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BEFO R E T H E

SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUB LIC LANDS

OF T H E

COMMITTEE ON

INTERIOR AN1) INSULAR AEEAIRS 

UNITE!) STATES SENATE

EIGHTY -E IG IIT H CONG RESS

SECOND SESSION

ON

S. 2 3 2 6

A BIL L TO AUTHORIZE THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR 

TO DESIG NATE THE NEZ PER CE NATIONAL HISTORICAL 

PARK IN THE STATE OF IDAHO, AND FOR OTH ER PURPOSES

AUGUST 18, 1964—WASHINGTON, D.C. 

OCTOBER 9, 1964—LEWISTON, IDAHO

U .S . GO VE RNM EN T PR IN TIN G OFFI CE

■39-828 W ASH IN GTON : 19 64
S’- £

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COMMITTEE ON INT ERIOR AND INSULAR AFF AIRS

HEN RY M. JACK SON, Wash ing ton , Ch air ma n

CLINT ON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico

ALAN BIBL E. Nevada

FRA NK CHURCH, Idaho

ER NE ST GRUENINQ, Alaska

FRA NK E. MOSS, Utah

QUENTIN N. BURD ICK, No rth Da kota

CARL HAYDEN, Arizona

GEORGE McGOVERN, Sou th Dakota

GAYLORD NELSON, Wisconsin

HE RB ER T S. WALTERS, Ten nessee

THOMAS H. KUCHE L, Ca lifornia 

GORDON ALLO TT, Colorado 

LEN B. JORD AN, Ida ho 

MILW ARD L. SIMPSO N. Wyoming 

E. L. MECH EM, New Mexico 

PE TE R H. DOMINICK, Colorad o

J erry T. Verk ler, Staff Direc tor

Stewart F ren ch, Ch ief Counsel

Roy Whit acre, Profe ssional St aff Mem ber

Subcommittee on P ublic Lands

ALAN BIB LE,

CLIN TON P. ANDERSON, New Mexico 

ER NE ST GRU ENINQ, Alask a 

FRA NK E. MOSS, Uta h 

CARL HAYDEN, Arizona 

GAYLORD NELSON, Wiscons in

Nevada, Cha irma n

GORDON ALLOTT, Colorado 

LEN B. JORD AN, Ida ho 

MILWAR D L. SIMPSON, Wyoming

II
C O N T E N T S

Page

S. 2326.................................. 

Departmental reports: 1

Agriculture______________________________________________ 5

Bureau of th e Budge t_____________________________________ 6

Inter ior _________________________________________________ 2

ST AT EM EN TS

Adams, Wayne A., secretary , Kamiah, Idaho, Jun ior Chamber of Commerce_________________________________________________________ 114

Alsager, Melvin J., depar tment commander, American Leg im of Id ah o. __ 81

Andrus, Hon. Cecil D., Sta te senator from Clea rwater County, Idah o___ 84

Avery, Mary, archivist, Washington Sta te University____________ _____ 64

Barnes, Arthu r L., director and past presiden t, Idah o State Chambe r of

Commerce_____________________________________________________ 48

Behrens, Lt. Col. William C. (retired), manager, port of Clarkston, W as h. . 118 

Bentley, Mrs. Robert, president, American Legion Auxiliary, Grangeville,

Idaho_________________________________________________________ 109

Bianco, Joseph, president, Bank of Idaho____________________________ 117

Biggar, Duane E., representing the mayor of Asotin, Wash____________ 96

Billow, Lyle H., mayor, village of Nezperce, Idaho_____________ ______ 107

Bowers, Dr. Alfred W., professor of anthropology and sociology, University

of Ida ho_______________________________________________________ 77

Brainard, Edw ard M., manager, radio station ICORT, Grangeville, Id aho._ 83

Brainard, Ka thryn J., president, Soro ptimist Club of Grangeville, Idaho. I l l

Burrows, Mrs. Russell, Slate Creek, Ida ho___________________________ 118

Butler, B. Robert, curator of education, Idaho Sta te University Museum. 61

Butterfield, Leone, Idah o State historian, DA R_______________________ 90

Buxton, O. J., land commissioner, State of Idah o_____________________ 42

Carver, Hon. Jo hn A., Jr., Assistant Secretary, Depar tment of the Interio r. 13 

Catholic Daughters of America, Court Cataldo, No. 158, Lewiston, Id ah o. 112

Church, Hon. Frank, a U.S. Senator from the State of Ida ho___________ 7, 24

Clifford, Jack , president, North Idaho Cham ber of Commerce__________ 49

Colvin, Gaylord R., Jr., postmaster, White Bird, Idah o_______________ 108

Crane, Don, Elk City, Idaho_______________________________________ ] 19

Crump, Po be rt D., Riggins, Idaho__________________________________ 118

Curtis, A. B., mayor, city of Orofino, Idaho__________________________ 66

Dan a, Marshall N., chairman, Recreation Subcommittee, Columbia Basin

Interagency Comm ittee_________________________________________ 116

Daugherty, Dr. Richard D., professor of anthropology, Washington Sta te

University_____________________________________________________ 55

Day, Ern est E., Idaho Wildlife Fed eration ___________________________ 109

Drevlow, Hon. William E., Lieutenan t Governor, Sta te of U tah________ 35

Driscoll, J . L., chairman of the board, Fir st National Bank of Idaho, Boise. 115 

Elsensohn, Sister M. Alfreda, vice president, College of St. Gertrude,

Cottonwood, Idah o_____________________________________________ 56

Engelking, D. F., State sup erin tenden t of public instructio n, Idah o_____ 63

Floch, Forrest, chairman, board of county commissioners, Asotin, W as h. . 106 

French, Dr. C. Clement, president, Wash ington Sta te University Pullman, Wa sh___________________________________________________ 59

Guernsey, Roger L., Sta te forester of Ida ho__________________________ 43

Handel, Fred W., mayor, city of Moscow, I daho______________________ 108

Hansen, Robert, president, Cham ber of Commerce, Grangeville, Idah o__ 95

Hovey, Rev. E. Paul, president, Lewiston Ministerial Association_______ 91

Hu nt, Myron L., commander, Lewis-Clark Pos t No. 13, American Le gion .. 109 

Irvin, William E., president, Idah o Fir st National Bank, Boise_________ 117

in
IV CONTENTS

Ivie, Claude, chairman, Parks Commission, Kamiah Chamber of Commerce_____________________________________________________ 89

Jewett, George F., Jr., administrative vice president, Potlatch Forests,

Inc ________________________________________________________ 69

Jones, Kent, president, Asotin, Wash., chamber of commerce------------------- 101

Jordan, Hon. Len B., a U.S. Senator from the State of Idaho---------------10, 27

Josiah Red Wolf, Lapwai, Idaho---------------------------------------------------- 119

Kale, Harry E., D.O., Idaho County Wildlife Association-------------------- HO

Kiepe, P aul----------------- ----------------- _--------------------------------------- 94

Klein, George M., mayor city of Grangeville, Idaho--------------------------- 81

Large, Ben, White Bird, Idaho----------------------------------------------------- 122

Larrabee, Robert, president, Clarkston Chamber of Commerce------------- 80

Lee, Donald R ________________________________________________ 123

Lorenz, E. V., president, Lewiston Port Commission-------------------------- 82

Lynch, Harold C., president, Center Star Gold Mine, Elk City, Idaho----- 117

Mager, Mrs. Marian A-------------------------------------------------------------- 121

Martin, Dr. Boyd A., dean of the College of Letters and Science, University of Idaho________________________________________________ 71

Martin, J. L., secretary, Grangeville Lions Club, Inc-------------------------- 108

Mathes, Ellis, State highway engineer, Idaho Department of H ighw ays.. 40

Maxwell, Gertrude, Elk City, Idaho---------------------------------------------- 123

McGinnis, Roger B., executive vice president, Greater Boise, Idaho, Chamber of Commerce____________________________________________ 47

McGregor, Mrs. Kirk, representing the Nez Perce County Conservatives. _ 98

Mitchell, William T., mayor, city of Pullman, Wash_________________ 107

Moore, Hon. Carl C., State senator from Nez Perce County, Idaho---------- 83, 98

Mulcahy, Daniel E., Orogrande, Id aho------------------------------------------- 123

Nelson, Albin V., chairman, Nez Perce County Conservatives--------------- 100

Nickell, Ted, president, Grangeville, Idaho, Education Association-------- 63

Nickens, John F., first vice president, Kooskia Lions Club------------------- 111

Nickens, John F., president of the council, city of Kooskia, Idah o----------- 91

Nitz, Don, Elk City, Idaho______________________________________ 123

Nitz, Mrs. Wayne, Elk City, Idaho----------------------- -------- ----- --------- 123

Olmstead, John L., copublisher, Idaho County Free Press------------ ------- 115

O’Malley, Father Michael, representing the Catholic Mission at Slickpoo,

Idaho_____________________________________________________ 74

Patterson, Cleo H., president, Salmon River Chamber of Commerce------- 113

Peterson, David, Nez Perce Executive Tribal Committee--------------------- 120

Pfeifer, John M., Culdesac, Idaho--------------------------------------------------- 121

Ralstin, Bert, past regional director, National Council of State Garden

Clubs_______________________________________________________ 102

Reavis, Gertrude H., president, Pullman, Wash., Chamber of C ommerce.. 112

Reuter, Herman W., pr< sident, Idaho County Historical Society, Inc------- 86

Riley, Marvin, president, Orofino Chamber of Commerce-------------------- 89

ltobie, Mamie C., White Bird, Idaho---------------------- ------------ --------- 122

Robinson, Harry, White Bird, Idaho--------------------------------------------- 122

Rolland, Dr. Siegfried B., professor of history, University of Id aho.......... 72

Schlottman, Kraig, president, Grangeville, Idaho, Chamber of Commerce. 112 

Shadduck, Louise, executive secretary, Idaho Department of Commerce

and Development____________________________________________ 36

Shearer, G. D., president, Shearer Lumber Products, Inc-------------------- 118

Sims, Dr. Wayne H., president, Lewis-Clark Normal School...................... 54

Smith, Andrew L., superintendent of schools, Lewiston, Idaho-------------- 91

Smylie, Hon. Robert E., Governor, State of Idaho------------- --------------- 30

Soderburg, Jerry, master, Charity Grange No. 294, Grangeville, Idaho— 111

Space, Ralph S., president, Clearwater Historical Society-------------------- 46

Stra tton , Clark, director, National Park Service-------------------------------- 12

Sullivan, Frank, president, Lewiston Chamber of Commerce---------------- 87

Swanson, Dr. Earl H., director of the museum and professor of anthropology, Idaho State University---------------------------------------- - ------- 52

Swanson, Floyd I., executive vice president, Bank of Central Idaho, Grangeville_______________________________________________________ H6

Swanson, Flovd I., president, Kiwanis Club of Grangeville------------------ 111

Swinney, H. J., dir ctor, Idaho Historical Society------------------------------ 86

Tavlcr, Eugene, representing the Pioneer Society of Latah County, Idaho. 86 

Theophilus, Dr. D. R., president, University of Id ah o. .------ --------------- 73
CONTENTS V

Page

Tilden, Sam__________________________________________________ 84

Tyler, E. R., mayor, Asotin, Wash_________________________________ 96

Uhlenkott, Vincent, mayor, city of Clarkston, Wash___________________ 106

Ware, Marcus J., president, Luna House Historical Society___________ 84

Warren, Claude N., assistant professor of anthropology, Idaho State

University______________________________________,___________ 60

White, Hon. Compton I., Jr., a U.S. Representative in Congress from the

State of Idaho_______________________________________________ 11, 64

Williams, G. Harg, mayor, city of Lewiston, Idah o__________________ 93

Williams, R. D., chairman, Board of County Commissioners, Idaho

County, Idaho______________________________________________ 106

Wilson, Angus A., chairman, Nez Perce Tribal Executive Committee___ 68

Wilson, Joe, White Bird, Idaho___________________________________ 122

Woods, Nellie B., secretary, Spalding Museum Foundation____________ 88

Woodworth, John R., director, Idaho Fish and Game Departm ent______ 44

COMMUNICATIONS

Armour, Mrs. T. W.: Letter to the Interior and Insular Affairs Committee,

dated October 9, 1964________________________________________ 110

Cenarrusa, Hon. Pete, speaker of the House of Representatives, State of 

Idaho: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommitte, dated October 7, 1964___________________________________ 34

Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman,

Public Lands Subcommittee, dated October 3, 1964________________ 113

Dee, Hon. William J., former State senator from Idaho County, Idaho:

Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, dated 

October 2, 1964........................................................— .............................. 45

Harding, Hon. Ralph, a U.S. Representative in Congress from the State

of Idaho: telegram to Hon. Frank Church dated October 9, 1964-------- 34

Jackson, Hon. Henry M., a U.S. Senator from the State of Washington:

Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, 

dated October 6, 1964_________________________________________ 29

Kelley, Rev. G. Eldred, and Hovey, Rev. E. Paul, the Synod of Idaho:

Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, 

dated October 15, 1964_______________________________________ 110

Moore, Albert: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, dated November 3, 1964------------------------------------------- 121

Randall, Willetta H., regent, Alice Whitman Chapter, DAR: Letter to 

Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, dated October 

7, 1964_____________________________________________________ 111

Smylie, Hon. Robert E., Governor, State of Idaho: Letter to Hon. Alan

Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, dated August 12, 1964__ 10

Snow, Hon. Harold, State representative, Latah County, Idaho: Letter

to Hon. Len B. Jordan, U.S. Senate, dated October 8, 1964---------------- 105

Trustees of White Bird Council: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman,

Public Lands Subcommittee, dated October 9, 1964------------------------ 95

Uhlom, Cletus A., secretary, Historical Parks Committee, Cottonwood

Chamber of Commerce: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, U.S. Senate-------- 113

Williams, R. D., chairman, board of county commissioners, Grangeville,

Idaho: Letter to Hon. Alan Bible, chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee, dated September 30, 1964_______________________________ 105

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

“Exciting Possibilities Found in Park Proposal by Senator Bible,” from the

Lewiston, Idaho, Tribune, October 9, 1964_______________________ 123

Resolutions:

Grangeville, Idaho, Chamber of Commerce-------------------------------- 114

National Council of State Garden Clubs, Inc__________________ 103

North Idaho Chamber of Commerce__________________________ 51

Spokane, Wash., Chamber of Commerce_______________________ 113

“Secretary Udall maps long-range plan for all three types of National Park

Areas,” news release, Department of the Inte rior__________________ 127

NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, 1964

U.S. S en a te,

S ubc om mit te e on P ub li c L ands of t h e

C om m it te e on I nt er io r an d I ns ul ar A ffa ir s,

Washington, D.G.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in room 3110, 

New Senate Office Building, Senator Alan Bible presiding.

Present: Senators Bible, Allott, Jordan of Idaho, and Simpson. 

Also present: Jerry T. Verkler, staff director, and Roy M. W hitacre, professional staff' member.

Senator Bible. The hearing will come to order.

The bill before us, S. 2326, to authorize the Secretary of the In terior 

to designate the Nez Perce National Historical Park in the State of 

Idaho, and for other purposes, was introduced by Senator Church 

for himself and Senator Jordan, both of Idaho. The report of the 

Department of the Interior recommends enactment of this bill with 

suggested amendments, and the Department of Agriculture favors the 

general purposes of this bill. It is to iron out these differences that 

we are hearing witnesses here today. At a later time I propose to 

hold a field hearing, at which time we may hear local interested 

citizens.

The bill and the reports of the Department of the Inte rior , the 

Department of Agriculture, and the Bureau of the Budget will be 

printed at this point.

(The bill and reports fo llow:)

[S. 2326, 88th Cong., 1s t sess.]

A BI LL To au thorize the Se cretary of the In te rior to desig nate the Nez Pe rce Na tio na l 

Histo rica l Par k in the St at e of Idaho, an d for other pur poses

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States

of America in Congress assembled, T hat it is the purpose of this Act to facilitate 

protection and provide interpretation of sites in the Nez Perce country of Idaho 

tha t have exceptional value in commemorating the history of the Nation.

Sec. 2. To implement th is purpose the Secretary of the Interior may designate 

as the Nez Perce National Historical Park various component sites in Federal 

and non-Federal ownership relating to the early Nez Perce culture, the Lewis 

and Clark Expedition through the area, the fur trade, missionaries, gold mining, 

and logging, the Nez Perce War of 1877, and such other sites as he finds will 

depict the role of the Nez Perce country in the westward expansion of the 

Nation.

Sec. 3. The Secretary of the Interior may acquire by donation or with donated 

funds such lands, or interests therein, and other property which in his judgment 

will further the purpose of this Act and he may purchase with appropriated 

funds not to exceed one thousand and five hundred acres of land, or interests 

therein, required for the administration of the Nez Perce National Historical 

Park. The Nez Perce Tribe’s governing body, if it so desires, with the approval 

of the Secretary of the Interior, is authorized to sell, donate, or exchange triba l 

owned lands held in tru st needed to further the purpose of this Act.

1
2 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Sec. 4. (a) Indian trus t lands and sites in Feder al ownership under the 

adm inistrative jurisdicti on of oth er Government agencies, not to exceed one 

thousand and five hundred acres overall, may be designated by the Secretary 

of the Inter ior for inclusion in the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk with the 

conc urrence of the beneficial owner or agency having adminis trative responsibility therefor, but such desig natio n shall effect no tra ns fer of administrative 

control unless the adm inistering agency consents thereto, except th at the Secreta ry of the Inter ior shall be responsible for interp reting the historical significance of the site and providing such services to the public.

(b) The Secretary of the Interio r may enter into cooperative agreements with 

the owners of property which under the provisions o f this Act may be des ignated 

for inclusion in Nez Perce National Historical Park as site s in non-Federal 

ownership, and he may ass ist in the preservation, renew al, and interp retation 

of the properties, provided the cooperative agreements shall contain, but not be 

limited to, provisions t h a t: (1) the Secretary has right of access at all reasonable 

times to all public portions of the prop erty fo r the purpose of conducting visitors 

thro ugh the prop erty and interp reting it to the public, and (2) no changes or 

alt era tio ns shall be made in the properties, including build ings and grounds, 

withou t th e written consent of the Secretary.

Sec. 5. When th e Secretary of the Interio r determines th at he ha s acquired title 

to, or intere st in, sufficient properties or determines th at he has entered into 

appro priate cooperative agreements with owners of non-Federal properties, or 

any combination thereof including the designation of sites alread y in Feder al 

ownership, he shall by publication in the Federal Reg ister esta blish the Nez 

Perc e National Historical Park and there aft er adm inister the Fed eral property 

under his adm inistrative jurisdiction in accordance with the Act of August 25, 

1916 (39 Stat. 535 ; 16 U.S.C. 1 et seq.), as amended and supplemented.

