other memorable nostalgic photography.

Cleaning the tents and washing laundry

Yellowstone 1915.  Marguerite Hutchins (Beckington) on the far right.

June 19, Saturday

Ruth & I work together.  Made 32 beds and cleaned up 8 tents.  75 dudes to-night.

June 20, Sunday

Ruth and I worked all morning.  Had 136 dudes to-night.  Sang sacred songs and wrote letters in evening.

June 21, Monday

Made 49 beds.  This p.m. Mary, Vera, Elma and I went along lake to hotel.  Took 3 pictures.  Came back way of Sunset Hill.

June 26, Saturday

Have had an average of a hundred dudes every night and have been settling bungalows.  Last two days have been very cold.  Mrs. Rhodes came to-night and we were so glad to see her.  Elma, Helen, Ethel S., Jam, and I washed yesterday.   (p.m.) saw the most beautiful sunset Wednesday evening.  Mountains were pink, lake blue.   Farther down, the mountains blue & lake pink.  Beautiful rainbow in the sky!

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My Notes:

Here is my grandmother, far right, and her friends cleaning the tents (bungalows), it looks to me.  All with beautiful smiles on their faces.

I could not find a specific "Sunset Hill" featured in Yellowstone today, so I am guessing it is just one of many that people walk to and enjoy the sunset.  HERE is a beautiful photo of buffalo in a field during a sunset taken by professional photographer Ron Niebrugge - his photo blog in general (HERE) is quite stunning!  Another beautiful set of photos from "Ron" is HERE. of a waterfall and a view from an observation point overlooking a beautiful view of Yellowstone.

Settling Tents and Feeding Bears

June 16, Wednesday

Settled tents.


June 17, Thursday

Settled tents.  From our tent, can see lake and snow capped mountain beyond.  One mountain is "Sleeping Giant".  One mountain is "The Witch".

This looks to me to be above the camp looking down upon the tents.  The mountains on the right look snow capped, but whether or not it is "Sleeping Giant", I do not know.

June 18, Friday

Settled more tents.   A very rainy afternoon.  122 dudes.  Ruth, woodchopper, milk boy and I went with a number of dudes over to hotel to see bears.  Saw three big bears and two cubs.

Had big campfire and musical program, then dancing after program.  There is always dancing after program until curfew at 10 o'clock.   Trunk came!

A postcard sent in 1926 from Marguerite to her two sons, Herbert & Arthur Beckington. 

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My Notes:


The only "Witch" reference I could find was of a creek in Yellowstone.  I also linked an article about the earth's activity of Sleeping Giant and not a photo. 


The above postcard was sent in July, 1926 to my uncles (both recently passed away).  I believe she travelled to Yellowstone with my Grandfather, Ralph Beckington.  My mother was not born yet.  She wrote:


Dear Herbert & Arthur:  I wish you were with me.  We got into the park tonight.  We are staying in a cabin which has two beds.  Hope to see some bears tomorrow.  Yesterday we could touch snow on one side of the road and pick flowers on the other.  Mom