National Register of Historic Places

Lamar Buffalo Ranch

Mammoth Hot Springs, Park County, Wyoming
Listed
December 7, 1982
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
82001835

About this property

The Lamar Buffalo Ranch is a historic livestock ranch in the Lamar River valley of Yellowstone National Park, in the U.S. state of Wyoming. As an early contribution to the conservation of bison, it was created to preserve one of the last free-roaming American 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 corner of the park. The herd at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch was maintained as a semi-domesticated source of additional bison to enhance the park's natural herd. As the ranched herd increased in size, it was released to the open range, where it interbred with the wild herd. After the ranched bison were successfully integrated, the ranch continued to be used to produce hay to feed wild bison in the winter until the 1950s. Because the winter feeding program maintained the herd at artificially high levels and distorted the distribution of bison in the park, it fell from favor as the National Park Service adopted wildlife management policies that attempted to interfere as little as possible with each species' natural ecology. Today the Lamar Buffalo Ranch is maintained as a historic district comprising five buildings built in the early 20th century. The complex includes a ranger station built in 1915, a bunkhouse built in 1929, a residence which was moved from Soda Butte in 1938, a barn built in 1927, and a corral. The interior of the bunkhouse has since been remodeled and is currently used by the park's public stewardship institute, Yellowstone Forever (formerly the Yellowstone Association), which conducts classes and seminars there.

Location

Mammoth Hot Springs, Park County, Wyoming
44.89214, -110.24035

Categories

CONSERVATION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Roosevelt Lodge Historic District
Industrial
8.7 mi
Grand Loop Road Historic District
Listed
22.1 mi
US Post Office-Yellowstone Main
Industrial
23.2 mi
Mammoth Hot Springs Historic District
Listed
23.2 mi
Obsidian Cliff
Industrial
23.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Lamar Buffalo Ranch listed on the National Register?

Lamar Buffalo Ranch was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 7, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Lamar Buffalo Ranch?

Lamar Buffalo Ranch is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Lamar Buffalo Ranch?

The period of significance for Lamar Buffalo Ranch is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Lamar Buffalo Ranch?

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