Sec. 6. (a) In order to carry out the purposes of this Act the Secretary of 

the Interio r may con tract and make cooperative agre ements with the Sta te of 

Idaho, its political subdivisions or agencies, corporations, associations, or individuals, to protect, preserve, mainta in, or operate any site, object, or property 

includ ed with in the Nez Perce National Historical Park, regardless a s to whethe r 

title thereto is in the United States: Provided, Th at no con tract or cooperativ e agreeme nt shall be made or ente red into which will obligate the general fund 

of the Treas ury unless or* un til Congress has app rop riated money for such 

purpose.

(b) To f acilitat e the interp retation of the Nez Perce country the Secretary is 

authorized to erect and mainta in tablets or markers in accordance with the provisions contained in the Act approved August 21, 1935, e ntitled “An Act to provide for the preservation of historic American sites, buildings, objects, and 

antiquities of national significance, and for other purposes” (49 Stat. 666).

Sec. 7. There are auth oriz ed to be app ropriated such sums as may be necessar y to carry out this Act.

U.S. Department of the I nterior,

Office of the Secretary,

Washington, D.C., May 21,196$. Hon. Henry M. J ackson,

Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs,

U.S. Senate,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator J ackson : Your committee has requested a report on S. 2326, a

bill “To authorize the Secreta ry of the Interior to designate the Nez Perc e 

National Historical Park in the Sta te of Idaho, and for other purposes.”

We recommend the enactment of the bill with the amendments suggested 

here in.

The purpose of the bill is to preserve, commemorate, and int erp ret the h istory 

and cul tur e of the Nez Perce Ind ian country of northern Idaho. To implement 

this purpose, the Secretary of the Inter ior may designate as the Nez Perce 

National Historical Park various component sites in Feder al and non-Federal 

own ership relatin g to the early Nez Perce culture, the Lewis and Clark Expedition thro ugh the area, the fur trad e, missionaries, gold mining, logging, the 

Nez Perc e Wa r of 1877, and other sites th at depic t the role of the Nez Perce 

cou ntry in the history and westw ard expansion of our Nation. The are a contai nin g these sites has an average north-south distanc e of about 60 miles, and
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 3

an average east-west d istance of about 110 miles which is n early the entire width 

of northern Idaho.

In order th at the Secretary of the Interio r may acquire sites th at are in nonFederal ownership, section 3 of the bill authorizes him to acquire lands and 

intere sts therein by donation or with donated funds, and to purc hase, with 

app rop riated funds, not more tha n 1,500 acres of lands and intere sts in land. 

In addition, the Nez Perce Tribe is authorized, with the Secre tary’s approval, to 

sell, donate, or exchange tribal-owned lands held in t rust.

Under section 4 of the bill, the Secretary may designate for inclusion in the 

historical park Indian trus t lands, with the concurrence of the beneficial owner, 

and sites on Fed eral lands adm inistered by oth er governmental agencies, with 

the adm inistering agency’s consent, which together may not exceed 1,500 acres. 

The bill provides th at the designation of such lands will not effect a tra ns fer of 

adminis trative control withou t the adm inistering agency’s consent, except th at 

the Secretary will be responsible for interp reting the historical significance of 

the land an d providing such services to th e public.

With respect to the sites in non-Federal ownership, the Secretary is also 

auth oriz ed to make cooperative agreements with the owners of the property. The 

agre ements are requ ired to contain provisions th at : (1) gra nt to the Secretary 

a right of access to public portions of the prop erty in orde r to interp ret it and 

conduct visitors thro ugh it ; and (2) preclude changes or alt era tio ns in the 

prop erty witho ut the written consent of the Secretary . The Secreta ry may 

assis t in the preserv ation, renewal, and interp retation of the properties subject, 

to the cooperative agreements. To fac ilitat e the ir inte rpretations, the Secretary 

may erect and ma intain tab lets or markers in accordance with the provisions of 

the Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935 (49 Stat. 666; 16 U.S.C. 461 et seq.).

Section 6 provides that cooperative agre ements and con trac ts may be entered 

into with the Sta te of Idaho, its political subdivisions or agencies, corporations, 

associations, or individuals, to protect, preserve, mainta in, or operate any site, 

object, or property included in the historical park, but such agre ements and 

con trac ts shall not obligate the general f und of the Treas ury unless Congress has 

app rop riated money for such purpose.

The Secretary will esta blish the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk by publication of notice in the Fed eral Register when he determines that he has eith er 

acquired sufficient properties or ente red into approp riate cooperative agreements, 

or any combination of the two. Pro perties und er his administrative jur isd iction will be administered in accordance with the act of A ugust 25, 1916 (39 Stat. 

535; 16 U.S.C. 1 et se q.) , as amended and supplemented.

At its 49th meeting in the Big Bend National Par k. Tex., November 4-6, 1963, 

the Advisory Board on National Parks, His toric Sites, Buildings, and Monuments considered the Nez Perce proposal and endorsed in principle “this imaginative new concept of historic preservation.” The Board fu rth er asserte d that 

“the historic and scenic value s of this region merit preservation and th at the 

cooperative efforts required to implement thi s proposal should be initiated 

prom ptly.”

The Nez Perce coun try has a rich and varied history covering a long span 

of time. Archeological evidence shows that man has inhabite d this country for 

at lea st 10.000 years. Wh ether the Nez Perce Tribe, which belongs to the 

Sah aptin family, evolved from these first inhabitants or migrated to the area 

at a much later time is not yet known. Even though great stretches of this 

country remain prim itive today, the Americans’ atte ntion came early to this 

place. Lewis and Clark, in 1805, followed the Lolo T rail which to this day has 

retained much of the same character and appearance as when they used it. In 

the wake of the Lewis and Clark Expedition came the fur trappers and tra ders, 

who for 30 yea rs harvested the abu nda nt crop of furs in the region. Contact 

■with the Nez Perce Ind ian s led to the founding of the Henry Spalding Mission 

in 1836 as a means of bringing white man’s culture and religion to the Indian.

The coming of the white settler and the discovery of gold in the Nez Perce 

region led to fric tion between the whites and the Indians, which erupted into 

wa r in 1877. Whitebird Canyon marks the initial engagement of what became 

a rem arkable Ind ian campaign. With only 300 warrio rs, the Nez Perc e defeated the troops at Whitebird Canyon, foug ht the Battle of Cle arw ater River, 

defeate d Gen. Joh n Gibbon at the Battle of the Big Hole, and marched 2,000 

miles through enemy t erritory before being captured.

Under S. 2326, a serie s of historic sites throughout the Nez Perce country 

will be established to illus tra te nearly every phase of the history and culture
4 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

of this region. Our stud ies reve al th at 22 such site s qua lify for inclusion in 

the complex of the Nez I’erce National Historical Park. Although several of 

these sites commemorate two or more aspects of the history and culture of the 

Nez Perc e country, they can he grouped in a general way as follow s:

1. Spaldinff area.—Includes the rema ins of the Henry Spalding Mission of 

1S3G, and Spalding’s grave, and the original Nez Perce Ind ian Agency.

2. East Kamiah area.—A cen tral are a in Nez Perce religion and mythology, 

and site of an ea rly mission.

3. Whitebir d Battlefie ld area.—Scene of the opening engagement of the Nez 

Perce Wa r of 1S77 in which Fed eral troops were ambushed and suffered heavy 

losses.

4. Tiro sites.—Coyote’s Fis hnet and Ant and Yellow Jac ket, which are related intim ately with Nez Perce religion and mythology.

5. Four sites.—Fort Lapwai, sites of Cottonwood Skirm ishes, Camas Pra irie, 

and Clearwa ter Battlefield, which rela te to the Nez Perce War of 1877.

6. Three sites.— St. Joseph’s Mission, First Pre sbyterian Church (In dian ), 

Ea st Kamiah, and Asa Smith Mission—related to missionary activities among 

the Nez Perce.

7. Five sites.— Lolo Tra il, Lolo Pass, Long Camp, Weippe Prairie, and Canoe 

Camp—related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

8. Four sites.— Northern Idah o Indian Agency, Craig Donation Land Claim, 

Pierce, and Log Drive—a re rela ted to activities of the w’hite man in the region.

9. Weis lloekshelter.—A significant archeological site.

Developments by this Department will be wa rranted at seve ral of the above 

sites. These will include inte rpretive centers, a visitor center and adminis tration building, restora tion of historic buildings, and grounds improvement. The 

cost of these and rela ted developments is estimated at $1,287,000. Additionally, 

the estimated cost of providing signs, markers, and exhibits at the other site s 

is $50,000.

Approximately 1,200 acres of land will be acquired in fee to adm inister 

and develop these sites by this Department. Our stud ies revea l that an add itional 5.100 acres in scenic easements should be acquired to assure t ha t unsightly 

developments on the periphery of designated sites will not occur and destroy 

the inte grity of the historic scene, which the bill is designed to preserve. We 

estimate the cost of the land to be $258,100. and of scenic easem ents to be $82,500.

Annual operatin g costs are expected to be approximately $50,000 in the first 

year following authorization, and they will probably increase to about $100,000 

by the fifth year.

We recommend that S. 2326 be amended a s fo llows:

1. On page 2, lines 10 and 11, delete the words “not to exceed one thousand 

and five hundred acres of” ; and on line 12, change the period to a colon and 

ins ert there aft er the following pro vis o: “Provided, Th at he may purchase no 

more than one thousand five hundred acres in fee, and no more than five thousand 

one hundred acres in scenic easements”.

Our studies reveal that where significant sites are located in especially open 

terrain or are ad jacent to w'ell-traveled, but yet undeveloped roadsides, acquisition 

of the minimum historic land itse lf will not be sufficient to carry out the stated 

purpose of the bill. In orde r to assure p reservation of the existing scene, and to 

properly interp ret for the people the several historic area, autho rity is needed 

to acquire scenic easem ents in a total of about 5,100 acres o f land adjac ent to the 

his toric sites. This am endment will provide such a uth ority.

2. On page 2, line 25, change the comma to a period, delete all th at follows 

throug h line 3 on page 3, and su bstitute the following sentence th er ef or :

The Secretary of the Interior may cooperate with the adm inistering agency in 

resear ch into and interp retation of the significance of the site, and in providing 

desirable inte rpretive services and facilitie s and other facilities requ ired for 

public access to and use and enjoyment of the site, and in conservation of, the 

scenic and o ther resources thereof.

This amendment will make it clear th at the Sec retary ’s responsibility for 

interp retation of sites is limited to th e n atio nal h istorica l park under his administrativ e control. At the same time it will authorize him to cooperate with the 

beneficial owner or oth er agencies which retain administrative control over historica l sites in the Nez Perce coun try, so as to fu rth er the purposes of the act.

3. On page 4, line 6, insert the words “the Nez Perce Trib e,’’ after the word 

“associations,”.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 5

This amendment makes it c lear that the bill authorizes the Secretary to enter 

into cooperative agre eme nts with th e Nez I’erce Tribe.

4. On page 4, line 16, the word “ma rke ts” should he “ma rkers ” ; and on line 18 

the word “pres erv ation” should be written as “pre servation ”.

The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there is no objection to the presentation of this report from the standp oint of the adminis tratio n’s program.

Sincerely yours,

J ohn A. Carver, Jr., 

Assistant Secretary of the Interior.

Department of Agriculture, 

Washington, D.G., April 28,19G}.

lion. Henry M. J ackson,

Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate.

Dear Mr. Chairman : Th is is a voluntary report on S. 2326, a bill “To autho rize 

the Secretary of the Interio r to d esignate th e Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk 

in the State of Idaho, and for other purposes.”

This Department favors the general purpose of the bill, which is to facil ita te 

protection and provide interp retation of sites in the Nez Perce country of Idaho 

th at have exceptional value in comm emorating the history of the Nation. We 

recommend its enactment insofar as it affects this Department provided it is 

amended as h ere ina fter recommended.

S. 2326 would authorize the Secretary of the Interior to designate as the Nez 

Perce National Historical I’ark various component sites in th e Nez Perce country 

of Idah o relating to the ear ly Nez Perce culture, the Lewis and Clark Exp idition 

through the area, the fur trade, missionaries, gold mining, and logging, the Nez 

Perce War of 1877, and other sites relating to the westward expansion of the 

Nation. Not to exceed 1,500 acres of Indian trus t land s and sites in Fed era l 

ownership und er other agency jurisdicti on could be designated by the Secreta ry 

of the Interior for inclusion in the park with the concurrence of the beneficial 

owner or the agency having a dm inistrative control. Such desig natio n would not 

effect tra ns fer of j urisdiction unless the adm inistering agency consented there to. 

It would, however, app ear to place respo nsibility for interp reting the historical 

significance of the site and providing such service to the public in the Secretary 

of the Interior.

The bill would authorize the Secretary of the Inter ior to acquire by donation 

or with donated funds such land s or inte rests in lands as will fu rthe r the purpose 

of the act and would authorize purc hase with appropriated funds of up to 1,500 

acres fo r adm inistrative sit e purposes.

S. 2326 would authorize the Secreta ry of the Interio r to enter into cooperative 

agreements with owners of non-Federal property and with the Sta te of Idaho. 

It would also direct him to administer Federal prop erty under his administrative 

jurisdicti on in accord ance with the National Park Act of August 25, 1016.

Many historica l land marks which would be within the scope and purpose of this 

bill are located on national fore st lands. A long stre tch of the Lewis and Clark 

Trail traver ses th e Cle arw ater National Forest and the For est Service has identified and provided public information on many points of intere st on it. Many 

colorful cha pters of early gold mining and logging took place on lands th at are 

now within the national fore st. Consequently, establishment of the park and the 

designation of some of these component sites would need to be coordinated with 

the development, management, and protection of the national forest involved, 

as would also the planning of access, public service improvements, and interpretive facilities.

The concept of esta blishment and adm inistration of the Nez Perc e National 

Historical Park is different from that of present national parks. As we und erstand the bill, the proposed park would consist of a cen tral info rma tion and 

adm inistrative fac ility which would serve to collect, analyze, and disseminate 

information on the various sites of historical inte rest, and to dire ct the public to 

them. This would be admin istered by the Department of the Inter ior which also 

would contribute s kills and leadership in historical research and, in cooperation 

with concerned Federal, State, and local agencies and intere sted people, pla n the 

scope and components of th e park.

The various designated historical sites, however, would rem ain in t he ir curre nt 

ownership or, as to Fed era l lands, und er curre nt administration unless the owners choose to convey the land or the Federal agency concurred in tran sfer of 

jurisdiction.
6 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

The park, therefore, would facil ita te protection of and provide accu rate, detaile d public information on the various historic sites within the area through 

-cooperative agreements and und erstandings among a number of State, Federal, 

and private agencies and landowners. This Departm ent would be glad to join 

in this endeavor.

The language of section 4( a) of the bill shows clear intent th at the designation 

of site s within the national forests would not effect a tra ns fer of adm inistrative 

control unless the adm inistering agency consents there to. The exception in 

section 4(a ), however, would direct the Secretary of the Inter ior to assume the 

functions of inte rpreting the historical significance of the site and providing 

inter preta tiv e services to the public regardless of whether a dm inistrative control 

had been transf err ed to the Department of the Interior. Since the principal use 

of a designated site would, in most instances, be the preservation and int erp ret ation of its historical and scenic f eatures, adm inistratio n of these function s would, 

to all inte nts and purposes, mean adm inistration of the land.

This Departm ent, therefore, recommends that the exception in section 4( a) of 

the bill be replaced with language that will spell out more clearly the concept of 

cooperatio n by the Departm ent of the Inter ior with the adm inistering agency in 

studying the historical values and in providing such information to the public, 

including the provision of public accommodations and interp retive facilitie s and 

services. Such amendment would perm it the For est Service and the National 

Pa rk Service to coordinate programs involving sites on n atio nal fore st lands and 

to apply to them the knowledge, competency, and resources of both agencies. 

At the same time there would be no question but that the adm inistrative jurisdiction of sites in the national forests would remain with the Secreta ry of Agriculture . We, therefore, recommend th at the bill be amended as follow s:

Page 2, line 25, and page 3, lines 1-3 :

Substitute a period for the comma in line 25. Strike the remaind er of section 

4(a ), and sub stitute the following for the stric ken langua ge: “The Secretary of 

the Interio r may cooperate with the adm inistering agency in researc h into and 

interp ret ati on of the significance of the site and in providing desirable interpretive services and facilities and other facilities required for public access to and 

use and enjoyment of the site, and in conservation of the scenic and other resources thereof.”

The Bureau of the Budget advises th at there is no objection to the presentation o f this repo rt from the sta ndpoint of the administration’s program.

Sincerely yours,

Orville L. Freeman.

Executive Office of the P resident,

Bureau of the Budget, 

Washington, D.C., May 15, 196Jf.

Hon. Henry M. J ackson,

Chairman, Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate, New Senate

Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Chairman : This is in response to your request for the views of the 

Burea u of the Budget on S. 2326, a bill to authorize the S ecre tary of the Interior 

to designate the Nez Perc e Nation al Historical Pa rk in the Sta te of Idaho, and 

for oth er purposes.

The report which the Secreta ry of the Inter ior is submitting recou nts the historical significance of the are a proposed for addition to the national park system and recommends enactment of the bill with cer tain suggested amendm ents.

The Burea u of the Budget would have no objection to the enactment of S. 

232G, amended a s suggested by the Secreta ry of the In terior.

Sincerely yours,

P hil lip S. Hughes,

Assistant Director for Legislative Reference.

Senator Bible. Senator Church, we will be very happy to hear from 

you.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 7

STATEMENT OE HON. FRAN K CHURCH, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE 

STATE OF IDAHO

Senator Church. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Let me say, first of all, how much I appreciate the arrangement that 

the chairman has made to conduct this hearing today as the initial 

phase of the effort we shall make in the months to come to secure the 

enactment of this bill.

I am hopeful tha t hearings can be held in the locality concerned 

sometime d uring the fall so tha t the committee may have an opportunity to actually see the ground to which this bill relates.

This morning, Mr. Chairman, I have a joint statement to make on 

behalf of this bill, which I offer in my own name and in that of the 

chairman of the full committee, Senator Jackson, of Washington.

Destiny literally “zeroed in” on the Nez Perce country of north-central Idaho. In the area roughly bounded by the Clearwater and 

Salmon Rivers, the explorers, Lewis and Clark, received the final impetus to complete their historic trek to the Pacific in 1805; the first 

Christian mission in Idaho was established in 1836; gold was discovered in 1860, providing a great forward thru st of population into 

the Pacific Northwest, and here also the dramatic Nez Perce Ind ian 

war broke out in 1877.

This is in contrast to much of the West, where our history is most 

diffuse, and there are few reminders of yesteryear—a monument, a 

restored fort, the weathered rut of a trail, or other memorabilia spread 

so thin as to present no synthesis at all.

The purpose of the proposal to create a Nez Perce National H isto rical P ark is to synthesize these major western historical events by perpetuating their sites in this unusually small geographic area.

