Manges Cabin
Encyclopedia
The Manges Cabin in Grand Teton National Park
, also known as the Old Elbo Ranch Homestead Cabin, Mangus Cabin and the Taggart Creek Barn, was built in 1911 by James Manges. Manges was the second settler on the west side of the Snake River
after Bill Menor
, setting up a homestead near Taggart Creek. James Manges (or Mangus) arrived in Jackson Hole
in 1910, where he cut wood for Charles or William Wort. Manges' cabin is stated to have been the first two-story structure in the northern part of the valley. A root cellar was excavated beneath. The log and frame structure features wide eaves to keep the winter snow away from the walls. It was heated in winter by a single stove, with one room on each level.
The cabin became part of Manges's ranch, which took on the character of a dude ranch
with guest cabins. In 1926 Manges sold 40 acres (16.2 ha) of the ranch to neighbor Frank Williams, who expanded the Double Diamond Dude Ranch
with partner Joseph Clark Jr..
bought the Elbo ranch in 1929 as part of its work to assemble lands in Jackson Hole for preservation in an expanded national park. The SRLC allowed the National Park Service
to use some Elbo Ranch cabins for employee housing. Harry Epenscheid operated the ranch in 1942, and Katie Starratt leased the Elbo from the late 1940s until 1958, when her operation and the Elbo name moved to the Ramshorn
.
The ranch was acquired by the Park Service in 1956 and was used as employee housing. By 1973 the Park Service had removed most of the structures and was using the cabin as a barn. The Manges Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1998.
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is a United States National Park located in northwestern Wyoming, U.S. The Park consists of approximately and includes the major peaks of the long Teton Range as well as most of the northern sections of the valley known as Jackson Hole. Only south of Yellowstone...
, also known as the Old Elbo Ranch Homestead Cabin, Mangus Cabin and the Taggart Creek Barn, was built in 1911 by James Manges. Manges was the second settler on the west side of the Snake River
Snake River
The Snake is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean...
after Bill Menor
Menor's Ferry
Menor's Ferry was a river ferry that crossed the Snake River near the present-day Moose, Wyoming. The site was homesteaded by Bill Menor in 1892-94, choosing a location where the river flowed in a single channel, rather than the braided stream that characterizes its course in most of Jackson Hole. ...
, setting up a homestead near Taggart Creek. James Manges (or Mangus) arrived in Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole
Jackson Hole, originally called Jackson's Hole, is a valley located in the U.S. state of Wyoming, near the western border with Idaho. The name "hole" derives from language used by early trappers or mountain men, who primarily entered the valley from the north and east and had to descend along...
in 1910, where he cut wood for Charles or William Wort. Manges' cabin is stated to have been the first two-story structure in the northern part of the valley. A root cellar was excavated beneath. The log and frame structure features wide eaves to keep the winter snow away from the walls. It was heated in winter by a single stove, with one room on each level.
The cabin became part of Manges's ranch, which took on the character of a dude ranch
Dude ranch
The guest ranch, also known as a dude ranch, is a type of ranch oriented towards visitors or tourism. It is considered a form of agritourism.-History:...
with guest cabins. In 1926 Manges sold 40 acres (16.2 ha) of the ranch to neighbor Frank Williams, who expanded the Double Diamond Dude Ranch
Double Diamond Dude Ranch Dining Hall
The Double Diamond Dude Ranch Dining Hall was built in 1945 as the centerpiece of a dude ranch operated by Frank Williams and Joseph Clark in Grand Teton National Park. The ranch was opened in 1924 with a dozen tent cabins and log buildings for a kitchen and dining hall, lounge and commissary. In...
with partner Joseph Clark Jr..
Elbo Ranch
In 1926 Californian Chester Goss bought the property, as well as the neighboring Frank and Albert Bessette ranches. Goss, amassing a total of 423 acres (171.2 ha), expanded the accommodations and built a rodeo ground, racetrack, baseball field and store and renaming the property the Elbo Ranch. The Elbo's advertising called it "The Home of the Hollywood Cowboy." The Snake River Land CompanySnake River Land Company
The Snake River Land Company was a land purchasing company established in 1927 by philanthropist John D. Rockefeller, Jr.. The company acted as a front so Rockefeller could buy land in the Jackson Hole valley in Wyoming without people knowing of his involvement or his intentions for the property,...
bought the Elbo ranch in 1929 as part of its work to assemble lands in Jackson Hole for preservation in an expanded national park. The SRLC allowed the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
to use some Elbo Ranch cabins for employee housing. Harry Epenscheid operated the ranch in 1942, and Katie Starratt leased the Elbo from the late 1940s until 1958, when her operation and the Elbo name moved to the Ramshorn
Ramshorn Dude Ranch Lodge
The Ramshorn Dude Ranch Lodge in Grand Teton National Park was built after 1935 by mountaineers Paul Petzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and Gustav Koven. The property that became the Ramshorn Ranch was originally established by Ransom Adams at the mouth of Gros Ventre...
.
The ranch was acquired by the Park Service in 1956 and was used as employee housing. By 1973 the Park Service had removed most of the structures and was using the cabin as a barn. The Manges Cabin was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1998.
See also
- Ramshorn Dude Ranch LodgeRamshorn Dude Ranch LodgeThe Ramshorn Dude Ranch Lodge in Grand Teton National Park was built after 1935 by mountaineers Paul Petzoldt, founder of the National Outdoor Leadership School, and Gustav Koven. The property that became the Ramshorn Ranch was originally established by Ransom Adams at the mouth of Gros Ventre...
(second Elbo Ranch) - Historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National ParkHistorical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National ParkThe historical buildings and structures of Grand Teton National Park include a variety of buildings and built remains that pre-date the establishment of Grand Teton National Park, together with facilities built by the National Park Service to serve park visitors. Many of these places and structures...
External links
- Manges Cabin at Grand Teton National Park
- Elbo Ranch at Grand Teton National Park
- Grand Teton Historic Resource Study: The Homesteaders: Post-1900 National Park Service
- Manges Cabin at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office
- James H. Mangus Cabin, Moose vicinity, Teton, WY at the Historic American Building Survey, 6 drawings, 2 photographs, 9 data pages