Echoing the earlier recommendations of William G. Steel, Sparrow indicated the need for installation of a water system on the rim near the lodge “for the use of campers and for other purposes.” This water supply was “of the utmost importance” because, according to the superintendent, only “through the generosity of the Crater Lake Co. in furnishing water to us were we enabled to establish a construction camp of 25 men on the rim instead of 1 mile distant from our trail work.”
During 1917 two ranger cabins were constructed at the east and west entrances of the park to complement the existing cabin at the south entrance. The ranger cabins were formally styled log structures that bear a striking relationship to later, purposely rustic, park structures. A photograph of one of the cabins was included in the Annual Report of the Director of the National Park Service with the caption that the structure was illustrative of the type of ranger station adopted for the park. Although the highly stylized appearance of the two cabins suggests that either a landscape architect or an environmentally-sensitive architect played a role in the buildings’ design, research has not been able to confirm this supposition. [1]
On May 13, 1918, Secretary of the Interior Lane sent a letter to NPS Director Mather, articulating a general policy statement to provide a sound basis for the administration and development of the National Park System. The policy statement detailed the parameters that would govern future construction and development in each unit, including Crater Lake, in the embryonic system. The statement emphasized the necessity of environmentally-sensitive construction, design, and development in the parks:
In the construction of roads, trails, buildings, and other improvements, particular attention must be devoted always to the harmonizing of these improvements with the landscape. This is a most important item in our programs of development and requires the employment of trained engineers who either possess a knowledge of landscape architecture or have a proper appreciation of the esthetic value of park lands. All improvements will be carried out in accordance with a preconceived plan developed in special reference to the preservation of the landscape, and comprehensive plans for future development of the national parks on an adequate scale will be prepared as funds are available for this purpose. [2]
