In the early 20th century, national parks such as Yellowstone had far different policies regarding wildlife. National Park Service veteran Arthur E. Demaray offers a surprising glimpse into this bygone time.
Demaray recounts children playing a game - dragging strings to lift unsuspecting squirrels off the ground. A stark contrast to today's hands-off approach. He also describes his first bear encounter. He didn’t realize the animals lived wild in the park.
A pamphlet of the era assured him that even grizzlies were inoffensive if not attacked. Incredibly, tourists could visit the garbage dump to watch dozens of bears feed. The smaller bears patiently awaited their turn, Demaray noted, much like people. One particularly brazen bear even forced visitors to pay a food toll to pass on the road. While charming, such human-wildlife interactions are now discouraged.
Demaray's writings transport us to Yellowstone's pioneering days. Uncover more eye-opening historical insights in the Arthur E. Demaray Papers at UW’s American Heritage Center