There were almost 200 camp sites, so maybe double that in the number of people.
There could be 400 people at the amphitheater. The largest group that I saw outside of the evening campfire programs was at these living history programs. The horse and I walked by the visitors who were looking at the lake and every head would turn. I would respond to that attention with, “Come on down, I’m going to talk about how Crater Lake was discovered.” I was then surrounded by visitors. After a 20 minute talk, the horse and I would take off and head for the woods, wait an hour or two and then come back and do it again. Hank worked it out to be three programs a day. Tom McDonough, Rod Cranson, Dave Hartlesveldt and I did living history programs because there were only a few people who wanted to saddle a horse and ride it to the rim. It came around once a week in our schedule.
Did Marion Jack supply the horses?
Marion Jack leased the horses to the park. There were probably three or four horses up there. Paul rangers would have them for hunting duty later in the season, and the interpreters shared them during the summer. It is really special to see a horse up there. Some of these urbanites don’t got to see a horse, ever. As for the kids, their eyes would light up and they’d run over. You would have to hold them back a little and them, “Now, don’t be tromping around my horse.” I’d tell them on each hoof there is at least 500 pounds, so be careful when you get close to this guy. I never had a bad experience on a horse up there and I always enjoyed that park of my duty.
For me there might be an evening program one day, a boat tour another day, maybe Hillman, and then roving Rim Village, and maybe another boat. That would be a typical five day work for me. The other thing I realized is that interpreters work holidays.
Going back to the living history program. Do you know how old that program was by the time you were doing it?
Gary Hoskins was part of our group and he was there with Tom McDonough, so they were kind of a pair as far as longevity goes. I’m sure it started years before I got there. I don’t think it was new with Pat and Hank (who supported it), because Marion Jack supplied the horse for years. Marion was probably there at Crater Lake as long as Lloyd Smith was.
