Lamar Buffalo Ranch
Encyclopedia
The Lamar Buffalo Ranch was created to preserve one of the last free-roaming bison
(buffalo) herds in the United States. The ranch was established in 1907 when 28 bison were moved from Fort Yellowstone
to the Lamar Valley
in the northeast portion of the park. The herd was maintained as a semi-domesticated source of additional bison the enhance the park's natural herd. The ranch supported bison ranching into the 1950s. As the ranched herd increased in size, it was released to the open range and it interbred with the wild herd. The ranch continued to be used to produce hay to feed the bison in the winter until the 1950s. Because the winter feeding program maintained the herd at artificially high levels and distorted the herd's distribution in the park, it fell from favor as the National Park Service adopted wildlife management policies that interfered as little as possible with each species' natural ecology.
The historic district comprises five buildings built between 1915 and the 1930s. The historic district includes the ranger station, built in 1915, the bunkhouse, built in 1929, a residence which was moved from Soda Butte in 1938, a 1927 barn and a corral The bunkhouse, its interior remodeled, is used by the Yellowstone Institute, which conducts classes and seminars there.
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
(buffalo) herds in the United States. The ranch was established in 1907 when 28 bison were moved from Fort Yellowstone
Fort Yellowstone
-See also:* Grand Loop Road Historic District* Lake Fish Hatchery Historic District* Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District* North Entrance Road Historic District* Roosevelt Lodge Historic District* Old Faithful Historic District* US Post Office-Yellowstone Main...
to the Lamar Valley
Lamar River
The Lamar River is a tributary of the Yellowstone River, approximately 40 miles long, in northwestern Wyoming in the United States. The river is located entirely within Yellowstone National Park.-History:...
in the northeast portion of the park. The herd was maintained as a semi-domesticated source of additional bison the enhance the park's natural herd. The ranch supported bison ranching into the 1950s. As the ranched herd increased in size, it was released to the open range and it interbred with the wild herd. The ranch continued to be used to produce hay to feed the bison in the winter until the 1950s. Because the winter feeding program maintained the herd at artificially high levels and distorted the herd's distribution in the park, it fell from favor as the National Park Service adopted wildlife management policies that interfered as little as possible with each species' natural ecology.
The historic district comprises five buildings built between 1915 and the 1930s. The historic district includes the ranger station, built in 1915, the bunkhouse, built in 1929, a residence which was moved from Soda Butte in 1938, a 1927 barn and a corral The bunkhouse, its interior remodeled, is used by the Yellowstone Institute, which conducts classes and seminars there.
External links
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch, East of Tower Roosevelt on Northeast Entrance Road, Canyon Village vicinity, Park County, WY: 3 photos, 1 photo caption page, 3 data pages, at Historic American Building Survey
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Bunkhouse, Canyon Village vicinity, Park County, WY: 2 photos, 1 photo caption page, 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Horse Barn, Canyon Village vicinity, Park County, WY: 1 photo, 1 photo caption page, 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Maintenance Residence, Canyon Village vicinity, Park County, WY: 2 photos, 1 photo caption page, 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch, Ranch Residence, Canyon Village vicinity, Park County, WY: 1 photo, 1 photo caption page, 1 data page, at Historic American Building Survey
- National Park Service video - Lamar Buffalo Ranch
- Lamar Buffalo Ranch at the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office