As the National Park Service pointed out in its feasibility report, 

the scenic magnificance of the Nez Perce country and the appeal of 

the Nez Perce story in all its aspects—archeology, ethnology, explorers, 

and fur traders, missionaries, gold miners, settlers, soldiers, loggers, 

and India n relations with these newcomers and with the Federal Government, are of outstanding interest.

The journey of the two Virginia captains, Meriwether Lewis and 

William Clark, through the wilderness to the Pacific Ocean and return, 

has been called one of the greatest adventure stories of all time. They 

were dispatched by President Thomas Jefferson, to explore these unknown lands, and their discoveries gave the United States a claim 

to the Oregon country.

When they crossed the snowy ramparts of the Bitterroots and 

reached the Nez Perce country, many members of the expedition were 

ill and starved. They were welcomed by the Nez Perces, fed and 

warmed by more hospitality than they had received from any tribe 

across more than half the continent. Indeed, the handsome and intelligent Nez Perces helped them build dugout canoes and took good care 

of their horses as they were enabled to continue th eir journey to F ort 

Clatsop and the sea.

Lewis and Clark planted the American flag at the mouth of the 

Columbia. Meanwhile, Jefferson had completed the Louisiana Pu rchase, which one historian observed, now “fell into place like a drawbridge across the continental moat.”
8 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Returning in 1806, the explorers spent additional months with the 

Nez Perces, establishing a bond of friendship which would remain 

unbroken for nearly three-quarters of the century.

Drawn by the wealth in beaver pelts, the mountain men followed 

the explorers into the intermountain Northwest, and behind them 

came the missionaries. Marcus Whitman, Henry Harmon Spalding, 

and their wives in 1836 crossed the Continental Divide with a wagon, 

pioneering a road which would become known as the Oregon Trail. 

Whitman built his mission fu rth er west near the lower Snake River, 

but Spalding built his on Lapwai Creek in the Nez Perce country.

Here, the Presbyterian missionary obtained and used the first 

printing press and printed the first books in the Pacific Northwest— 

including a song book and parts of the New Testament in the Nez 

Perce tongue. He taug ht the Nez Perces the principles of irrigation, 

farming, stock raising, and homemaking.

In 1855, a treaty was signed with the Nez Perces which turned their 

homeland into a reservation, but in 1860 gold was discovered on Orofino Creek in the Nez Perce country, and the whites swarmed in. The 

gold became impo rtant to the survival of the Union, but its location 

brought demands for a smaller reservation, and a new treaty was 

accomplished, which not all signed and the tribe became divided into 

treaty and nontreaty Indians. The threatened use of force to place 

the nontreaties on the new reservation erupted in the Nez Perce war of 

1877.

Under the leadership of Joseph, Looking Glass, and other chiefs, 

the Nez Perces consistently outgeneraled and outfought the troops 

thrown against them. After several engagements in the Nez Perce 

country, the tribe conducted a masterly retre at across sections of Montana, southern Idaho, Yellowstone Park and Wyoming. They were 

headed for a rendezvous with Sitting Bull, camped across the Canadian border after the Custer massacre of 1876. The junction was not 

effected, and Joseph surrendered just short of the border at the Little 

Bear’s Paw in north-central Montana.

“From where the sun now stands,” Joseph said, “I shall fight no 

more forever.”

Because of the valiant stand of the Nez Perces—following on the 

heels of the disaster at the L ittle Big Ho rn—the Nation began to take 

a closer look at white and Indian relationships.

Pa rt of the tribe was eventually returned to the Nez Perce country, there to join the Christian group on the reservation.

The nontreaties were reconciled to their fate, but resumed their 

pagan ways. Missionaries, both Protestan t and Catholic, continued 

the ir work; at Kamiah and Spalding are houses where the Presbyterians resided, and a t Slickpoo still stands the church built by Father 

Cataldo.

There are many other physical fragments of this valued historical 

area still extant, but they suffer the continued erosion of time and 

progress, and with each passing year the untended sites become less 

subject to interpretation and preservation.

Along the recently completed Lewis and Clark Highway down 

the westward slope of the Bitterroots, passes the Lolo Trail, a vanishing track along the high ridges, which was once a heavily traveled 

Nez Perce pathway to the buffalo country to the east, and the avenue 

of approach for Lewis and Clark.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 9

At. Kamiah and Ahsahka are the campgrounds of Lewis and C lark; 

at White Bird, Cottonwood and Stites major battlegrounds of the 

Nez Perce War; along the Clearwater, locales of Ind ian legends; 

at Lapwai, the parade ground and three buildings of the old Fort 

Lapwai; near Craig Mountain, the land claim of mountainman Billy 

Craig, and near Cottonwood, the Weis Rockshelter, occupied 7,500 

years ago.

The Park Service feasibility report points out the importance of 

Idaho’s contribution to the Nation’s lumber industry. Large sawmills are found up and down the Clearwater and in almost every town, 

Near Lewiston is the huge Potlatch Forests mill—one of the largest 

sawmills in the world. ()n the North Fork of the Clearwater one of 

the last great log drives is still conducted. But time is running out, 

and a huge dam will soon soothe the waters.

I would like to emphasize here tha t—as the feasibility report eloquently points out—the Nez Perce country still possesses a high degree 

of historical integrity.

Despite extensive fa rming in the uplan ds— 

says the repo rt—

inten sive logging on the mou ntain slopes and canyon walls, and the grow th 

of towns and cities, the overall effect as one driv es thro ugh the form er lands 

of the Nez Perces is the impression, “This is how it was.” The pra iries are 

still open; vast armies of pines and firs still climb the hills ; the grass-covered 

slopes still rise above basalt cliffs; the rivers and stre ams largely run clea r 

and free. The country is so vast, so magnificent, and so lightly settled th at 

the eye tends to glance over such recent developments as roads, railroa ds, mills, 

fences, towns, and spread ing residential sections. This is still, in essence, the 

Nez Perce country.

Inasmuch as these valuable and significant sites are so located and 

so related, it has been proposed through this bill tha t they be preserved under a single responsible jurisdiction, properly identified and 

correlated for public viewing and appreciation. Under such a program, only a small amount of land would be required for administrative use and site preservation.

The proposed legislation which I have introduced, on behalf of 

myself and my colleague, Senator Jordan , and the identical bills 

wliich have been introduced in the House by Congressmen Compton 

I. White and Ralph Harding, would provide a coordinated series of 

historic sites and interpretive facilities, some in Federal, and some 

in non-Federal ownership. It has been suggested tha t these should 

consist of 3 federally owned sites administered by the National Park 

Service and of 19 sites administered by other Federal agencies, by 

State agencies, or owned by private individuals and corporations. 

Through cooperative agreements with the administrators or owners of 

these other 19 sites, the National Park Service would be responsible 

for interpreting the historical significance of these sites and for 

providing interpretive services to the public.

Three main centers, operated by the Park Service, would be located—one each—at the key main visitor entrances to the heartland 

of the Nez Perce country, at Spalding, Kamiah, and White Bird. 

These visitor centers would also orient visitors to the remainder of 

the project. The principal headquarters of the project would be at 

Spalding.
10 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Department of Interior, National Par k, and State of Idaho officials—including the Governor—historians, and other specialists have 

personally visited the area and voiced approval of the project. With 

an unusual display of unanimity, chambers of commerce, civic organizations, and newspapers in the area have wholeheartedly endorsed 

it.

I know I speak for the entire congressional delegation when I say 

we are wholeheartedly for this proposal, which would provide a new 

type of national park, and preserve for the futur e, in a fitting way, 

these valuable and graphic reminders of our people’s westering march.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Senator Church.

As I have indicated earlier, I am hopeful that within the next 2 or 

3 months we will be able to have a field hearing in this area, and we are 

going to do everything we can to accommodate ourselves to that type 

of schedule and at this point in the record, Mr. Reporter, I would 

like to insert a letter tha t I have received from Robert E. 

Smylie, Governor of the State of Idaho, fully endorsing this project, 

and urging us to have a field hearing in the area. I think he indicated 

sometime in October or November. We are certainly going to do 

everything we can to accommodate ourselves to your request, and Senator Jord an’s request and Governor Smylie’s request.

Thank you very much.

Senator Church. I thank the Senator very much.

(The letter referred to follows:)

Sta te of I da ho ,

Boise, August 12,196^. Hon. Alan Bible,

U.S. Senate, Senate Office Building,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Alan : I am pleased to give my enthusiastic endorsement to S. 2326 to 

author ize establish ment of a Nez Perce National Historical Park in Idaho.

This proposal has the supp ort of all agencies of the Sta te of Idaho and particularly of the several agencies which necessarily would be involved in the adm inistrat ion of such a program. I have followed the development of the project 

perso nally with great interest. I believe it to be one of the soundest national 

park proposals ever to be suggested for Idaho.

I understand th at your committee is considering a field hearing on this legislation to be conducted at Lewiston in September or October. I urge you to come 

if it is at all possible, and I assure you that the Sta te of Idaho will be most 

anxious to partici pate in support of this proposal.

Would you be kind enough to forward 25 copies of S. 2326 for distrib ution to 

inte rested persons in the State of Idaho ?

With warm personal rega rds, I am,

Sincerely,

Robert E. Smylie, Governor.

Senator Bible. Senator Jordan, any questions ?

Senator Simpson, any questions?

(Discussion off the record.)

Senator Bible. Than k you very much, Senator Church.

I will now recognize Senator Jordan for his statement.

STATEMENT OF HON. LEN B. JORDAN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE 

STATE OF IDAHO

Senator J ordan. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend my colleague 

for a very fine statement he has made going into the history of this 

wonderful area.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 11

I was privileged to live in the Nez Perce country for 22 years, and 

these rich historical sites in the heritage of this area must be preserved for posterity.

I am aware of the need for doing this because there are very few 

places in the West where we have this combination of g randeur and 

grea t historical background as you will find in the Nez Perce country.

Now, as my colleague pointed out, this does bring before us a new 

concept of national parks. While this area comprises a vast area of 

over 100 miles, yet we do not propose to buy very much of it. What 

we propose to do in this bill is to set up administrative sites at three 

points to accept donations of other historical sites, and to administer 

and to interpret the richness of this area without having to go to the 

tremendous expense and all of the problems involved of dispossessing 

people and taking in vast areas of lands.

We think this area can be preserved for posterity by doing it in 

this manner and will result in the least abrasion on existing industry 

and occupations and homes in the area and still preserve the heritage 

tha t needs to be preserved.

So, I sincerely hope, Mr. Chairman, along with my colleague, that 

we can hold hearings on the ground in the area some time this fall 

and we invite you to come a t your convenience and we would assure 

you that we will get you around over the area and have people there 

who will be enthusiastic in endorsement of the program that we have 

set before this committee.

Senator Bible. I am sure we can arrange to schedule field hearings 

some time either in October or November. That would be my plan.

Thank you very much, Senator Jordan, thank you very much, Senator Church.

Senator Church. Mr. Chairman, Congressman Compton I. White 

has prepared a statement of strong endorsement of support for this 

bill and I should like to know if it would be possible to submit that 

statement for the record at this point.

Senator Bible. It certainly will, and without objection the statement of Congressman White will be made a p art of the record at this 

point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement of Hon. Compton I. White, J r., a U.S. Representative in

Congress From the State of Idaho

Mr. Chairman, I very much appreciate the opportu nity to app ear before the 

Public Lands Subcommittee of the Senate I nterior Committee to p resent my views 

on the importance and prop riety of favorable action on legislation proposing the 

establishme nt of Nez Perce National Pa rk in the Sta te of Idaho. I am the House 

sponsor of a bill identical to S. 2326.

It is with particular pleasure that I note Rep resentativ e Thomas G. Morris, chairman of the National Pa rk Subcommittee of the House Inter ior and Insul ar 

Affairs Committee, will include the testim ony developed here today as a part of 

the official record on my bill, H.R. 9429, pending before h is committee.

Idaho may aptly be called the “last fro nti er.” The historic background of the 

Sta te is an epic sto rj of pioneer adventure, missionary zeal, Indian wars, and the 

advance of civilizatio n. In the north-central are a of the Sta te there is an are a 

well ada pted to the preserva tion of historical sites and the development of the 

cu ltu ral lore of the Nez Perce Indian Tribe and it is this region that is proposed 

for designation as a national park. The Sta te of Idaho has no national park.

It is significant tha t the Advisory B oard of National Par ks, Historic Sites, and 

Monuments has recommended the establishment of the park. A resolution adopted 

by the Board endorsed in principle this imaginative concept of historic preserva39 -8 28 — 65 ----- 2
12 NE Z PERCE NAT IONAL HISTOR ICA L PA RK , IDAH O

tio n, la ud ed th e scen ic va lu es of th e region , and mad e a pl ea fo r de ve loping th e 

his to ri c a nd e du ca tion al v al ue s in here nt in th e prop osed pa rk .

T he to uri sm re so ur ce s of th e a re a ha ve been in ves tigat ed an d do cu men ted by 

A rm our R es ea rc h Fou nd at io n of th e I llin ois In sti tu te of T ec hn olog y. The fo undati on foun d th e prop osed park an ad vis ab le pro je ct fo r a tt ra c ti n g to uri st s.

Su gg es tin g a few m in or am en dm en ts which do no t ch an ge th e ori gin al in te n t 

of th e bill, Jo hn A. C ar ve r, Jr ., A ss is ta nt Sec re ta ry of th e D ep ar tm en t of th e 

In te ri o r, re po rted fa vo ra bl y to th e Hou se Com mitt ee on In te ri o r and In su la r 

A ffai rs on th e b ill w hich I in trod uc ed .

W he n R ep re se nta tive W ay ne N. A sp inal l, ch air m an of th e H ou se Com mitt ee o n 

In te ri o r an d In su la r Affa irs , co nf er re d in Id ah o la st May w ith pr op on en ts of 

th e p ark legislation, he su gg es ted to th em th a t a fe as ib ility re port be co mpiled 

gi vi ng ad ditio nal in fo rm at io n on lo ca tio n, co sts of ac qu is itio n of pro pe rty, and 

th e exi>ense of ad m in is tr ati on. T his in fo rm at io n, he sa id , wo uld be re quir ed fo r 

pr od uc tive hea ri ng s on th e pe nd in g m ea su re . The D ep art m ent of th e In te ri o r 

has re ce nt ly re le as ed su ch a st udy of th e pr oj ec t an d it s fe as ib ility. The re port 

no te s (he ur ge nc y of the plan fo r cre ati n g th e pr op os ed p ark which wo uld co nt ai n 

th e are a th ro ug h which Le wis an d C la rk tr av el ed ov er th e B it te rr o o t M ou nt ai ns 

in th eir t re k to th e Pa cif ic Ocean in 1805.

T he Nez Per ce Tribe of In dia ns has fu nds to be em ploy ed fo r long -ran ge eco ­

no mic im pr ov em en ts and its mem be rs see th e prop os ed Nez Per ce N at io na l P ark 

in Id ah o as a mea ns of ad va nci ng th os e pr og ra m s. The tr ib e is w ill in g to ass is t 

by pu rc has in g la nds and by ag re ei ng to re str ic t th e us e of tr ib al la nd s alon g 

hi gh w ay s. Unles s earl y ac tion is ta ken to pre se rv e iden tifica tion of si te s conne cted w ith th e earl y his to ry of th e section, auth enti c in fo rm at io n ma y no t be 

ob ta in ab le . The de sc en da nts o f th e Nez Per ce a nd of t he earl y pion ee rs, wh o ca n 

m ak e po sitiv e s ta te m ents a re n ot n um er ou s.

The fo re wor d of t h e f easi bil it y r eport on th e e st ab li sh m en t of t he par k, w ri tt en 

by Mr . Al vin M. Jo se ph y, Jr ., bo ar d of ed itor s, Am er ic an H eri ta ge mag az ine, 

st ate s in p a r t:

“Now he re els e in th is co un try, in fa ct, am I aw are of a la rg e region wh ose 

ove ra ll st or y can be in te rp re te d so co m pa ctly in a se tt in g th a t has ch an ge d so 

li tt le under th e ad va nc e of ci vi liza tion . The op en ing of th e new Le wi s an d C la rk 

H ig hw ay ac ro ss th e B it te rr oot M ou nt ai ns now m ak es th e are a ac ce ss ible as it 

has ne ve r been be fo re to la rg e num be rs of v ac at io nin g Am er ic an fa m ilies. W it hout th e kn ow led ge of th e ba ck gr ou nd of th e co un tr y th ro ugh which th ey are 

dr iv in g, aw ar en es s of th e gre at heri ta ge of th is region m ig ht ea sily ev ad e them . 

T h is re por t, w ith its co nc lusio ns, show s th e way to a tr u ly im ag in at iv e in te rp re ­

tive pr og ra m wh ose es ta blish m en t ca nno t but he lp in sp ire A m er ic an s to a gre ate r 

re gard fo r th is beauti fu l po rtio n of th e U ni ted S ta te s an d it s no ble p ast .”

T hank you . Mr. C ha irm an , fo r perm it ti ng me to te st if y.

Serm+or Bible. Our departmental witness is Clark Stratton, Associate Director of the National P ark Service.

STATEMENT OF CLARK STRATTON, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE

NATIONAL PAR K SERV ICE; ACCOMPANIED BY NEWTON EDWARDS, ASSISTANT TO SECRETARY CARVER, AND JOSEPH

CULLEN, HISTORIAN, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

Mr. Stratton. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I am 

Clark Stratton, Associate Director of the National Park Service.

Assistant Secretary John A. Carver asked me to express his sincere 

regrets for not being here this morning because of urgent business outside of Washington and he asked me if I would present a statement 

for him which, Mr. Chairman, in the interests of time, if it is permissible. T would like to file for the record.

Senator Bible. It will be incorporated in full in the record and you 

highlight, just cover it.

I find out when I say h ighlight that the average witness goes ahead 

and reads the whole thing. By highlight I mean just develop the new 

things tha t haven’t already been testified to by both of the Idaho
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 13

Senators, Senator Church and Senator Jordan. Ju st develop new 

points which have not already been touched.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement of Hon. J ohn A. Carver, J r., Assistant Secretary, Department of

the I nterior

Mr. Chairma n and members of the committee, S. 2326, the bill before you today 

would authorize the Secretary of the Interio r to designate the Nez Perce Natio na l Historical Park in the Sta te of Idaho, to commem orate, preserve, and 

int erp ret the rich and varied history of the area significant in the development 

of th e American West.

The Department of the Interior, in its rep ort to your chairman, dated May 21, 

1964, heartily endorsed this legislation and recommended its enac tment, with 

cer tain perfecting amendments. In taking thi s position, the Departme nt followed the recommendations of the Pre sident's Advisory Board on National 

Parks, His toric Sites, Buildings, and Monuments, which had indicated its support of the measure at its meeting in Texas last November.

After review ing the National Pa rk Service’s feasibility repo rt, a copy of 

which has been furnished to the subcommittee, the Advisory Board commended 

the proposal as an “ima ginative new concept of historic preservation.”

