Fences, Conservation, and Tourism: a History of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Park

On a pleasant July day in 1948, a small crowd congregated in rows upon rustic logs on the edge of a broad meadow in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Beyond the meadow to the west, they spied glimpses of the Snake River through aspen, fir, and pine trees. On the horizon, Mt. Moran loomed, framed by a vast expanse of azure sky. The crowd’s eyes however were not fixed upon the distant view, but on the small makeshift podium placed at the foot of the benches, and on the seven dignitaries who were scheduled to speak that day (Figure 1). They had come to dedicate the Jackson Hole Wildlife Park (JHWP). Conceived in 1945, the Park would provide controlled habitat for a host of primarily big game animals from the region, affording tourists the opportunity for education and close-up viewing of native mammals.