The new company was given the right to occupy certain portions of the park to maintain its facilities and operate them. All plans for construction were to be approved by the Secretary of the Interior. The company was authorized to use timber, stone, and other building materials taken from the park for construction purposes, establish electric light plants and telephone and telegraph service, and graze horses. Provision was made for the renewal of the contract for a period not to exceed twenty years. The company was allowed to earn annually 6 percent in the value of its physical investment in the park, the 6 percent to be in the nature of a priority and if not earned was to be cumulative. The company was required to submit a schedule of all charges above 50 cents for the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, who could make such modifications as he deemed necessary so long as they were consistent with a reasonable profit on the investment made by the company. Concession employees were required to wear an identification badge, and the Secretary of the Interior was authorized to declare any person unfit or objectionable for employment by the company. [17]
The publicity surrounding the new concessioner and provision of visitor services, together with the removal of snow and opening of park roads by late June, contributed to an increase of visitation of more than fifteen percent in 1922. All told some 31,119 visitors entered the park in 9,429 private automobiles. In addition 995 visitors entered the park via transportation company stages, and 897 entered by other means, thus making the total park visitation 33,011. [18]
NPS Director Mather reported on the increasing popularity of Crater Lake National Park in 1923. With obvious pride in his accomplishments in terms of improving visitor facilities and services he stated:
Park facilities in every way equaled the unprecedented demands upon them. The tourist camps were enlarged early in the season, ample sanitary facilities installed, and additional water supply provided. The operators kept apace similarly, so that at no time were the hotel, transportation, or launch facilities jammed. Early in the season, as it became apparent that visitors preferred accommodations in view of the lake, the lodge management removed the tent houses from Anna Spring to the Rim and were thus able to take care of all demands for lodging. The only difficulty encountered in handling the greatly increased travel was a temporary shortage of water at the Rim, a crisis being avoided by installation of two additional 20,000-gallon storage tanks. . . .
. . . public facilities are in excellent condition and balanced nicely against requirements. With a few exceptions, sanitary provisions and water supply are well ahead of demands, trails are adequate and well maintained, sufficient dockage is provided on the lake, and auto camp grounds are well distributed and were splendidly maintained all season. Firewood has been available in all camp grounds. A number of new signs designed to reduce speeding at critical points were put up and traffic so regulated that no one was injured throughout the entire season, only two minor collisions occurring.
The reaction of visitors to the efforts of the park forces was beyond praise, nearly all being imbued with the finest possible spirit–that splendid spirit that tends to highest development among men and women who gather nightly around camp fires in the mountains.
The visitor facilities and physical improvements alluded to by Mather included the construction of a large combination mess hall and bunk house at Lost Creek for the use of early park visitors entering from the east. A 70-foot log boat landing had been constructed at Wizard Island. Two new flush toilet facilities with lavatories and oil-burning water heaters for hot showers were constructed at each of the campgrounds at the rim and Anna Spring.
An upgraded publicity program for the park was also initiated in 1923. The Southern Pacific Railroad and the Crater Lake National Park Company led the campaign. Superintendent Sparrow contributed to the publicity initiatives by preparing articles for publication in four national periodicals and various newspapers.
The new visitor facilities and the publicity efforts contributed to making 1923 the highest visitation year in Crater Lake’s history to date. The total number of visitors increased by some 57 percent to 52,017. The western entrance continued to be the most popular. A new record for the largest single day’s visitation through an entrance was established on September 2 with 235 cars carrying 884 visitors entering the park via the western gateway. Visitors came from every state but two, and from such places as Hawaii, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. There was a notable increase of visitors from California, the “number of first entry cars from that State during July equaling first entries from Oregon itself.” [19]