The chara cterization of this project as in “im agin ative new concept of historic 

pre servation ” by the National Advisory Board deserves emphasis. I myself 

know the are a very well; I know the richness of its history and the rela tive 

freedom from the encroachment of civilization of the evidences of this history.

I know also quite a bit about wh at it takes to make a national park, after 

almost 4 yea rs of working with th at gre at segment of the Department of the 

Int erior, and with the committees of Congress as they consider park proix>sals.

The magic ingredient of “national” sta tus can economically transf orm an 

area. The American people love their park system, they have confidence in its 

inte grity, and they plan the ir vacations to visit parks, secure in the conviction 

th at whether from the inte rpretive or the scenic standpoint, their confidence 

will be rewarded.

It has been my feeling for a long time th at in the northern pa rt of Idaho, a 

happy combination of circumstanc es challenges us to make a brea kthrough, and 

to come up with “ima ginative new concepts.” What, for example, do we have 

in our park system which really inter prets the history of the development of the 

West, to matc h the fine work in the interp retation of colonization, of the strug gle 

for independence, and of the Civil War?

It is neither necessary nor desirab le th at this tas k of interp retation be ca rried on only und er the management of the National Pa rk Service. With local 

support, agre ements can he entered into with other Fed eral agencies, with 

Indian tribes, with local and Sta te historical associations, and local and Sta te 

governments which will ass ure conformity with concepts of interpretive inte grity , and a unity of concept, for each of the sep ara te sites not planned for Pa rk 

Service acqu isition.

We’ve had magnificent cooperation from all concerned. This imaginative new 

concept is bring ing about a breadth of support almost withou t precedent in park 

proposals.

The Nez Perce Nation al Historical Pa rk would actually involve 22 sep ara te 

site s in the nor thern Idaho “panha ndle” togethe r with cer tain scenic easem ents 

around them —easeme nts to prevent destruction of historic and scenic values 

by signs or incompatible developments.

Only the most significant 3 of the 22 sites would necessarily be in d irect ownership and control of the National Pa rk Service. The rem aining 19 might remain 

in the ownership of the U.S. Forest Service, the Sta te of Idaho, its political subdivisions, the Nez P erce Indian Tribe, or private individuals. However, the bill 

makes possible the utiliza tion of the National Park Service’s proficiency in the 

techniques of interp reting historic, scenic, and other outstandi ng features. This 

interp retive proficiency, gained du ring decades of experience in a ll types of area s, 

will be made available on a cooperative basis to the agencies adm inistering these 

oth er sites.

The historic values involved include the ear ly Nez Perce Ind ian culture, the 

tribe ’s “w ar” of 1877 with U.S. Cavalry troops, the Lewis and Clark Expedition 

thro ugh the area early in the 19th century , subseque nt fur trad ing, gold mining, 

logging, and missionary activity.
14 NEZ PERC E NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

The Idaho are a containing these 22 sites has an average north-south width 

of 60 miles and an average east-west length of 110 miles.

Archeological evidence has established that man has occupied this are a of the 

Pacific Northwest for at leas t 10,000 years. But only af ter the famed Lewis and 

Cla rk Expedition of 1805 did America’s white settlers have any realistic concept 

of the ar ea ’s existence, to say nothing of its impressive scenery and wea lth of 

resources.

Capt. M eriwether Lewis and William Clark found the Nez Perce In dia ns to be a 

handsome, intelligent trib e th at tre ate d the whites with generous hospitality. 

Sho rtly after the explorers’ visit a par ty of overlan d astori ans arrived and established fur trading in the area . Christian missionaries and gold miners followed, 

and each group left its imp rint on the land and its native Indian people.

The 1877 Nez Perc e Wa r resulted from the growing conflict between these 

normally peaceful Ind ians and the whites, whose exploitation of the region’s resources brought increasingly re strictive treaties.

Three Indian youths, bent on avenging a slaying, kille d four white settlers. 

Then they recruited oth er nontreaty Ind ians and launched a series of plundering 

raids. Gen. O. O. Howard, commander of the Dep artm ent of the Columbia, dispatched 2 troops, about 100 men, of the 1st Cavalry under Capt. David Per ry to 

Wh ite Bird Canyon. The Ind ians lay in ambush, and when they opened fire the 

first soldier to fall was a bugler. Reports indicate th at a group of citizen voluntee rs panicked and bolted first. Then Pe rry’s Reg ulars turned and fled in head ­

long retrea t. The Nez Perce wa rriors had scored a smashing victory, killin g 34 

soldiers while only 2 or 3 warrior s were wounded.

Pu rsuit of the Ind ians and oth er skirmish es followed thro ugh the su mmer and 

into the autumn of 1877. In October hostilities came to an end. Many of the 

gre at fighting chiefs had been slain. Other Nez Perce had fled into Canada. 

Only about 1,000 remained on the reservation from which the white man had 

removed choice lands and hunting grounds.

At the site of th at opening battle of the Nez Perce War, White Bird Canyon, 

3 miles northeas t of the town of White Bird in Idaho County, about 1.000 acres 

would be acquired and developed as one of the three prin cipal are as in the Nez 

Perc e National Historical Park. Most of the land is now unimproved and in 

private ownership, utilized for grazing and crops. The National Pa rk Service 

would erect a small interpretive center and a few museum exhibits.

The principal interpretive cen ter for visitors to the historical park would 

be at Spalding, some 80 road miles north of the White Bird site, in Nez Perce 

County at the junction of U.S. Highw ays 12 and 95, and the confluence of 

Lapw ai Creek and the Cle arw ater River.

The Spalding site was observed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. 

Some 33 years late r, the Reverend Henry Spalding established a mission among 

the Nez Perce here, calling the place Lapwai. In the 1860’s and 1870’s it was 

the site of the Nez Perce Indian Agency and today it c ontains the small village 

of Spalding w ith some 200 inhabitants.

About 100 acres, including Spalding Memorial Sta te Park, would be acquired 

here to serve as the main con tact point and administrative headquarte rs. 

Ownership is now in the State, the Nez Perce Tribe and private individuals. 

The trib e maintains a cemetery here, containing the grav es of Henry Spalding 

and his wife, Eliza, who tau ght the Ind ians school subjects and homemaking.

The third area proposed for acqu isition is the eas t Kamiah site, some 58 miles 

southeast of Spalding in Idaho County. This are a has been occupied by the 

Nez Perce since prehistoric times and it contains the “Hea rt of the Monster,” 

a low, stony hill which according to Ind ian mythology was involved in the 

tri be ’s creation.

Here the National Pa rk Service proposes to acquire 60 acres, where a small 

Interp retive center will be constructed. The East Kamiah site acquired properties would also include a small house reputedly occupied in the mid-1800’s by 

Susan and Kate McBeth, devoted and renowned missionaries to the Nez Perce. 

Ownership of this acreage is now in private individuals, the P resbyteria n Church, 

and possibly the Nez Perce T ribe.

The 19 site s proposed for cooperative interp retation, but not for acquisition, 

are as follow s:

Coyote’s Fishne t and Ant and Yellow Jacket, two are as intimately related to 

Nez Perce religion and mythology.

Fo rt Lapwai, Cottonwood, Camas Pra irie , and Cle arw ater Battlefield, four 

area s rela tin g to the Nez Perce W ar of 1877.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 15

,St. Joseph’s Mission, the Fir st Presbyterian Indian Church, East Kamiah, and 

the Asa Smith Mission, three sites significant to missionary activities among 

the Nez Perce.

Lolo Trail, Lolo Pass, Long Camp, Weippe Prairie , and Canoe Camp, five sites 

extending southwestward from the Montana-Idaho border, all of importance 

to the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

The Northern Idaho Indian Agency, Craig Donation Land Claim, Pierce, and 

Log Drive, four sites where evidences of early activities of the white explorers 

and settlers can be discerned and interpreted.

Weis Rockshelter, an archeological site where strata reveal nearly continuous 

human occupancy from about 5500 B.C. to about A.D. 1400.

The amendments proposed by the Department of the Interior are outlined in 

detail in our report to the chairman of this committee.

We believe that the story of the Nez Perce country—as it relates both to the 

Indian s themselves and to the activities of white men here during the 19th century—is one tha t merits telling. This goal can be accomplished, at relatively 

minor expense, by establishing a historical park in compliance with S. 2326. 

Through minimal land acquisition, scenic easements, and cooperative agreements with non-Federal owners—and by erection of interpretive exhibits and 

markers and removal of nonsignificant structures —it will be possible to display 

in northern Idaho an important period in our Nation’s history and heritage.

Essentially, this would be a historical park of great interest. Nonetheless, it 

is also an exciting country of great scenic beauty offering unusual outdoor 

recreational opportunities. The countryside remains much as it was in frontier 

days and many of the old structures still stand.

This proposal has broad support from the area. It is almost unique in having 

no opposition from any source. The Nez Perce Indian Tribe is enthusiastically 

supporting the proposal. It will present and interpret its cultural heritage and 

will offer opportunities for the economic development of the tribe and its members residing in the area.

Thank you.

Senator Simpson. Before Mr. Stratton starts may I ask a question, 

Mr. Chairman?

Senator Bible. Certainly.

Senator Simpson. Spell out to me what is the difference in the way 

of administration of a national p ark and a national historical park.

What is that?

Mr. Stratton. Generally our national parks are based on their 

scenic and scientific background rather than history, and when the 

predominancy of a park is history, then we use the term “historical 

park.”

Senator Simpson. Do you administer th at like you would a national 

monument? How do you administer it, because some of the areas are 

segregated, I note.

Mr. Stratton. Well, actually we have some 13 different categories 

of park areas in the system, and recently, on July 10, the Secretary of 

the Interior approved management’s principles for the three categories of parks—that is, the natu ral parks, the historical parks, and 

the recreation areas—and Senator, I would be very happ y to provide 

you this and the definitions of each if you w’ould like to have it.

Senator Simpson. I would appreciate it.

Mr. Stratton. I would be very happy to do so.

Senator Simpson. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Senator Bible. Certainly. Wlien the repo rt is received, we will 

make it an appendix to this hearing.

(The report referred to begins on p. 127.)

Mr. Stratton. Mr. Chairman, if I may I would like to make, even 

though the statement of Mr. Carver for the Department is also the 

statement for the National Park Service, I would like to mention a 

few highlights in regard to this bill.
16 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

We believe from the legislative and the features involved tha t the 

proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park as an area will contribu te significantly to the National Park System. This area in 

Idah o’s panhandle would be named for the Nez Perce Indians, a tribe 

which has lived there for hundreds of years, and which has played a 

significant role in the American West.

Now, this legislation in a sense is actually a new concept in national 

park areas and this new concept is this:

The Inte rior Department will acquire only three areas, some 100 

acres at Spalding, a thousand acres at the W hite Bird battlefield and 

about GO acres at East Kamiah, each to be developed with visitor center 

and visitor facilities and interpretive program to tell the story of its 

role in history of the Nez Perce country.

At 19 other sites existing ownerships would remain undisturbed, 

but the present administrators and owners, t hat is the Federal, the 

trib al, the institutional, the State, and the private could cooperate 

with the National Park Service in interpreting and displaying these 

historic values to the maximum public benefit, and enjoyment of the 

visitor.

In addition to this small amount of acreage in the three areas, 

the Department of Interior would propose to acquire scenic easements on some 5,100 acres of non-Federal land to prevent erection of 

signs and other unsightly developments which could otherwise detract 

from the scenic and historic panorama.

The backgrounds of most of these 22 sites, and I thin k both Senators Jordan and Church eloquently covered this, but the background 

of these 22 sites would be portraya l of the Indians, their mythology 

and their 1877 war against the white man,

Of explorers including Lewis and Clark who passed throug h on the 

Lolo Trail in 1805,

Of the missionaries who brought Christianity and white man’s customs to the Nez Perce, and to the fur traders and trap pers and the 

miners, the lumbermen, and the settlers who imposed their culture on 

the Northwest.

We in the Park Service believe this is a story well worth telling and 

it can be done by a method that is done in this bill at a minimum of 

expense and difficulty through cooperation with the various owners 

and administrators, and we can focus public attention on the area and 

its historic significance which, in turn , will benefit the Nez Perce 

Indian Tribe, the State of Idaho and the Nation.

Now, I am sorry tha t I am not as intimately familiar with this 

country as John Carver, who could not be here this morning, but I do 

have with me two of the people from the National Park Service who 

are familiar with it, and also a representative of the Indian Service, 

the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and we will be glad to endeavor to 

answer any questions.

Senator Bible. Now, Mr. Stratton, you intend acquiring 1,200 acres, 

is that correct, in fee?

Mr. Stratton. Yes, sir.

The bill actually authorizes some 1,400, but based on our reports to 

date there would be some 1,200 acres which, at the Spaldin g site where 

our main headquarters area would be, we would acquire roughly 100 

acres and at the East Kamiah site-----

Senator Bible. Why don’t you have someone point those out.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 17

Mr. Stratton. I cun point these out to you as I go along. This is 

the Spalding site-----

Senator Simpson. Mr. Chairman, when you point out, if you would 

give it, identify it, so the reporter knows what you are pointing to.

Mr. Stratton. Well, this is near the town of Spalding, Idaho, I 

think would be the best way I can describe it. There would be 100 

acres acquired at that location.

At East Kamiah, which is northwest of the town of Kooskia, is the 

Eas t Kamiah site. There we would acquire 60 acres. Then we move 

down near White Bird, which is 80 miles south of Spalding. Three 

miles north of White Bird is the White Bird battlefield site, and in 

tha t locality we would acquire something like a thousand acres.

Senator Bible. That would be the big acreage then, at the White 

Bird battlefield.

Mr. Stratton. Yes, sir; the White Bird is the large acreage because 

it is a battlefield site which takes in a considerable area.

Incidentally, it is a very scenic area in addition to its historic value.

Senator Bible. And you would acquire those three sites in fee 

simple?

Mr. Stratton. Yes, sir.

Senator Bible. In addition to that, as I understand it, you will acquire how many acres as scenic easements?

Mr. Stratton. A total altogether of 5,100. I do not have the breakdown of the scenic easements between these three sites.

Senator Bible. Will you describe it-----

Mr. Stratton. Yes, 1 do, too. At Spalding there would be 50 acres. 

At east Kamaiah there would be 50 acres, and at the White Bird 

battlefield site would be 5,000 acres.

Senator Bible. How do you acquire 5,000 acres as a scenic easement ? 

Explain the term.

Mr. Stratton. Well, Senator, scenic easement is, of course, a great 

deal less than fee title. It leaves the fee in the possession of the 

owner, but it does provide certain restrictions upon the owner of the 

land. Such things as put up billboard signs, put up types of development tha t would not be in keeping with the battlefield scene would 

be restricted. We use this in some of our historic areas, such as Appomattox, where we are preserving the scene that existed, within 

reason,in 1865.

Senator Bible. I s this in the n ature of a right-of-way easement, or 

does it have a certain width ? How do you describe a scenic easement ?

Mr. Stratton. It is described by metes and bounds and within those 

particular metes and bounds there are certain restrictions where the 

property owner could not do things tha t would be adverse to the 

battlefield scene.

They could graze cattle, they could do a number of other things 

tha t would not—in other words, to go way beyond any reasoning, we 

wouldn’t want high-rise apartmen t buildings built on the land, for 

example.

Senator Bible. Senator Jordan ?

Senator J ordan. If I could interrupt I might call the chairm an’s 

attention to the nature of the terrain.

Most of this acquisition, this scenic easement type of acquisition, is to 

be had, and it is identified by this photo in the folder showing that it
18 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

is a rough grazing-land terrain, not likely to be invaded by farmers 

or city dwellers. It is likely to remain in its present state, which 

is very much like it was at the time when the Indian wars of 1877 

took place. With a little precaution now and arrangements being 

made so tha t it will foreclose any eventualities arising tha t are foreign 

to this picture.

Senator Bible. The Senator from Idah o is pointing to a picture 

tha t is entitled “White Bird Battlefield,” so th at the record will so 

show.

I thank the Senator from Idaho. Tell me about the costs of acquisition.

Mr. Stratton. Senator Bible, as you know, we have not always hit 

our land costs right on the head, and tha t is due to a number of reasons. The best estimate that we have at the time our report was made 

was a total of $340,600. But with the increased costs and, sometimes, 

the time it takes for the bills to go through Congress, for the administration to take over, and so on, we do not always, as.I think you are 

aware, hit it right on the head.

In these preliminary reports we do not actually go in and make 

detailed land appraisals. We have to take the best information that we 

are able to secure at the time, and as far as we are able to ascertain at 

the time this report was made, the land acquisition cost would be 

$340,000.

Senator Bible. Well now, where is title, for example, to the White 

Bird battlefield? Who owns the battlefield now? Is this in private 

ownership?

Mr. Stratton. White Bird, let me see-----

Senator Bible. If you desire any help from your men who accompany you they are free to speak.

Mr. Edwards. I am Newton Edwards, assistant to Assistant Secretary Carver.

There have been some discussions with the private owner of this 

ranch going on and it is my understandimor he has indicated a great 

interest in working to make this land available to the Park Service. 

There have been some discussions of donating a smaller area and (he 

possible purchase of the scenic easement that has been referred to so 

that, we have a good deal of encouragement provided by the local support and many other indications of cooperation.

The particular owner of this land is interested in and willing to 

try to bring it about.

Senator Bible. Well now, tell me about the cost of development? 

Give us a little detail as to what you intend doing a t these three sites. 

As I understand it, you are going to put in visitor centers. What type 

of facility are you goingto have available?

Mr. Stratton. Mr. Chairman, at the Spalding site we visualize a 

combination of visitor center and administration building which -would 

administer the three areas and interpreta tive advice and facilities to 

the other 19 sites within the whole area.

In addition there is the restoration of the bathhouse, there are 

comfort stations, there is a certain amount of improvement facility, 

and also interp retative markers, all this at the Spaldin g site.

At the Eas t Kamiah site there is a much lesser size interpretative 

center with a certain amount of grounds improvement, utilities, comfort stations, that sort of tiling.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 19

At the Wh ite Bird battlefield there would be a similar, except still 

smaller, interpretative center, with the utilities, comfort station, and 

tha t sort of thing along with it.

Actually, the total for the development program, fo r the total roads 

and trails and building utilities, and for the entire development when 

completed we estimate t hat it will cost $1,287,000. That is, of course, 

spread over a several-year period—5-year period to be exact, and the 

yearly cost of operation star ting with the first year will be appro ximately $50,000, and up to $106,000, I believe it is, a t the end of the 

5 years.

Senator Bible. How are these three sites connected ? Are these on 

part of a State highway system ?

Mr. Edwards. Yes, sir, they are all connected by highways.

Senator Bible. You have no responsibility for maintaining the 

highways or improving the highways ?

ATr. E dwards. No, sir.

The roads and trails tha t I mentioned would be the trails and the 

park ing areas and that sort of thing in conjunction with the developments at each of these three sites.

