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1926
April 26 1926 A giant earth and rock slide just below the Lodge does major damage to the Lake Trail.
July 20 1926 Medford resident and Crater Lake mechanic, Paul Wright, receives U.S. Patent No. 1,593,523, for his Snow Removal machine. Application had been made February 12, 1926. (See: May 9 1927)
August 6 1926 The President’s Coordinating Committee on National Parks and Forests hold public hearings in Klamath Falls, Diamond Lake and Medford. While meeting in Medford, the committee votes unanimously not to include Diamond Lake in the Park.
November 26 1926 In a stinging letter of condemnation, Will Steel writes to NPS Director Stephen Mather condemning the Government for its treatment of his former business partner, Alfred Parkhurst of Portland when they forced Parkhurst to sign over his company to new owners selected by Mather. ”It was agreed at Medford that he (Parkhurst) should receive $80,000 for his holdings…no attention was paid (to the mortgage) and subsequently you advised him to take just what he could get, so he took $40,000, leaving in all human justice $40,000 still due.
If your conscience functions and you are really desirous of doing right, you will make good for him with a check for what is honestly due, and will not juggle with plausible excuses. If you were a poor man I wouldn’t write this letter, but you are perfectly able to do this without the slightest embarrassment.
Now, Mr. Mather, before closing I want to say this, You have always treated me with every consideration, consequently I harbor no ill will for you, But you have done an awful injury to the only man on earth who was ever willing to invest his own money in developing Crater Lake, and are in position to make amends. Will you do it? If so, and I can be in any way serviceable, please advise and I will consider it a favor to do my best”. Very Sincerely, Will Steel. (Steel eventfully took Parkhurst’s cause to the press and even to President Harding but to no avail.)
Season 1926 Utility area and residence development in Sleepy Hollow, behind Government Camp, begins to be developed. New service station built, along with the stringing of a new telephone line. 12 one-room cabins built to replace tents. Rim Community Building constructed. The Park plans on replacing this temporary building in 1936. It is still standing 70 years later.
New rustic bridge constructed at Annie Spring. Naturalist services are begun by Dr. Loye Miller of the University of California and three unpaid volunteers.
Park regulations require that Automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles shall have the right-of-way over motorcycles. Auto stage rates from Medford or Klamath Falls to Crater Lake are set at $17.50. The Lodge now has 154 sleeping rooms and tent houses. Boat trips take people out on Crater Lake for 2.5 hours at a cost of $3.00. A 41 mile bus trip around the Rim Drive costs $5.00.
The first stone building, a warehouse, is built at Park Headquarters. A wing is built onto the Kiser Studio at Rim Village. Fred Kiser blazes and surveys a new Lake trail from the Western portion of Rim Village. The first 16 miles of Park entrance roads are paved. The entrance fee to Crater Lake is reduced from $2.50 to $1.00 where it remained until the 1960’s.
General Regulations: Flowers may be gathered in small quantifies when, in the judgment of the superintendent their removal will not impair the beauty of the Park. Cats are not permitted in the Park. Roads: Sound horn when on curves that are blind and do not exceed 20 mph on straight, level roads and 12 miles per hour on curves, narrow or steep roads.
During the late 1920’s temporary campgrounds were set up in the meadow behind Headquarters each summer, until the Rim Camp melted out. Horses for rides were quartered each day at the head of Dutton Trail near the Rim Junction. The horse barn was located one mile below Rim Village on the old road that passed behind the Superintendent’s house. Road was closed probably about 1926.
Construction of a new Rim Access road is begun between Park Headquarters and Rim Village.
Man falls to his death near Lake Trail.
Season 1926 Visitation: 86,019 visitors.
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