Prominent Visits
1991
September 8
Former President Carter visits Crater Lake. At 2:30 p.m. he
stops by the Administration Building, then stops at Discovery
Point briefly before leaving the Park.
1990
October
Grigory Galazy, a Lake Baikal scientist and director of the
Baikal Ecological Museum, along with another Russian scientist
visit Crater Lake. The visit comes two month after a
Soviet-American team found evidence of a hot vent field in Lake
Baikal. The vent area lies about 1300 feet down.
1986
July
NPS Director Mott makes an unannounced visit to the Lodge which
leads to the preparation of further alternative plans for
rehabilitating the building. Mott wanted to see controversial
old lodge first hand. The Director eventually recommends partial
restoration of the building, but remove the 1924 addition.
1982
July 3
Stan Diller, 702 W. Casino, Everett, Washington, nephew of Dr.
J.S. Diller, visits the Park. Diller claims that he is the first
member of the Diller family to visit Crater Lake since Dr.
Diller explored the area back in 1896.
July 23
Two grand-daughters of Jacksonville’s pioneer newspaper man, Jim
Sutton, visit the Park and take a boat ride. Sutton named Crater
Lake. (Kathryn Sutton Schultz, 24001 Muirl Avenue, #329, El
Toro, California 92630 and Wave Sutton White, 3233 Treat Circle,
Tucson, Arizona, 85716)
1981
August 13
Zoeanne Olsen, P.O. Box 2022, Fremont, California, 94536,
great-great granddaughter of Annie Gaines, visits the Park and
takes a boat ride. Annie Gaines died one month after giving
birth to Mrs. Olsen’s great grandmother.
August 22
Bob Hillman, Pasco, Washington, great great great grand nephew
of John Wesley Hillman visits the Park.
1980
March 15
Ambassador and Mrs. Merwyn Norrish of New Zealand are shown
around the Park by Superintendent Rouse.
July 22
Mrs. Stanley Service, sister-in-law of famous Alaskan poet,
Robert Service (“Cremation of Sam Magee, etc.) visits the Park.
July 28
National Geographic editor, John Eliot, visits Crater Lake while
doing research for a future article on the 75th anniversary of
Teddy Roosevelt’s legacy of establishing National Parks. Eliot
hikes several trials and takes a boat ride.
1978
February 11
Mr. E. Nordeen, 88 years old and former winner, visits the ski
race and tells stories about his skiing adventures. (See 1929
entry)
August 22
NPS Director, Bill Whalen, visits Crater Lake for two days.
October
Mrs. John Creaghan of Baton Rouge, LA, Granddaughter of John
Wesley Hillman, visits the Park.
1977
June 10
Senator Mark Hatfield visits Crater Lake and is hosted by the
Concessionaire for breakfast.
July
John Wesley Hillman’s grand niece, Pearl Verschoor of Medford,
visits the Park.
August 11
Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the nationally famous aerobics expert and
writer, visits the Park and walks the Lake Trail. Dr. Cooper is
impressed with the annual marathon run and wants to involve some
of his acquaintances. Dr. Cooper feels that people from all over
the country would come to Crater Lake if they know about the
run.
1976
September 6 - 7
NPS Director, Gary Everhart and Deputy NPS Director visit Crater
Lake. Director Everhart holds a press conference to discuss
President Ford’s announcement of a $1.5 billion proposal for
additions to and up-gradings of the country’s National Parks.
1975
July
Waldo Nye, 198 Mill Creek Drive, Prospect, Oregon grandson of
Chauncey Nye and grandson-in-law of Superintendent Arant, visits
the Park.
1971
August
Sen. N. Sinnott’s daughter visits the Park
August 8
John Wesley Hillman’s great-grandson visits the Park and takes a
boat ride.
1967
July
Jack Applegate, grand nephew of Capt. O.C. Applegate, visits the
Park to climb Applegate Peak.
1966
Winter 1966 or late 1965
Ski legend, John Day, of Medford, invites the Italian National
Team coach and his two top skiers to Oregon for a training
clinic. They ended their visit by skiing the Crater Lake Rim in
a record six and one-half hours. At age 55, John Day tried out
for the 1964 U.S. Cross Country team but was turned down. In
1966 John founded the Oregon Nordic Club. After Day had mastered
the Norwegian techniques of skiing, he entered the grueling
60-mile Hardanger Katjulen ski race, finishing it in 17 hours.
When John was 46, his doctors told him he would never walk erect
again due to severe arthritis in his back. He decided to prove
them wrong. Eventually he climbed six major peaks in Washington
state in nine days and over 250 major peaks. (information from
John Lund)
August
NPS Director George Hartzog’s visit to Crater Lake leads to an
appraising of the Munson Valley buildings in anticipation of
turning them over the concessionaire for day use and overnight
visitor use. The Steel Circle apartments are to be converted
into motel units. (Please see “Administrative History”, Chapter
17, Planning and Development at Rim Village by S.R. Mark for
more detail.)
September 1
NPS Director Hartzog visits the Park and stays overnight in the
Lodge. An agreement is made for the NPS to buy the building. The
plan is to reduce the Lodge to a low profile structure to the
height of the exterior masonry walls.