Senator Bible. Within the site area ?

Mr. E dwards. Yes, sir.

Senator Bible. 1 think I understand it. Thank you very much.

Senator Jorda n?

Senator J ordan. I have no questions.

Senator Bible. Senator Simpson?

Senator Simpson. I would like to ask you, on page 4 of your report 

you speak about, the archeological evidence to establish that man has 

occupied this area for at least 10,000 years.

I notice in one of the pictures here, do you have an ancient man out 

there that has been protected and preserved ?

Mr. E dwards. We have one of our historians who is here with us, 

Mr. Joe Cullen.

Senator Bible. Will you identify yourself for the record?

Mr. Cullen. Joseph P . Cullen, historian, National Park Service.

Pardon me, Senator, may I have the question again ?

Senator Simpson. There is an indication here tha t in this area to 

be acquired there is an ancient-man site of some 10,000 years ago. I 

am very interested in that because it may link up to another ancientman site and of the artifac ts which have been discovered and are on 

display at the museum in Cody, Wyo. I am wondering if you are 

trying to preserve t ha t and if you have a man site discovered and do 

you have jurisdiction over it ?

Mr. Cullen. No, sir; we don’t have it in the P ark Service but p rivate archeologists have done some work out there. The research is not 

concluded nor are the results drawn. But it does seem likely at this 

time tha t the two sites may be connected. We don’t know, for example, 

whether these may be Nez Perce or a different race completely. This 

will take furthe r research on the pa rt of both historians and 

archeologists.

Senator Simpson. I want to ask another question.

Are you in controversy with any of these potential sellers out there. 

I notice on page 6 of your repo rt you say ownership of this acreage 

is now in private individuals, the Presbyterian Church, and pcssibly 

the Nez Perce tribe.
20 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Is there any con troversy ove r owner ship th at we are going to be 

involved in here ?

Mr. Stratton. Se nator , to my knowledge t he re is not. As a m atter 

of fac t, in a statem ent th at Se cre tar y Car ve r has prepare d, he says 

this pro posal has broad su pp or t fro m the area. It is almost unique in 

ha ving no opp osition to it, and the Nez Perce I nd ia n tribe, is en thus iast ica lly sup po rti ng the pro posal.

In oth er words, ou t of thi s whole complex of h ist oric sites the G overn ment is p lann ing to ac quire only three sites, a v ery sma ll perce nta ge 

landwise, and is not endeavoring to tak e over the othe r 19 sites th at 

are owned by pr ivate indiv iduals or un de r th e juris dicti on of the 

Fo re st Ser vice and so on.

It ap pa rently is one of the most peaceful dea ls we have ha d in a 

long tim e.«

Se na tor Simp son . I wonde red, because of the evidence of Air. E d ­

wa rds to the fac t you have n’t finalized yo ur n egoti ati on wi th some of 

th e own ers o f th is ; w hat is it ------

Mr. Stratton. Se nator , un til there is le gis lation , an d we ha ve some 

au thor ity , it is a littl e difficult to go in and ge t definite agree me nt, as 

you know.

Se na tor Simp son . Bu t you don’t an tic ipate any difficulty?

Mr. Stratton. Well, we don’t an tic ipate—l et me say th is : We an ­

tic ipate less opposition fro m owners here th an almost any bill we have 

brought b efore this body in a lo ng time.

Se na tor Simp son. Tha t is fine.

Th ere is ju st one more question.

I think you will have to either revise yo ur estim ate up ward or else 

Car ve r’s report, is $50,000 off because in additio n to the $1,267,000 Air. 

Ca rver estimates, the cost o f prov iding s igns , m arke rs, and exh ibi ts at 

othe r sites at $50,000 wou ld make a total outla y of $1,337,000.

Whic h is corr ect?

Mr. Stratton. W ell , I th in k the difference there is $50,000, a nd in 

speakin g of the development I did not inc lud e th is item fo r which I 

apologize, but there is $50,000 t hat we foresee, in or de r to get the full 

coopera tion of thes e owner s of the o the r 19 sites, th at we should do a 

ce rta in amo unt of in terp retativ e sign s an d marke rs th at w ould t ie th e 

whole are a tog eth er. We w ould hope to be abl e to secure th at $50,000 

thro ug h our reg ul ar ap pr op riat ions for this.

Se na tor Simpso n. You mean in this ap pr op riat io n or out of some 

ot he r fu nds?

Air. Stratton. AVell, out of th is one. I mean it wou ld be includ ed 

in th e to tal.

Se na tor Simp son . W hat I am tryi ng to ge t at is it is actua lly 

$1,337,000 total.

Air. Stratton. Yes, si r; and I apologize fo r overlookin g th at .

Se na tor Bible. Furt her q uestions?

Se na tor Jo rd an ?

Se na tor J ordan. No questions.

W ith respec t to this Pr esby teria n churc h, I would say to my colleague , Se na tor Sim pson, th at this s mall churc h is an In di an churc h, 

In dia n p ast or. I do n’t k now w hat the ow nersh ip is, b ut it is a his tor ic 

site. The se Nez Perce In di an s are a ra th er h igh type of people, and 

they hav e th ei r own chu rch the re which is part of it.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 21

Senator Simpson. I appreciate the Senator’s observation on that. 

I am a little discouraged tha t the only report discloses—Senator Jo rdan and Senator Church, I hope you propose to do something about 

it—nothing of the fascinating history of Chief Joseph and the Nez 

Perce. Nothing is said about it at all, and it is the most fascinating 

chapter in Indian warfare in the United States as pointed out this 

morning. I certainly hope tha t here at the situs of his people, tha t 

that history be portrayed because it is just unbelievably fascinating.

Mr. Stratton. I assure you, Senator, that it will.

Senator Bible. Furth er questions ?

Furth er observations ?

Than k you very much, gentlemen. The subcommittee will now 

turn to other business.

(Whereupon the hearing on S. 2326 was recessed subject to the call 

of the chairman.)
»»
NEZ TERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

FRIDAY , OCTOBER 9, 1964

U.S. S enate,

S ub co mmit te e on P ub li c L and s of t h e

Com m it te e of I nt er io r an d I ns ul ar A ff air s,

Lewiston, Idaho.

The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10 a.m., in the Lewis 

and Clark Hotel, Lewiston, Idaho, Senator Alan Bible presiding.

Pres ent: Senators Bible, Church, and Jordan of Idaho.

Congressman Compton White, Idaho.

Also present: Jerry Verkler, staff director, and Roy Whitacre, pro ­

fessional staff member.

Senator Bible. The meeting will come to order.

This is the time tha t has been regularly set and notice had for the 

field hearing on Senate bill 2326, a bill to create a Nez Perce National 

Historical Park. The bill had an earlier hearing in Washington, 

D.C., on Tuesday, August 18 ,1964.

The bill and the departmental reports have already been ordered 

printed in the hearing record.

Let me say first, it is a real pleasure to me to return to Idaho to 

again renew old acquaintances and make new acquaintances.

We had a very wonderful hearing yesterday at Priest Lake. This 

morning we had the opportunity oi flying over part of the area embraced in this proposal. Some of the areas were covered by a little 

ground fog and we couldn’t quite see them as well as we would have 

liked. We did get a good view of the battleground in the White Bird 

area. My philosophy in working out problems of this kind is to go 

out in the area, to see the area both from the air and from the ground, 

to sense the sentiments of the people in the area. I must say I sensed 

considerable enthusiasm for the proposal here on which we are meeting 

today.

We are here to have a hearing in an attempt to work out something 

tha t can be worthwhile to you.

I first would recognize the senior Senator from Idaho, Senator 

Fra nk Church, for any statement or observation he might care to 

make. Senator Church, as you know, and Senator Jordan,, are both 

members of the Senate Inte rior Committee, and that committee is by 

law charged with the responsibility of hearing park proposals.

Senator Church.

23
24 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

STATEMENT OF HON. FRANK CHURCH, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE 

STATE OF IDAHO—Resumed

Senator Church. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Let me, 

first of all, welcome you to Lewiston, and to express our appreciation 

for your coming.

Senator Bible is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Public Lands 

of the Senate Committee on Interior and Insu lar Affairs and, as such, 

is the key man in connection with all proposals for the creation of all 

types of national parks and national monuments, and is one of the 

foremost authorities in the Senate on all public land matters. So we 

are most fortunate to have him. He was with us yesterday at the 

hearing on the shores of Priest Lake on a bill I have introduced to 

preserve Upper Priest Lake. We had a very fine hearing there. We 

are looking forward to an equally fine hearing in Lewiston this 

morning.

Let me say something about the genesis of this proposal for the 

creation of a Nez Perce National Historical Park. It goes back 

many years. Many different people who have been conscious of the 

rich, historical lore of this region of Idaho have had various ideas of 

how this region’s history could be better preserved and better presented to the people of the present and of the future.

Shortly afte r the last legislature, Secretary U dall was in this area 

and these ideas were discussed with him and with Assistant Secretary 

John Carver, Jr. John Carver later came back and, in collaboration 

with Bill Johnston and others here in the Lewiston area, toured the 

region to be incorporated in this park, Mr. Chairman, and helped to 

pull together the proposal in the form that it finally took in the bill 

tha t Senator Jordan and I have introduced in the Senate, which is the 

new concept in national parks, not involving large tracts of land but 

featuring and pinpointing places of special, historical interest.

Mr. Chairman, I spoke about this park on the floor of the Senate 

on September 2,1961, and, in order th at this record might be complete, 

I should like at this point to include the text of those remarks in the 

hearing record.

Senator Bible. Without objection, the remarks given from the floor 

of the Senate at the time the bill was introduced will be made a p art 

of the record.

(The remarks referred to follow :)

Senator F ra nk Chu rc h P resent s I dah o’s Case for th e Nez P erce Nation al Hist or ica l P ark

In the Senate of the United States, Wednesday, September 2,1964

Mr. Church. Mr. President, the National Park Service has increasingly 

become the caretaker not only of innumberable scenic wonders of our vast coun­ try, but also of the physical symbols and landmarks of our shining history.

A bill which my colleague and I have introduced in the Senate would desig­ nate the Park Service to administer a new type of historical park.

Named for the Nez Perce Indians, the Nez Perce National Historical Park 

would be located in north-central Idaho, where this remarkable tribe made and 

makes its home.

The bill was introduced on November 21,1963, and was referred to the Interior 

and Insular Affairs Committee. On August 18, hearings were held in Washington, before the Public Lands Subcommittee and, in October of this year, field hearings will be held in Lewiston, Idaho, under the chairmanship of the distinguished Senator from Nevada [Mr. Bib le ].
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 25

One thing will become quite clea r from these hearings : Destin y lite rally “zeros 

in” on the small are a th at is the Nez Perce country. In thi s area, Lewis and 

Clark, the explorers, received the final impetus to complete their h isto ric trek to 

the Pacific in 1805; the first Christian mission in Idaho was established in 1836; 

gold was discovered in 1860, and provided a gre at for ward th ru st of popu lation into the Pacific Northwest; and here, also, the dra ma tic Nez Perce Ind ian 

wa r broke out, in 1877.

This is in con trast to much of the West, where our history is most diffuse, 

and there are few reminders of yes tery ear—a monument, a restored fort, the 

weathered ru t of a trail, or oth er mem orabilia spread so thin as to present no 

synthesis at all.

The purpose of the proposal to create a Nez Perc e National Historical Pa rk is 

to synthesiz e these major Western historical even ts by peri>etuating the ir sites 

in this unusually small geographic a rea.

As the National Pa rk Service pointed out in its feasibility report, the scenic 

magnificance of the Nez Perce country and the appeal of the Nez Perc e story in 

all its aspe cts—archeology, ethnology, explorers, and fur traders, missionaries , 

gold miners, settlers, soldiers, loggers, and Ind ian rela tion s with those newcomers and with the Fede ral Government—are of outstand ing intere st.

The journey of the two Virginia captain s, Meriwether Lewis and William 

Clark, through the wilderness to the Pacific Ocean, and return , has been called 

one of the gre ate st adventu re stories of all time. They were sent by Pre sident 

Thomas Jefferson to explore these unknown lands, and their discoveries gave 

the United S tates a claim to the Oregon country.

When they crossed the snowy rampa rts of the Bitterr oots, and reached 

the Nez Perc e country, many members of the expedition were ill and half 

starved. They were welcomed by the Nez Perces, and were fed and warm ed by 

more hospitality tha n they had received from any trib e across more than half 

the continent. Indeed, the handsome and inte lligent Nez Perces helped them 

build dugout canoes, and took good care of the ir horses, as they were enabled 

to continue the ir journey to Fo rt Clatsop and the sea.

Lewis and Clark planted the American flag at the mouth of the Columbia. 

Meanwhile, Jefferson had completed the Louisiana Purchase which, one h isto rian 

observed, “fell into place like a draw brid ge across the continental moat.” Returnin g in 1806, the explorers spent add itio nal months with the Nez Perces, 

establishing a bond of friendship which would remain unbroken for nearly 

thr ee- quarters of the century.

Draw n by th e wealth of beaver pelts, the m ountain men followed the explorers 

into the Interm oun tain Northwest, and behind them came the missionaries. 

Marcus Whitman, Henry Harmon Spalding, and their wives, in 1836 crossed the 

Continen tal Divide with a wagon, pioneering a road which would become known 

as the Oregon Tra il. Whitman built his mission farthe r west near the lower 

Snake Riv er ; but Spalding built his on Lapw ai Creek, in the Nez Perce country.

Here, the Pre sby terian missionary obtained and used the first pri nting pr es s; 

and prin ted the first books in the Pacific Northwest—including a songbook and 

parts of the New Testam ent in the Nez Perce tongue. He tau ght the Nez P erce 

the principles of irrigation, farm ing, stockraising, and homemaking.

In 1855, a tre aty was signed with the Nez Perces. It turned their homeland 

into a reservation. But in 1860, gold was discovered on Orofino Creek, in the 

Nez Perce co un try ; and the whites swarmed in. The gold became important 

to the survival of the Un ion ; but its location brou ght demands for a smaller 

reservation. A new’ tre aty w’as accomplished, although not all signed i t ; and 

the tribe became divided into t reaty Ind ian s and non treaty Indians. The th re atened use of force to place the nontreaty Ind ian s on the new reservatio n erup ted 

in the Nez Perce War of 1877.

Under the leadership of Joseph, Looking Glass, and oth er chiefs, the Nez 

Perces consistently outgeneraled and outfought the troops thro wn again st them. 

After several engagements in the Nez Perce country, the trib e conducted a 

masterly re trea t across sections of Montana, southern Idaho, Yellow’stone Par k, 

and Wyoming. They were headed for a rendezvous with Sitting Bull, camped 

across the Canadia n border, after the Custer Massacre of 1876. The junction 

was not effe cted; and Joseph surrendered ju st sho rt of the border, at the Little 

Bear’s Paw, in north -centra l Montana.

Joseph said: “From where the sun nowr

 stands I shall fight no more fore ver.”

Because of the v alient stand of the Nez Perces, on the heels of the disaste r at 

the Little Big Horn, the Nation began to tak e a closer look at white and Indian 

relationships.
26 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Pa rt of the tribe was eventually return ed to the Nez Perce country, there to 

join the Christian group on the reservation. The nontreaty Ind ians were reconciled to the ir fate, but resumed their pagan ways. Missionaries, both Protestan t and Catholic, continued their wor k: at Kamiah and Spalding are houses 

in which the Presbyterians resided, and at Slickpoo still stan ds the church built 

by Fa ther Cataldo.

Many other physical fragments of this valued historical are a are still ex tant; 

but they suffer the continued erosion of time and progress, and with each passing 

year the untended sites become less subject to inte rpretation and preservation.

Along the recently completed Lewis and Clark Highway, down the westward 

slope of the Bitterroots, passes the Lolo Tra il, a vanishing track along the 

high ridges. Once it was a heavily traveled Nez Perce pathway to the buffalo 

country, to the east, and was the avenue of approach for Lewis and Clark.

At Kamiah and Ahsahka are the campgrounds of Lewis and Clark; at White 

Bird, Cottonwood, and Stites are majo r battlegrounds of the Nez Perce war ; 

along the Clearwater are locales of Indian legends; at Lapwai are the parade 

ground and three buildings of the old Fort Lapw ai; near Craig Mountain is 

the land claim of Mountain Man Billy Craig, and near Cottonwood is the Weis 

rockshelter, occupied 7,500 years ago.

The Park Service feasibility repo rt points out the importance of Idaho’s 

contribution to the Nation’s lumber indu stry. Large sawmills are found up and 

down the Clearwater and in almost every town. Near Lewiston is the huge 

Potlatch Forest mill—one of the largest sawmills in the world. On the north 

fork of the Clearwater, one of the last gre at log drives is still conducted. But 

time is running out, and a huge dam will soon soothe the waters.

I emphasize that—as the feasibility repo rt eloquently points out—the Nez 

Perce country still possesses a high degree of histo rical integrity. I read from 

the repo rt:

“Despite extensive farm ing in the uplands, intensive logging on the mountain 

slopes and canyon walls, and the growth of towns and cities, the overall effect 

as one drives through the former lands of the Nez Perces is the impression, ‘This 

is how it was.’ The prairies are still open; vast armies of pines and firs still 

climb the hills; the grass-covered slopes still rise above basalt cliffs; the rivers 

and streams largely run clear and free. The country is so vast, so magnificent, 

and so lightly settled that the eye tends to glance over such recent developments 

as roads, railroads, mills, fences, towns, and spreading r esid ential sections. This 

is still, in essence, the Nez Perce country.”

Inasmuch as these valuable and significant sites are so located and so related , 

it has been proposed, by means of this bill, that they be preserved under a 

single, responsible jurisdiction, properly identified, and correlated for public 

viewing and appreciation. Under such a program, only a small amount of land 

would be required for administrative use and site preservation.

The proposed legislation which I have introduced, on behalf of myself and 

my colleague, like the identical bills which have been introduced in the House 

by Representatives Compton I. White and Ralph Harding, would provide a 

coordinated series of historic sites and inte rpre tive facilities, some in Federal 

ownership and some in non-Federal ownership. It has been suggested that 

these should consist of 3 federally owned sites administered by the National 

Park Service and 19 sites administered by other Federal agencies, by State 

agencies, or owned by private individuals and corporations. Through cooperative agreements with the administrators or owners of these 19 sites, the National 

Park Service would be responsible for interpreting the historical significance of 

these sites and for providing interpretive services to the public.

Thre e main centers, opera ted by the Park Service, would be located—one, 

each—at the key main visitor entrances to the hea rtla nd of the Nez Perce country, nt Spalding, Kamiah, and White Bird. These visitor centers would also 

orient visitors to the remainder of the project. The principal hea dqu arte rs of 

the project would be at Spalding.

