Smith Brothers 1906

July 1
Regular mail service is established between Fort Klamath and the Park.

July 12
Construction begins on the first permanent house for the superintendent at Annie Springs. Torn down about 1935.

Summer
$600 appropriated to begin construction of the Rim Camp Trail to the water. The Superintendent felt the informal one down to Eagle Cove, with cable handrails, was just too dangerous.

September 2
Harry Pelts and three other men claim to be the first men to drive a car from Klamath Falls to the rim of Crater Lake with a running time of 6 hours.

Fall
Albert C. Allen of Medford drives a, seven horse power, single cylinder Olds Curved Dash Runabout, with one seat, steered with a tiller, and powered by a chain drive into the Park. Allen’s car is pulled part way by two mules. “When we high-centered again, with the car nearly tipping over on the badly sliding raid, I quit. It was bust for me. But I had driven quite a distance inside the boarders of the park. I was the first one to drive an automobile inside Crater Lake Park. However, I had driven the first car into the park and the second on up on the rim. After that I made the trip often, but few others cared to attempt the heavy grade to the rim with its three switchback and where large cars had to back and fill to get around some of the sharp curves. Soon after this I mentioned to Bill Hodson, owner of the first garage in Medford, that I intended to drive my new Thom. right up on Crater Lake rim on a certain day. This gave Bill an idea for some advertising, so he sent one of his Buicks up on the rim just the day before I drove my Thomas there.” But Allen does become the first person to take a motion picture of the Lake.

W.E. Hodson claims to have driven the first car to the park, pulled part way by horses. J.O. Shively claims to be the first auto passenger.

Season Visitation: 1,800 est.

 

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