1958
Late 1950’s
U.S. Representative from Oregon, Charles Porter of Eugene visits
Crater Lake and proposes that the Government build a cable car
from Rim Village to the boat landing. When public out cry points
out the visual damage that a tram tower would cause, Porter
proposes an elevator. The man soon loses his seat and retires.
1954
August 7
Dr. Earl Bush, Carver of the “Lady of the Woods”, visits the
Park for the first time since 1917. Dr. Bush is surprised at how
the “lady” had deteriorated and eroded so much in 37 years.
1953
June 17
Roger Tory Peterson, famed bird author, visits the Park.
1952
April 27
Dr. and Mrs. Arnold Toynbee visit the Park.
1935
August
Margaret Hensley and Ernest Rostel are married in the home
of Park Superintendent David Canfield. Ernie worked as a
ranger in charge of publicity and interviewed many famous
Park visitors, including Mrs. Roosevelt. Ernie published a
major article, “Crater Lake, An Epic of Volcanology” in the
Natural History Journal of January, 1933.
1934
August 1
First Lady, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, accompanied only by her
secretary, visits the Park, unannounced. Mrs. Roosevelt,
approached the entrance station and asked the ranger on duty if
she could take a boat ride. While in the Park she hiked the Lake
Trail and was given a personalized tour of Crater Lake.
Ranger Ernest Rostel was assigned to guide Mrs. Roosevelt’s
visit to the Park. Ranger Rostel received his first letter of
thanks written on August 9, 1934, “My dear Mr. Rostel: I want to
thank you for the many services and kind things which were done
for me while I was at the Pilot Butte Inn. It made my stay at
Crater Lake most enjoyable and I am very grateful to you. Very
sincerely yours, Eleanor Roosevelt.”
A second letter of thanks was written on October 26, 1934: “The
White House, Washington, My Dear Mr. Rostel: Indeed I do
remember with great joy my trip on Crater Lake, and I am
delighted to have these pictures as souvenirs of the day and of
that marvelous place. I hope you will carry out your plan to
write a complete description of the park, and that you will not
forget to send me one as I shall be only too glad to have
it. Very Sincerely yours, Eleanor Roosevelt”
During her visit, Mrs. Roosevelt took special notice of a group
of Wineglass Camp CCC boys engaged in Landscaping activities in
the Rim Village area. “A fine piece of work you are doing”, she
said. “Wherever I go, I hear so much of the good work you boys
are accomplishing.”
Miss Henderson’s (Harrison) mother was always on her for not
using proper table manners. When the girl spotted Eleanor
Roosevelt eating in the Rim Cafeteria, she was happy to report
to her mother that Eleanor sat at her table, with elbows firmly
in place.
September 9
The M.T. reports that “Jumping Joe” Savoldi, famous wrestler,
fails in an attempt to hurl stones into Crater Lake from the
Rim.
1932
Summer
William Steel makes his last visit to Crater Lake.
1931
July 11
“Pop” Warner, famous football coach, visits the Park.
1930
June
President Hoover announces plans to visit Crater Lake and other
Western Parks.
1929
July 5
Dr. R.L. Wilbur, Secretary of Interior, and Horace Albright,
National Park Service Director, visit the Park.
1925
July 9
John D. Rockefeller visits the Park. Ray Wilbur, Secretary of
the Interior announces that the U.S. Government will spend $1
million paving the Rim Road around Crater Lake.
1924
August
Stephen Mather visits the park.
1920
August 22
Albert Fall, Secretary of the Interior and Steve Mather, NPS
Director, visit the Park.
1919
October
Cost of roads and trails set at $640,000. Cathedral Spire, named
by John Maben because of its resemblance to a great
cathedral. The Pacific Crest Trail (The Oregon Skyline Trail) is
surveyed along the crest of the Cascades. Zane Grey and brother
visit the Park for fishing purposes.
1917
July
Horace Albright, acting director of the National Park Service,
visits the Park. J.F. Atkins and Lloyd Smith tack an American
flag to the Phantom Ship.
1915
August 7
William Jennings Bryan and party visit the Park. Bryan announces
support of Steel’s road project to be built inside the crater
wall from the Lodge to Kerr Notch. Bryan promises to use his
influence in Congress. Steel also recommends the building of a
powered elevator from the Lodge to the lakeshore.
August 15
Gilbert H. Grosvenor, National Geographic Editor, visits the
Park.
1911
August
Author, Jack London visits Crater Lake, driving a large spring
wagon and four Mustang ponies. claims the Lake is the most
beautiful sight he has ever seen in his world travels and lacks
words on trying to describe it. “Incomparable in beauty.”
1907
July 15
William Steel names Garfield Peak for James R. Garfield,
Secretary of the Interior. Mr. Garfield was the first cabinet
member to visit Crater Lake. The peak is 8060 feet high and is
1883 feet above the lake’ surface. Formerly the peak was known
as Castle Mountain.
1903
May 5
John Muir sends a “thank you” to Will Steel for his kind
invitation to visit Crater Lake, but is unable to make the visit
because of plans to travel to Russia.