Department of the Inte rior, National Par k, and Sta te of Idah o officials, including the Governor, historians, and other specialists, have personally visited 

the area, and have voiced approval of the project. With an unus ual display of 

unanimity , chambers of commerce, civic organizatio ns, and newspapers in the 

area have wholeheartedly endorsed i t

I know I speak for the entire congressional delegation when I say we are 

wholeheartedly in support of this proposal, which would provide a new type 

of natio nal park, and would preserve for the futu re, in a fitting way, these 

valuable and graphic reminders of our people’s westering march.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 27

Senator Church. I think there are a number of people who deserve 

special plaud it. I would like to name a few and terminate my remarks, because I think no proposal has generated a grea ter local 

interest or praisew orthy supp ort in a long time than tins particu lar 

proposal. I thin k first of all we have to recognize the role tha t the 

Lewiston Tribune has played, through its managing editor, Bill Johnston, who has given such a personal interest and so much of his own 

time and talent to this project.

I think also tha t special mention should be given to Mr. and Mrs. 

Allen M. Josepliy of Greenwich, Conn., who, as you know, are connected with the American Heritage magazine, for the work they have 

done in planning and promoting this projec t since the beginning.

I think Je rry Swinney, director of the Idah o Historical Society, 

should come in for special m ention; along with Governor Smylie, our 

first witness today, and Louise Sliadduck, who is here; and others very 

helpful along the way.

Here in the Lewiston area, certainly to be counted, are Ted Little, 

the attorney for the Nez Perces, and Angus Wilson, chairman of the 

Trib al Executive Committee. Ralph Space, the president of the 

Clearwater Historical Society; and Ann Hyke, the treasurer, and 

Beverly Brown, the secretary of the Nez Perce National Histo rical 

Park Association; and the mayor of Grangeville, George Klein.

Senator Carl C. Moore, with William Sacht, the district highway 

engineer; Marcus Ware, county historia n; Mrs. Robert Miller of 

Pullman. Dean Boyd Martin of the University of Ida ho was with us 

last evening.

David Peterson and Ha rry Hughes, well known to every Lewistonian, and many others.

I mention these because it is indicative, Mr. C hairman, of the widespread local support given to the proposal.

Let me conclude by saying that once again all of us from Idaho 

want to welcome you here. We are grateful to you for coming, and we 

hope th at this hearing may be the first formal action moving the proposed Nez Perce Historical Park along the road toward legislative 

authorization in the next session of Congress.

Thank you very much.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Senator Church.

I would next like to call upon Se nator Jo rda n for such remarks and 

observations as he would care to make.

Senator Jordan.

STATEMENT OF HON. LEN JORDAN, A U.S. SENATOR FROM THE 

STATE OF IDAHO— Resumed

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I, too, would like to 

welcome you to Idaho and to this beautiful Lewiston area. I have 

followed you pretty much around over the whole map of the United 

States as you have held committee hearings, as we have had in Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes, out to Oregon to the Oregon Dune?

s proposal; to Utah for the Canyonland; to Kansas for the Prairie National Pa rk; New York for Fire Island; and back now to Idaho, 

where we are going into a new kind of concept in par k development, 

I hope.

39 -82 8— 65- 3
28 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

I want to say for the benefit of our good friends in Idaho that I serve 

on 10 or 11 subcommittees in the Senate of the United States, and this 

Public Lands Subcommittee is as well chaired as any committee, and I 

am happy to serve under the able leadership of our distinguished colleague from Nevada, Senator Bible. I know’ you will appreciate his 

coming here in a busy time of the year, as we all do, to hear what the 

folks on the ground in Idaho have to say about this new proposal.

I am pleased to be a cosponsor of this bill along with my distinguished colleague. I made a speech on the floor of the Senate at 

the time we introduced the bill, and Mr. Chairman, I should also like 

to have that speech included at this point.

Senator Bible. Without objection, th at will be the order and it will 

be incorporated as a part of the record.

(The speech referred to follows:)

Nez Perce National Historical Park, I daho

Mr. J ordan of Idaho. Mr. President, in join ing in the sponsorship of this bill 

setting up the Nez Perce Nation al Historical Pa rk in our Sta te of Idaho, I not 

only am pleased to do so as a Senator from th at Sta te but also from a very personal point of view. I have lived most of my life in the Nez Perce coun try, and 

it gives me a gre at deal of personal pleasure to have a hand in protecting for 

posterity some of the rich historical background of this region. It is wonderful 

country.

Because this is my home country, and I might be inclined to ove rstate the case 

today I have chosen not to put my feelings in my own words, but instead to 

quote Mr. Alvin M. Josephy, Jr., board of editors, American Herita ge magazine. 

Mr. Josephy, who first saw thi s Nez Perce country from an airplane, says t hi s:

“My immediate, gran d impression was of having come on one of the most 

spectacularly rugged and bea utiful pa rts of the United States, but also one 

which—because of the difficult t errain th at limited the building of m ain arteries 

of tra nsporta tio n—was, to Americans from elsewhere in the coun try, one of the 

lea st known sections of the country .”

His impression was quite accurate, in my opinion. Mr. Josephy c ontin ues:

“As I began to read the cha pters of the d ram atic and adventu rous history that 

had occurred in this maje stic area, I was also impressed with how close the 

people of the countryside that extends around Lewiston still are to their frontie r and pioneer heritage—how little the physical look of the land and the features of canyon, prairie, and mountain life gene rally have changed since the 

days of the earlie st white arriva ls. Here one could read of the thr illing inciden ts of the Lewis and Clark journey and see much of the country still looking 

ju st as the explorers described it in their journals. One could follow Washington Irv ing ’s gripping narra tiv es of the Astorians and Bonneville struggling 

thro ugh the mighty Snake chasm, and gaze upon the same scenes, still almost 

untouche d by man. The settings of the accounts of Alexande r Ross, the fur 

tr ad er ; of David Douglas, the gre at Scottish botan ist; of Jededia h Smith, Joe 

Meek, and “Dock” Newell; of the missionaries, Samuel Pa rker and Spalding; 

of soldiers, gold miners, and settlers; of the gre at Chief Joseph and his Nez 

Perce s; and of many other persons who etched Northwest history, all remain 

so unchanged th at the land itse lf brings their glorious epics vividly to life.

“Nowhere else in this country, in fact, am I aware of a larg e region whose 

overall story can be interpreted so compactly in a setting that has so little changed 

under the advance of civilization.”

Mr. President, if our gre at Nez Perce coun try can arou se such feelings in a 

man who is a str anger to that section, you can imagine how we Idahoa ns feel 

about it. We love that coun try, and we are extre mely proud of it also. I feel 

th at basically all Idah oans join today with the two Senators from Idah o in 

backing this bill which, in essence, does two thing s: First, protects and preserves 

the history of the Nez Perce country for po sterity ; second, while at the same 

time commending this section to the res t of the Nation saying, “Come to Idaho 

and see one of ou r great con tributions to the history of our N ation.”
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 29

Senator J ordan. Because we have so many witnesses here and 

tributes paid by Senator Church to many of the local people who 

helped in this effort, I shan’t repeat names or try to enlarge on the list, 

although it was truly a community effort in every respect. I would 

rather we use our time here this morning in listening to the people from 

home who will submit testimony in support of this project.

I should like to say for the record, however, that all my life I have 

lived in the lore and legend of the great Nez Perce people. I grew up 

across the river, over at Wallowa County, educated at the schools of 

Enterprise, Oreg. This was the summer range of Chief Joseph and 

the Nez Perce. This was his winter range and this great area between 

here and Montana is where he migrated from season to season. So I 

am coming back home when I come here, and I come with a real feeling of urgency in getting this project underway.

I am proud, too, that our Governor is here to be the leadoff witness, because he has worked diligently in this area. I have a high 

regard for him and his testimony which will be presented shortly.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Senator Jordan.

Mr. Reporter, at this point in the record I would like to incorporate 

a letter from our neighbor immediately west, Senator Henry M. Jackson for the State of Washington. It will be made a part of the record 

at this point.

(The letter referred to follows:)

U.S . Sen a te ,

Com mitte e: on I nte rio r ano I n su la r A f fa ir s,

October 6,19b‘4.

H on. Ala n B ib le,

Chairman, Public Lands Subcommittee,

TJ.S. Senate, Washington, D.C.

Dear Alan : I reg ret th at at the last min ute I was unable to chan ge my previous commitments, and th at I will be unable to join you for the subcom mittee 

field hearing on S. 2326, a bill to create a Nez Perce National Historical Park.

At this time I want to commend you and the sponsors of the bill for your inter est in holding the hea ring in Lewiston on this imp ortant legislation. No account of the historical development of the Pacific Northwest are a would be 

accur ate o r complete withou t the careful exam ination and interpre tation of the 

Nez Perce are a of north-c entral Idaho. Knowledge of the gre at even ts which 

led to the opening of this are a can be made available to the American people by 

the enactme nt of the Nez Perc e National Historical Park. The na tural beauty 

of this area combined with the historica l events will make this truly an outsta nding and welcome addition to this country’s nationa l park system.

I strongly s upport the bill, and would appreciate your making this lette r a part 

of th e record of the hearing. Please convey my regre ts on not being there, an d my 

best wishes to all who particip ate in th e hearing.

With kind regards, I am 

Sincerely yours,

Henry M. Jackson, Chairman.

Senator Btble. Our first, witness will be the Governor of the State 

of Idaho, and it is a real personal pleasure to me to welcome a lifelong 

friend, Bob Smylie, who was the attorney general of the S tate of Idaho 

when I was attorney general of the State o f Nevada. I know each of 

us has moved in our respective areas into a different path of political 

activity. It was much easier for me when I could rely on the law book 

and give a legal answer, and I don’t know i f the Governor finds th at 

same experience as a U.S. Senator does, but it is wonderful to welcome 

you, Bob.

I am happy to recognize the Governor of the State of Idaho. Governor Smylie. It is good to see you.
30 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

STATEMENT OF HON. ROBERT E. SMYLIE, GOVERNOR, STATE OF 

IDAHO

Governor Smylie. Mr. Chairman, Senators, and ladies and gentlemen, I do want to reciprocate, Alan, your kind remarks and welcome 

you as Senator to our State of Idaho in hopes you will hasten back.

I would like to add one name to the list which Senator Church and 

Senator Jord an gave, my notable and distinguished Lieutenant Governor, Mr. William Drevlow, who is also a resident of this area and a 

part of the move to bring this to Lewiston.

My name is Robert E. Smylie and I have the honor to be the Governor of the State of Idaho.

I wish to express my appreciation to the Senate Public Lands Subcommittee for conducting this hearing in Idah o on legislation to 

establish a Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk in north central Idaho.

We hope to demonstrate to this committee today tha t this proposal 

is entirely feasible, that it would provide for the preservation and 

interpreta tion of historical resources of national significance, that it 

enjoys the overwhelming, and I believe unanimous, support of the 

citizens of this State, and that the non-Federal agencies, organizations 

and individuals whose cooperation is essential to the realization of 

these objectives are ready and willing to contribute their full share 

to its success.

I realize, of course, that the committee already has heard testimony 

in Washington, D.C., from Federal agencies in support of legislation 

to authorize this park. The details of the proposal, as you know, 

have been amply described in the feasibility report submitted to you 

by the National Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior.

My purpose today is chiefly to review this proposal as it will serve 

and challenge the government and citizens of this State.

I think it is fitting indeed tha t the committee is examining this 

proposal to establish the first national p ark entirely within the borders 

of Idaho in the city of Lewiston.

Lewiston and the vast scenic region it serves gave to Idaho much 

of its first, and most memorable history. I am particularly fascinated 

by the epic journey o f th e Lewis and Clark expedition over the Lolo 

Trail and down the Clearwater River to a campsite just across the 

river from this meeting room. Perhaps because Captain Clark was 

a dista nt relative of mine, I can claim a family interest as well as an 

official one in the rugged route you viewed yesterday from the air.

But this region is the fresh and unspoiled homeland of many other 

basic themes in the glowing story of the development of the West. 

Donald McKenzie, the great trailblazer of Northwest fur trappers, 

led an expedition to this spot in 1811. Henry and Eliza Spalding 

established their famed mission in 1836 at the site of the proposed 

central visitor center of this national historical park. They established there Idah o’s first sawmill and installed the Northwest’s first 

prin ting press.

The discovery of gold at Pierce in 1860 led to the first o f Idah o’s 

fabulous gold rushes and indirectly to many of the most colorful and 

important chapters in Idaho history. The stern wheelers which 

churned up the lower Snake River to this confluence of the rivers 

brought the men and materials to establish here in 1861 a thriv ing
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 31

tent, city which became the first territorial capital of not only Idaho, 

but of Montana and Wyoming as well.

The pressure of the white man's expansion, sparked by tha t first cry 

of “gold" at length set the stage for one of the West’s most heroic 

stories—the classic war between the proud and patie nt Nez Perce 

Indians and the United States. The story of tha t war and the final 

agonizing surrender of Chief Joseph in the Bear Paw Mountains of 

Montana is one of the most inspiring stories in the history of the 

American West.

The National Park Service has outlined other key themes of western 

development reflected in the rich heritage of this remarkable region. 

The Park Service has concluded th at the scenic magnificence of this 

Nez Perce country and the history of the region in all its aspects re present a national resource of national significance which merits preservation and interpretation for Idahoans and visitors from the Nation 

alike.

I think it is significant that this region appreciates its historic 

heritage. This city of Lewiston conducted in 1961 a centennial celebration which was a source of pride and a notable example for all Idaho 

citizens. I was privileged to participate here in 1955 in a notable 

celebration of the Lewis and Clark sesquicentennial. A fine community 

museum is functioning at the site of the historic old Luna House, the 

city’s first hotel. Many other communities in this historic region also 

have demonstrated their zeal to protect and commemorate the places 

where Idaho has its roots.

Yet this region of Idaho, like the rest of our State, is not living a 

static life remembering the romance of its past. This is an era of 

swift and massive change. By 1971, when a series of already auth orized navigation dams are scheduled for completion on the lower Snake 

River, this hotel will be ha lf surrounded by dikes, and new ports will 

bo loading the farm, forest, and mineral products of the area into 

oceangoing barges that will retrace the route of the old stern-wheelers 

to Po rtland and on to the sea.

A beautiful new highway, one of the loveliest scenic routes in 

America, now parallels the rugged Lolo Trail. Tourists and trucks 

will travel this route in a constantly expanding stream. Meanwhile 

we are working steadily to straighten and shorten Idaho’s main 

north-south highway, U.S. 95, in order to narrow the geographic, 

cultural, and economic gaps between north and south Idaho. This 

program, too, will contribute enormously to the rapid expansion of 

this region in the next decade.

We must act swiftly then to preserve the marvelous historic sites 

in this region, and indeed the history itself, from engulfment by 

unguided and uninhibited expansion. And we must find the means 

to interpret this history of this region for the coming generations of 

our own people and for the new tide of visitors from other States and 

from other lands.

I have followed with great interest and enthusiasm the evolvement of 

this proposal to attain these objectives through the establishment of a 

Nez Perce National Historical Park. I am proud to have been a 

small participant in the effort. I firmly believe that th is is the proper 

way—and in fact the only way—that these im portant national objectives can be accomplished.
32 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

The Spalding State Park, small but lovely, which you will view 

today, is one of the most used parks in our State park systems. It 

shelters some of the State’s most significant history. It is a favorite 

picnic area for thousands of our citizens. Thou gh it is inadequate in 

size and facilities to fully serve the demands of the future, it has served 

its purpose well and today provides a magnificent core for the proposed central visitor center development proposed for the Nez Perce 

National Historical Park.

I am confident that the recreational and educational interests of Ida ­

hoans and visitors alike would be better served if Spalding Park were 

incorporated into the larger plan envisioned in this legislation. Therefore, I will fully support in the capital and in the Idaho Legislature 

the proposal tha t this park be included in the National Park Service 

visitors center area.

I am particularly interested in the National Park Service recommendation that a new Idaho State Park should be established at Pierce 

to include the Canal Gulch gold discovery area and Id aho’s first courthouse. The importance of this proposal and problems in connection 

with it have expanded since the feasibility repo rt was prepared. 

Idah o’s forest products company, Potlatch Forests, Inc., has started 

construction of a major new mill near Pierce. The enterprise will 

provide employment for 300 workers. The population expansion will 

transform the community of Pierce—bringing grea t economic benefits, 

a fivefold increase in population—but it will also intensify the need 

for new schools, new sanitation facilities, and new parks.

Working with the other appropriate officers of our State government, I will be anxious to explore with the residents of Pierce and with 

the National Park Service the possibility of implementing this recommendation as quickly as possible. It is high on our agenda of unfinished business. Because of the new population influx soon to be at 

Pierce and because of severe limitations of our State parks’ budget, the 

recommendation will not be easy to implement. But I assure you that 

we in the State government will try our best to do what can be done 

now, and that in the end we will accomplish this task.

Our State highway engineer, Mr. Mathes, will explain to you what 

the State highway department already is doing; and plans to do in 

the future, to coordinate its operations with the proposals embodied in 

the Nat ional Pa rk Service report.

Other officers of our State government will testify as to cooperative 

efforts within the ir particu lar jurisdictions.

For my part I wish to emphasize th at the State of Idaho is ready 

and eager to work in any possible way with Federal agencies, with 

nongovernmental organizations, and with private individuals, to attain, while there is still time, the objectives established for the Nez 

Perce National Historical Park.

As one who occasionally has lamented the sometimes cumbersome 

procedure and regulations of certain Federal agencies, particularly 

in their dealing with small States such as Idaho, I would like to endorse 

the observation of the National Park s Advisory Board that this proposal embodies “an imaginative new concept” in national park programs.

Here in this legislation Congress is offered the op portunity to save 

history itself. Here we can save and interpre t the epic saga of one 

of the great eras in the development of the West.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 33

History, of course, is people. It is a group of schoolchildren learn ­

ing what courage and daring mean by looking at some of the actual 

equipment of the Lewis-Clark expedition; by retracing the steps of 

Chief Joseph’s band in the historic retreat up the Lolo; by catching a 

little of the inspiration that led Henry and Eliza Spa lding to Lapwai.

Histo ry may be as old and intricate as Nez Perce bead work, but it 

is also as fresh and heady as this morning’s Tribune.

It seems to me tha t the genius of this “imaginative new concept” in 

the preservation of our national treasures is tha t it combines the grea tness of yesterday with the greatness of today and tomorrow, and gives 

to the tried, new and significant meaning.

Here I think is a truly remarkable proposal for continuous, coordinated effort by the Federal, State, and community governments and 

by many nongovernmental interests to develop an important national 

project in a practical and cooperative way.

No great new block of land would be set aside for Federal administration under this proposal. No massive change would be imposed 

to disrupt the present uses of major land areas. Instead, these widely 

scattered historical sites would be preserved and interpreted by a large 

number of agencies and individuals, working together within their own 

proper jurisdiction, to achieve a plan carefully outlined by the professionals of the National Pa rk Service.

I hope tha t this project will become not only a great boon to Idaho 

but an example to the Nation.

I am confident, at least, tha t it can become a tremendously important. example to Idaho’s State government.

Perhaps because we of this generation are still so close to our g reat 

historic heritage, we in Idaho sometimes have been negligent in protecting and explaining it. Our State parks program has suffered consistently from a shortage of finances. It has also suffered because we 

have not encountered enough examples of high professional standards 

in park administration.

I think the successful operation in Idaho of a national historical 

park, founded and maintained on the basis of the broadest possible cooperative effort, would provide for all of us in State government a 

spectacular example of how to improve our own efforts and proof as 

to how great the results could be.

I think tha t Idaho, by cooperating fully in this “imaginative new 

concept,” also might help set an example for the rest of the Nation.

I desire to compliment the Park Service for the excellence of their 

report and to than k them for their suppo rt of this proposal.

I pledge to your committee and to the Congress my own enthusiastic 

and continuing support in the attainment of these objectives.

I respectfully urge prompt congressional action to authorize and 

to finance a new Nez Perce National Historical Park.

The legislation is in the national interest.

Senator Btble. Thank you very much, Governor Smylie, for an 

unusually fine statement.

I, too, share the enthusiasm which you express about this “new 

concept,” and it is particularly gratify ing to me because I have had 

the opportunity in the State government to see that in this new concept we have a challenging proposal whereby the Federal Government and S tate government and public and private agencies can work 

together in making history live.
34 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. IDAHO

It is an unusually fine statement that, you just gave us.

Senator Church?

Senator Church. Mr. Chairman, I wish to concur in your statement and T thank you and appreciate your statement. I have no 

questions.

Senator Bible. Senator Jorda n?

Senator J ordan. I wish to say that was a very complete statement 

and the point you make on the “new concept” is one that, appeals to 

me. This is the first time to my knowledge we have gone to look over 

a project that would pinpoint to the specific interest rather than taking 

in a whole block of 30,000-and-up acres. So here we are imposing a 

historical park of national significance on our already burgeoning 

economy without doinc an imbalance to any forces working in the 

area. I particularly liked the emphasis you placed on that.

Governor Smylie. Thank you, Senator.

Mr. Chairman, I have been asked by the speaker of our house of 

representatives, the Honorable Pete Cenarrusa, to express in his behalf sentiments in support, of the legislation the committee is now enacting. It. has his wholehearted approval and support. He has asked 

me to convey that to you.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Governor. I have a letter 

from Speaker Cenarrusa to include at this point.

(The letter referred to follows:)

House of Representa tives,

State of I daho,

Boise, October 7 ,1964-

Hon . Alan Bible,

Chairman, Senate Public Lands Subcommittee.

Hear Str : M.v name is Pete T. Cenarru sa. I am speaker of the Idaho House

of Representatives.

I reg ret that I am not able to appea r before your Senate Subcommittee on 

Public Lands concerning the hea ring on the proposed Nez Perce National His ­

tor ica l Park.

Since Gov. Robert E. Smylie plans to appear before you r subcommittee, I 

talk ed with him by telephone today and he has kindly offered to make a statement in my behalf in supp ort of this wo rthy project.

Sincerely yours,

Pete T. Cenarrusa, 

Speaker, House of Re presentatives.

Senator Btble. The next witness I have listed is Congressman 

Compton White. I don’t see him here. I know he is endorsing a 

companion bill in the House.

Senator Chttrch. I think he is scheduled to come in on the plane 

later this morning. It doesn’t get in until about now, I think.

Senator Bible. Very fine. We will have him after he arrives. We 

will be glad to see him again.

Senator Church. Mr. Chairman, there has just been handed to me 

a telegram from our second Member of Congress, Ralph Harding , 

which reads:

This is to inform you of my stro ng support for legislation which would res ult 

in the establishment of a Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk in our Sta te of 

Idaho. I am strongly on record in favor of such a park and have, in fact, introduced a measure in the House of Rep rese ntatives to provide for the preserv ation of this region which includes are as of exceptional historic intere st not only 

to our S tat e hut to the Nation as well.

R alph H arding, 

Membi'r of Congress.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 35

I would like to ask tha t this be included in the record and make 

mention of the fact tha t both Congressmen White and Harding are 

cosponsoring the identical bill in the House of Representatives.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Senator Church.

Our next witness is Lt. Gov. William E. Drevlow.

We are happy to have you with us this morning.

STATEMENT OF HON. WIL LIAM E. DREVLOW, LIEU TENANT 

GOVERNOR, STATE OF IDAHO

Lieutenant Governor Drevlow. Chairman Bible, Senator Church, 

and Senator Jordan, I am William E. Drevlow, Lieutenant Governor 

of the State of Idaho.

I am going to be very brief because there are many people that 

want to testify here today. I simply want to say t ha t I do endorse 

this rich heritage that we have in this area as a historical park. We 

have so much to offer. I think it should be taken care of as soon as 

possible.

I will cooperate with the President and the Senate to the best of 

my ability to help this move along, which will be a real accomplishment for this area and the State of Idaho.

I thank you all for coming here and giving us this opportunity to 

explain our position and wishes, and I have a statement written for 

you, so therefore I thank you for this opportunity to testify just 

briefly and endorse the whole project.

Senator Bible. Governor, we are happy to hear these words from 

you and your statement will be incorporated in full in the record, and 

than k you so very much for coming here this morning.

Senator Church ?

Senator Church. Than k you very much, Bill, for tha t straightfrom-the-heart testimony. You have seen a lot of the history we saw 

this morning.

Senator Bible. Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. You have always been a good cooperator. I know 

what you mean when you say you will.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Prepared Statement of H on. William E. Drevlow, Lieu tenant Governor, 

State of Idaho

My name is William E. Drevlow. I am lieutenant governor of the State of 

Idaho.

I have been a resident of this scenic and historic region of Idaho since 1918. 

I have seen marked changes in tha t time in the area as population increased 

and industry began to develop. In the valleys of our lovely rivers and on the 

Camas Prairie where I reside, growth and progress alter the countryside at 

an ever faster rate, and this region’s development has just begun.

I believe the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park is ideally suited 

to preserving for our children and grandchildren and for the many visitors who 

will be coming to this area, the wonderul historical heritage of this region.

The concept developed by the National Park Service of a series of scattered 

historical sites to be protected and interpreted in cooperation with many other 

Federal, State, and private agencies is farsighted and practical. It will enable 

this region to preserve its historical values for the whole Nation without 

infringing seriously upon the essential development of the area’s economy.

I heartily endorse the proposed program and will cooperate fully with the 

agencies which will bring this tine idea to fulfillment.
36 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Miss Louise Shadduck, executive 

secretary of the Idaho Department of Commerce and Development.

We are happy to welcome you, Miss Shadduck.

STATEM ENT OF LOUISE SHADDUCK, EXEC UT IVE SECRETARY , 

IDAHO DEPAR TMENT OF COMMERCE AND DEVELOPMENT

Miss Shadduck. Mr. Chairman, Senators, and ladies and gentlemen, my name is Louise Shadduck, and I am executive secretary to 

the Idaho State Department of Commerce and Development.

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before the Senate Public 

Lands Subcommittee in its conduct of hearings in our State on the 

proposal to establish a Nez Perce National Historical Park .

We are confident th at the establishment of such a park will provide 

most significant tools for a rapid increase in the economy of this area. 

While others will discuss different aspects of the effect of the park in 

Idaho, I desire to touch primarily on the economic aspects of increased 

tourism.

In Idah o as in many other States, tourism has become an important 

industry. Annually this industry makes a major contribution to the 

economy. It is an industry that is unique in the respect th at it is not a 

collection of businesses of a common type that can be classified such as 

exist in manufacturing, mining, and in retail trade. Instead, the 

tourist industry is composed of many businesses of various types— 

hotels, cafes, service stations, motels, airlines, gif t shops, and others. 

Even here, the same gift shop that sells gifts to the resident population 

may sell souvenirs to the tourists. So only tha t portion of these businesses th at is actually serving the traveling tourist can be said to be 

in the tourist industry.

This may be the reason why basic information on the industry, despite its importance, is difficult to obtain. There is, for instance, no 

U.S. census of the tourist industry, as there is for many other segments 

of the business world.

So to measure the role of this industry in Idaho’s economy, the department of commerce and development has conducted several surveys 

among the tourists themselves, and other surveys in cooperation with 

the State highway department, tourist greeter stations in a number of 

communities through the State, the U.S. National Forest Service, 

State forest service, the State land department, the West Yellowstone 

Park entry, the Craters of the Moon visitor counter center, and 

through research conducted with the Idaho Motel Association, and 

perhaps the most accurate indicator of all, gas receipts as measured 

through the Idaho Tax Department.

Through these various measuring methods we have determined that 

the dollar value of the tourist industry to Idaho is at least $150 million 

per year. This sets tourism as Id aho’s third largest industry following agriculture and lumbering. The former now totals annual cash 

receipts to $450 million. That is about 1 million greater than the annual figure of 10 years ago. However, the State’s income from tourism has gained about the same amount in the same period with every 

evidence of a continued rapid growth. Lumbering and the wood 

products industry bring Idaho slightly more than $150 million in annual income which is very close to the income now realized by tourism,
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 37

which is growing at a much faster rate. In fact, estimates of the 

tourist income to Idaho a decade ago were $48 million; 6 years ago, 

over $102 million; and today it is $150 million. The dolla r value of 

Idaho tourism today is somewhat more than 300 percent of the annual 

total for 10 years ago; it manifests a growth of more than 200 percent 

in 10 years—and the trend continues upward.

The number of tourist-serving establishments in Idaho today is 500 

percent greater than in 1948. By far the biggest advance has occurred 

in the last 8 years. This gives Idaho a preponderance of very new 

and modern accommodations. The U.S. Department of Commerce 

surveys counted 220 establishments in Ida ho in 1948; 542 in 1954; 773 

in 1958; and estimated nearly 1,100 for 1962. In 1962, 11 hotels and 

motels alone invested $4,454,000 in 519 new facilities, including new 

building establishments and additions. The total number of new 

units added in Idaho during the past 4 years is estimated at over 2,000 

in the motel field alone. Through these indicators we note that 

tourism in Idaho has grown rapidly during the past decade. Greater 

growth is anticipated in the future and particula rly in the section of 

Idaho in which the Nez Perce National Historical Park will be 

located.

Research has shown that among the common interest found in all 

tourists is a desire to see a unique but identifiable area which can 

easily be differentiated from others. While Idaho has promoted its 

great open spaces, so have Nevada, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and other Western States. While Idaho has promoted its 

fishing and hunting, so have the other Western States. While Idaho 

has promoted its skiing and water sports, so have the other Western 

States. The Nez Perce National Historical Park will provide this 

section of our State with a unique characteristic identifiable with other 

areas but easily differentiated from others.

Area development in the tourist industry takes a variety of forms. 

Yet there exists in all States fhe objective of providing something unusual tha t will add to the enjoyment of the travel and vacation experience. Beautiful scenery and enjoyable climate are not enough; 

to these natural advantages the State or area must add something to 

assure the satisfying and interesting experience. The Nez Perce National P ark will make that experience possible.

The area, however, must still be sold to the potential tourist. Recognizing th at the tourist business is closely tied to the selling effort, the 

Idaho Department of Commerce and Development will do everything 

within it talents and budget to supplement the efforts of the National 

Park Service and other agencies and groups to invite the world’s 

travelers to visit the Nez Perce National Historical Park. We know 

that such efforts will help in the development of a more successful 

tourist industry in Idaho.

We believe that the Nez Perce people will be encouraged to develop 

businesses designed to cater to the desires of tourists to buy g ifts and 

souvenirs. This, in turn , will bring about development of genuine 

gif t and handicraft items of an unusual and distinctive nature. This 

can provide the shopping for native items that has proven to be one of 

the most enjoyable experiences tha t a visitor should have on a vacation.

While the three major visitor-center sites will be operated by the 

National Park Service, the individual businessman in the nearby com-
38 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

munities will become increasingly im portant as he develops new facilities to serve the tourists. Communities will be encouraged to create a 

more attractive and pleasant tourist destination area. The responsibility of developing the area for use by tourists will remain th at of the 

tourist-serving businesses. This will contribute greatly to improved 

services and communities. With the fine example set by the National 

Pa rk Service, with its reputation based on integrity and quality, increased recognition for the desirability of improved goods and services to the promotion of off-season travel to the area is insured. Surely 

those in business on the fringe areas of the park will find it to their 

advantage to promote the park and visitor-center sites visitation. In 

promoting the park, they are indirectly promoting their own 

businesses.

An example of a small community that could be comparable to communities within and ad joining the Nez Perce National Historical P ark 

is the Indian town of Cherokee in western North Carolina with a population of 3,700. At the close of W orld War II , this was a depressed 

area with a per capita income of only 22 percent of the national average. Local groups recognized tha t its mountain setting might be the 

basis for tourist development. However, as in the West, mountains are 

common in tourist areas of the East. To develop a successful tourist 

industry, it was known tha t the Cherokee product must offer a reason for travel distinct from tha t found elsewhere. The decision was 

tha t a pageant depicting the life of the Indians, their encounter with 

the white men and subsequent removal from that area would provide a 

special experience. On July 1, 1950, the pageant, “Unto These Hills,” 

opened to a full house. During the summer seasons that have followed, 

more than 1.5 million persons have paid to see “Unto These H ills” at 

Cherokee.

Still not satisfied, the town built an Indian village in 1952 as an 

additional attraction. This, too, has become a profitable operation 

with aproximately 100,000 paid admissions annually. In 1961, a third 

paid attraction was added—the Museum of the Cherokee In dian.

The net result has been to differentiate the Cherokee tourist product in such a way that it can provide an enjoyable experience not found 

in many other areas. Today there are 123 firms in that county providing jobs for 431 persons in the travel industry. Per capita income of 

the people of Cherokee today is about 50 percent of the national average, as compared with 22 percent before the development.

With results tha t have been achieved by the Cherokees, it is concluded that similar results could be achieved in the Nez Perce country. 

The two building blocks, tha t is, the market tha t can be sold to the 

tourists and the potential tourists that can be attracted to the area, 

now exist.

Sunset magazine’s Western Market Almanac for 1964 re pm s, 

“Western population is up 40.4 percent between 1950 and 1960, versus 

18.5 percent for the United States, with California’s population exceeding New York’s.” It is not surprising that California is Idaho’s 

No. 1 source of tourists. This becomes significant when we realize that 

although some people will travel great distances to vacation, the larger 

portions of the population will not or cannot afford to do so. With 

rapid western growth, the Nez Perce National Historical Park will be 

visited by millions during the next decade afte r its development.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 39

More people are traveling than ever before; more communities are 

interested in tourist development than ever before; more competition 

exists than ever before; but also more opportunities exist within the 

tourist industry for both jobs and profits than ever before. Travel is 

closely related to the sale of a wide range of products.

In behalf of the department of commerce and development, I 

respectfully urge prompt enactment of the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Par k early in the next session of Congress. The department of commerce and development as a unit, and I personally, 

will lend every assistance in the promotion and utilization of the LewisClark Highway as an artery of traffic for tourists along the Nez Perce 

National Historical Parkway and we confidently expect tha t the 

establisment of this park will add immeasurably to the tourist inindustry in Idah o and to the industry in our sister States on the east 

and west.

Than k you for the opportunity to so testify.

Senator Bible. I appreciate that statement, Miss Shadduck. I think 

it develops and proves most conclusively tha t tourism is big business 

and important to the economic segments of your State just as it is to 

the economic segments of my State. I think a dollar spent on investments of this kind brings many, many returns, not only to the State 

involved but to the national improvement. I thin k you documented 

this very well.

Senator Church?

Senator Church. Let me add, Louise, tha t I thin k these are the 

best findings I have yet seen; the most current and comprehensive 

figures on the dramatic growth of tourism. I am happy to have them 

not only for the purpose of this record, but other purposes, too.

Secondly, I would like to thank you for the phase you have given to 

the possible benefit that might flow to the Nez Perce Indians. As chairman of the Indian Affairs Subcommittee, I am conscious all the time 

of the deprivation tha t faces many Indian people and the failure of 

many Indian tribes to achieve a standard of living compared to that 

of the rest of us, as we know. I think th at is a development that could 

contribute, in my way of thinking, to the well-being of the Nez Perce 

Indians. We are very proud of them and anxious for them to achieve 

the fulfillment of their potentials in this area. I thin k this park could 

have a significant role to play in that.

Miss Shadduck. Thank you, Senator Church.

Senator Bible. Senator Jor dan ?

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Louise, for a very fine statement. I 

commend you for it ; not only your statement but your untirin g effort 

on behalf of the department of commerce and development. Results 

tha t you have achieved are visible at every hand, and you have given 

us a very fine statement which will be a valuable pa rt of the Senate 

record on this bill.

Thank you.

Senator Bible. Thank you.

Our next witness is Ellis Mathes, Idaho State engineer.

Mr. Mathes, I would like to have you proceed.
40 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

STATEMENT OF ELLIS MATHES, STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER, 

IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF HIGHWAYS

Mr. Mathes. Senator Bible, Senator Jordan, Governor Smylie, 

and Senator Church—I see he has left the room.

Senator Bible. Temporarily.

Mr. Matiies. Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Ellis Mathes. 

The departm ent has prepared a formal statement relative to the proposed national park. Twenty-five copies have been submitted, and I 

assume this statement will be entered in the record of the testimony 

taken at this hearing.

Senator Bible. That will be incorporated in the full record.

Mr. Mathes. In the interest of time, so that others may speak, I do 

not propose to read the statement.

I would, however, like to take this opportunity to emphasize that 

the Idaho Department of Highways pledges its cooperation to the 

fullest possible extent on all phases of this plan wherein the State 

highway system is a factor. In this respect, I believe it is pertinent to 

note th at 9 of the 22 proposed sites are now marked and interpreted 

by a ttractive historical signs at roadside parks and turnouts. These 

signs have been constructed by the department of highways. The 

legends inscribed on them were prepared by the Idaho State Historical Society. The department has a continuing program for the development and marking of a number of additional sites in this area.

You may be sure tha t the concept of the park plan, as outlined in 

the feasibility report, is prominent in the minds of o ur engineers. We 

believe th at highways can be located so as to be in the best interest of 

the highway user, as well as to give adequate service to these proposed 

sites.

Of the sites listed, two—the White Bird Battlefield and the Canoe 

Campsite—are of immediate concern to the department because of the 

proposed highway changes. A section of U.S. Highway 95 over the 

top of White Bird Hill and down the north side is now under contract. Because of the difficult terrain in this area, latitu de for change 

in alinement is very narrow. We believe, however, th at the proposed 

location and design on the south side of White B ird Hill is most compatible with the park concept and it will provide a convenient overlook of the White Bird Battlefield area for several miles. There 

should be developed at least one viewpoint overlooking the battleground area in this section of highway.

In the Canoe Campsite area, the highway alinement will be advantageous for the south side of the site. We have worked with the h istorical society on the highway location here and believe that assures 

compatibility with this historical site.

In conclusion then, may I again say tha t the Idah o Department of 

Highw ays supports the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park 

and tha t it is our sincere desire to work cooperatively with all agencies on all phases of the plan where our State highways are involved.

If I can answer any questions concerning the State highway system, or otherwise be of assistance to the committee, I would be pleased 

to do so.

Senator Bible. I have no specific questions. You have made a fine 

presentation. Certainly the highway department has an important
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 41

pa rt in the overall effort. We did have the op portunity of flying over 

the White B ird Battleground this morning. It seems to me this does 

have an exciting possibility.

I served on the highway board for 8 years and I thin k you can work 

out some wonderful highways in the area. We didn’t see the second 

area tha t you mentioned because of the little ground fog—they probably call it different things in different areas, I am sure. This would 

have dissipated if could have stayed a little longer. But we did see 

and had an excellent look at the battleground. 1 know you are going 

to be very helpful in working this out. Thank you.

Senator Jord an ?

Senator J ordan. I am p roud to welcome an old frie nd’s ideas, and 

we are indeed fortu nate to have for State highway engineer, a man 

of high professional accomplishment, as Ellis Mathes is. It calls for 

close cooperation between the State highway department and other 

agencies and he is a man thoroughly competent to administer his end 

of it, and we will get this cooperation from him, I am sure.

Senator Bible. Thank you.

(The statement referred to follows:)

P repared Sta tem en t of E ll is Ma t h e s, Sta te H ig h w a y E n g in eer, I da ho

D epa rtm en t of H ig h w a y s

My nam e is Ellis Mathes. I am Sta te highw ay engineer for the Idaho Dep artmei.t of Highways.

The following testimony is relative to the proposed Nez Perc e Nation al Historical Pa rk in n orth-central Idaho.

This proposed park lies wholly within the boundaries of District No. 4 of the 

Idah o D epartment of Highways, with headquar ters at Lewiston, Idaho.

Since the inception of this proposed park , the Idaho Departme nt of Highways 

has been in close contact with the gentlemen of the National Pa rk Service who 

compiled the feasibility report dated October 1963, and with the Nez Perce National Historical P ark Association. Our dis trict engineer at Lewiston. Mr. W. W. 

Sacht, is a dire ctor of the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk Associatio n by 

special permission of th e Idaho B oard of Highway Directors.

In May 1964, the Idah o Board of H ighway Directo rs were apprised of the concept of th e proposed national historical park by Mr. William F. Johnsto n, managing editor of the Lewiston Morning Tribune. The highway board expressed at 

that time, as they do now, the ir intere st in such a p roject and their sincere d esire 

to cooperate to the greatest extent possible in order to ass ure the coordin ation 

of future highway plans with plan s of the National Pa rk Service.

The Idaho Departme nt of Highways has the responsibility of planning, locating, constructing, and mainta inin g a Sta te highw ay system that will best 

serve the trav elin g public within the Sta te of Idaho. In this respect, it is recognized th at a national historical park in north-c entral Idah o should add considerably to tou rist traffic in Idaho. Establishment of such a park will, therefo re, 

influence highway location and design.

The Idaho Dep artm ent of High ways pledges its cooperation to the National 

Park Service and oth er Fed eral Government and Sta te agencies to the fulles t 

possible extent should any problems develop which involve the Sta te high way 

system.

You may be sure th at the concept of the park plan as outlined in the fea sibility 

report is prom inent in the minds of our engineers. Any fea tur es of the proposed park as may be affected by the Sta te highway will be given prompt and considered analysis in the planning, location, and design phases of any high way 

route dete rmin ation .

The feasibility rei>ort previously referred to lists 22 proposed sites for development by the National Pa rk Service and other Federal and State agencies.

We believe that highways can be located so as to be in the best intere st of the 

highw ay user as well as to give adequate service to these proposed sites.

Of the sites listed, however, the White Bird battlefield near White Bird and 

the Canoe Campsite near Orofino are of immediate concern to the dep artm ent 

of highw ays because of proposed highw ay changes within the nex t few years.
42 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

W H IT E BIR D BA TT LE FI EL D S IT E

The section of U.S. Highway 95 from the Salmon Riv er south of the village 

of White Bird to Grangeville is scheduled for construction on new location within 

the next 5 years. The lirs t 7.2-mile p ortion and northernm ost section over the 

top of White Bird llill and down the nor th side is now under contract.

Location studies have been completed on the rem aind er of the route to the 

Salmon River. The routing as proposed by the dep artm ent will follow high on 

the ridge to the west of the White Bird battleground, cross the valley below 

White Bird, continue through a sadd le to the south of White Bird, and on to 

the Salmon River. Because of the difficult ter rain in this area, latitu de for 

chang e in alin eme nt is very narrow. An acceptable design at reasonable cost 

must be developed w ithin these confines.

The proposed route is scheduled for review by the highway board at an early 

date, after which a public hearing in W hite B ird will be held. Fin al approval of 

the location will be made by the highway board after testim ony offered at the 

public hearing has been reviewed. It is anticip ated th at approval of the route 

as proposed by the depa rtment will be received.

If approved, this new location of U.S. Highway 95 will provide an excellent 

overlook of the White Bird battleground are a for several miles along the route. 

It is anticip ated that the dep artment of highw ays will develop, if possible, a 

viewpoint overlooking the battleground are a and place there on an att rac tiv e 

historical sign depicting the White Bird Battle, Sta te historical sign No. 99.

CA NO E CA M PSIT E

The dep artment of highways has for several yea rs been planning for constru ctio n of a new highway that will pass by this site. This project, located 

on U.S. Highway 12, is now proposed for construction within the nex t 2 years.

The new highw ay alineme nt will essentially be along the presen t location 

and adjacent to the south boundary of the Canoe Campsite. Although design 

is not complete at this time, we have been assured by Mr. Ralph Space, a long 

stan ding member of the Cle arw ater County Historical Society, th at our plans 

are quite satisfactory as fa r as the park is concerned. We have made considerab le adjus tment in alineme nt to ass ure compatib ility with thi s imp orta nt 

historical site.

O TH ER SIT E S

At least 9 of the 22 proposed sites are now marked and interp reted by at ­

tra ctive historical signs at roadside parks or turn outs. These signs, and parks 

or turnou ts, have been constructed by the Idaho Departm ent of Highways. The 

legends inscribed on the signs were prepared by the Idaho State Historical 

Society.

The construction or improvement of the several additio nal road side parks or 

turnou ts, together with the ins tallation of sim ilar historical signs are now 

scheduled for early consideration.

A number of other sites have been recommended by the National Park 

Service for improvement of turnouts and placement of interp retive markers. 

These recommendations seem to be most compatible with the present development of roadside turnou ts and rest a reas by the Idaho Department of Highways.

The National Park Service and other agencies can expect wholehearted coopera tion from the dep artm ent of highways with respe ct to the improvement 

of existing turnou ts or th e co nstructio n of new ones a t any of the sites mentioned.

In conclusion, the Sta te of Idaho, Dep artm ent of Highways, supports the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk and will work cooperatively with the 

National Pa rk Service and all other agencies on all phases of the plan wherein 

the State highway system is a factor.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Mr. O. J. Buxton.

STA TEMENT OE 0. J. BUXTON, LAND COMMISSIONER, STA TE 0E 

IDAHO

Mr. Buxton. Chairman Bible, Senators, and friends, my name is 

O. J. Buxton. I am Idaho State land commissioner and chairman 

of the State land board which administers State-owned forest lands, 

State parks, and certain other public lands.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 43

The proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park would be an 

important addition to the national park system, preserving historic 

sites in one of the most scenic and historic areas in the Nation. It 

would be extremely valuable to Idaho residents and visitor’s in fostering understanding of western development.

The proposal calls for close cooperation between the National Pa rk 

Service, other Federal agencies, and State government, particularly 

those State agencies involved in administration of parks and other 

public lands. The plan implies close coordination of efforts by the 

State land board and these other agencies.

As State land commissioner, 1 assure you tha t we in Idaho are 

willing and eager to work closely with these agencies to accomplish 

the goals outlined in the National Park Service feasibility report. 

The Federal efforts, as described in the proposal, would not conflict 

with our own State objectives, but instead would supplement and 

enrich them.

In behalf of the State land board, as land commissioner, I heartily 

endorse to the Congress the authorization of the Nez Perce National 

Historical Park.

Thank you.

Senator Bible. Than k you very much, Mr. Buxton. I am very 

happy to have your endorsement, and you have handed me a statement 

from Roger L. Guernsey, the State forester of Idaho. That likewise 

will be incorporated and made a part of this record. Thank you.

Senator J ordan. I am glad to meet an old friend I served with in 

the legislature, a dedicated public servant, and I am sure we will get 

close cooperation from his department.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta tem en t of R oger L. Gu er n se y . Sta te F or ester of I da ho

My name is Roger L. Guernsey. I am the Sta te forester of Idaho. I wish to 

add my voice to the strong, regional, completely bip artisan supp ort for the pro ­

posed Nez Perce National Par k. There are seve ral excellent reasons why Nez 

Perc e National Pa rk should be created by th e Congress of the United States.

1. It has national significance. The Nez Perce coun try was the bridge for the 

successful Lewis and Clark Expedition, the expedition th at paved the way for 

extension of our g rea t Nation through the Pacific Northwest. Within this richly 

historic area the expedition could easily have died. Instead, the friendly Nez 

Perc e shared their meager wealth of food and horses to assure a successful 

exploration.

2. It will provide an unm atched nation al recreation link. Megopolis A, or a 

continuous metropolitan are a from Boston to Miami is forming fast up the eastern coast of our country. Megopolis B is looming in th e West. While it may skip 

mountain s from ocean to freew ay and back again, the res ult will be the same, a 

depression of nerve and verve. Certainly it is of national importance th at our 

millions of citizens in traveling from A to B have choice of a route th at fea tur es 

something oth er tha n flashing neon, billboards, the never-ending commercial Main 

Street, a nd autom obile boneyards.

They will be so e ternally gra teful to those who preserved the story of the Nez 

Perce Indian s, Lewis and Clark, and Idaho’s early settlers.

3. It promotes a vital national need, the need for Federal, State, local government, and private groups and individuals to work together for th e common good. 

This new concept for cre ating a national park in parts and as a cooperativ e enterprise is most laudable. America needs to promote, heavily, more reliance on 

local participation.

4. Pa rk developments of this type will ease the pressure on all the Nation ’s 

forests—Fede ral. State, and private. Recreational needs will be met. Unless 

extensive, varied facilities of all types are provided, the bulk of the masses of 

inlan d plea sure seekers will “spill over” into the forests, greatly res tricti ng their

3 9 -8 2 8— 65 -------4
44 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

utilization for the other multiple uses. Creation of Nez Perce National Park 

will be a spectacular booster in the “race for inner space,” the race to preserve 

on earth a desirable, healthful environment for all mankind.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Mr. Joh n R. Woodworth, director of the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

STATEMENT OF JOHN R. WOODWORTH, DIRECTOR, IDAHO FISH 

AND GAME DEPARTMENT

Mr. Woodworth. Thank you, Chairman Bible, Senator Jordan, 

and ladies and gentlemen.

Aly name is J ohn R. Woodworth, director of the Idaho Fish and 

Game Department, and secretary of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. According to Idaho law and as further implemented by 

the policies of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission, I am empowered 

and directed to exercise general supervision of the Idaho Fish and 

Game D epartment in accomplishing the wildlife policy of the State. 

Quoting an excerpt from the Idaho statutes:

All wildlife, including all wild animals, wild birds, and fish within the State 

of Idaho is hereby declared to be the property of the State of Idaho. It shall 

be preserved, protected, perpetuated, and managed. It shall be only captured 

or taken at such times or places under such conditions or by such means or in 

such manner as will preserve, protect, and perpetuate such wildlife and provide 

for the citizens of this State, and as by law permitted to others, continued supplies of such wildlife for hunting, fishing, and trapping.

Under this general policy, it is the desire of the Idaho Fish and 

Game Commission to make a statement in behalf of the proposed Nez 

Perce National Historical Park in north-central Idaho tha t is expected to be considered early in the next session of Congress.

It is obvious that any consideration for the preservation of the historical aspects of the Nez Perce Indian Tribe areas would involve the 

fish and game resources. Although the Nez Perce Indians, similar 

to their neighbor citizens of the United States, no longer depend on 

the fish and game for their daily sustenance, it is important that consideration be given to maintaining this important segment of their 

historical background.

The land of the Nez Perce is fam iliar ground to many people across 

the Nation because of its reputation as a virtual wildlife paradise. 

The largest herds of elk in North America are resident in the upper 

Clearwater River along such tributaries as the North Fork of the 

Clearwater, the Lochsa, and the Selway Rivers. The U.S. Forest 

Service has set aside the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area where 

native cutthroa t trou t populations, annual runs of the migratory 

steelhead trout, and elk, deer, and moose herds have been pa rt of the 

Nez Perce life over the many years. Each year many big game 

hunters and fishermen who consider the land of the Nez Perce a wildlife utopia, pass through this pa rt of Idaho without really knowing 

its rich background in American Indian history.

With these thoughts in mind, we have examined the feasibility report of the National Park Service on the Nez Perce country, and it 

is our opinion that the creation of this national historical park would 

indirectly assist in preserving the fish and game resources and thereby 

help to maintain the integrity of the area insofar as the wildlife values
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 45

are concerned. The following points emphasize the desirability of 

the creation of this historical pa rk :

(1) It is evident that the preservation of historical sites in the 

area would have influence on the other natural and historic attractions 

to be found in tlie general area of the Nez Perce. Since wildlife 

species such as elk, cutthroat trout, moose, and salmon are all favored 

by primitive or wilderness type habitat, a general and official recognition of the need for preservation of areas in the ir natural historic 

state would also benefit the overall wildlife resource.

(2) Although it may be tru e that national park type of management is not compatible with modern-day wildlife management in parts 

of the country, it is quite obvious that the type of national park administration contemplated for the Nez Perce area would allow the 

State to continue the various modern-day management practices that 

are needed for good conservation.

(3) Today, the natural supplies of fish and game in the area classify 

it as a hunters’ and fishermen’s paradise. In the future, the sportsman may have to abide with fewer fish in the creel and less game in 

the bag due simply to the pressure of more people coming into the area 

for their recreation. Natu ral changes in habitat may also occur in 

addition to changes in man’s use of the land. For this reason, fishing 

and hunting enthusiasts may turn to other values that abound in the 

area, such as the esthetic qualities and the scenic values as well as the 

colorful historic aspects of the Nez Perce Indian Tribe. It is our 

opinion tha t the creation of the Nez Perce National Historical Park 

would add to the enjoyment of the area by hunting and fishing 

enthusiasts.

In the view of the foregoing statements we would like to respectfully repo rt to you t hat we are in favor of the proposal for the Nez 

Perce National Historical Park. We will be glad to work with the 

U.S. National Park Service in the compilation and interpretation of 

the wildlife relationships in the area.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much. As I have previously stated, 

some time I am going to do some of this fishing you are talking about. 

I pledge myself to return at the earliest possible moment.

Mr. Woodworth. We will be delighted to take you out.

Senator J ordan. Thank you very much for a fine statement, Mr. 

Woodworth.

Senator Bible. I have a letter from William J. Dee, former State 

senator from Idaho County for inclusion at this point.

(The letter referred to follows:)

October 2, 1964.

Hon. Alan Bible,

Chairman, Public Land Subcommittee,

Senate Interior Insular Affairs Committee,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Bible : I am the incumbent S tate senator for Idaho County. As 

a representative of the people in the county, I appreciate this opportunity to 

express what I know to be their views as well as my personal opinion in respect 

to the proposal to create a Nez Perce National Historical Park.

The areas in the proposed site are all an integral part of our American history. 

The preservation of these portions of our history would be a direct benefit to the 

past, present, and future of our entire country. Too often, the colorful aspects 

of our history go unrecognized and once forgotten they are lost forever.

The residents of Idaho County are particularly interested since we understand 

that two of the main centers to be operated by the Park Service would possibly
46 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

be located in Idaho County at the W hite Bird Battleground Center and the Lewis 

and Clark Camp Center. There is little doubt th at this pa rticular are a is probably one of the las t gre at cen ters of American Indian history. The magnificent 

individual performances of the particip ants in the historical incidents of the 

are a have received considerable litera ry summaton. However, a tru e perpetuation of these historical events must come from the physical are as in which they 

occurred. It is only right and fitting th at this historical era be shared with the 

people of the United State s.

We, therefore, feel that Congress, for the benefit of all our citizens, should 

establish this national historic park to preserve the landmarks and historical 

site s in Idaho County and in the contiguous a reas which have such an important 

bearing ui>on the histo ry of the Nez Perce Ind ians and our fro nti er mining areas. 

Yours very truly,

W il l ia m J. D ee,

State Senator, Idaho County.

Senator Bible. Our next, witness is Ralph S. Space, of the Clearwater Historical Society.

STATEMENT OF RALPH S. SPACE, PRES IDENT, CLEARWATER 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Mr. Space. Mr. Chairman, Senator Jordan, and ladies and 

gentlemen, my name is Ralph S. Space. I am president of t he Clearwater Historical Society.

First, we wish to express our appreciation for being permitted to 

appear before this committee. The Clearwater Historical Society is 

deeply interested in the adoption of this legislation and welcomes the 

opportunity of giving our reasons why we strongly urge its passage. 

Many organizations will favor this bill because of the monetary gain 

to their group or locality throu gh an increased tourist trade. The 

Clearwater Historical Society agrees tha t giving national park status 

to the historical sites in this area will likely produce such result. However, the objectives of the Clearwater Historical Society are not monetary. The constitution of our society establishes as one of its prime 

objectives the preservation of historical sites, monuments, and markers 

and to cooperate in making them accessible to the public. It is in 

furtherance of this objective that we support Senate bill S. 232G.

The Nez Perce country has many historical sites tha t should be 

preserved, made accessible to the public, and through signs or other 

media, their meaning and historical significance interpreted. For example, the 'White Bird and Clearwater battlefields, the camps of Lewis 

and Clark, the old Lolo Trail, and the Spalding Mission are all historical sites of national interest th at need to be preserved.

Historical sites, if unprotected, go through a process of erosion. 

The original site of an historical event is changed by the sweeping tide 

of progress. A road is built here, a house there, trees are cleared away, 

until the original appearance of th e site is lost. There is the souvenir 

hunter who di^s up graves, sifts the ground, and carries away priceless 

relics. Combine these with the ruthless hand of vandalism and the 

need for preservation becomes apparent.

But preservation, as important as it is, is not the only reason for 

placing these sites in a national park. To really serve the public, the 

site must be adequately developed, signs directing people to points of 

interest installed, and recordings explaining the events t hat took place 

along with their meaning and significance prepared. These we feel 

can be done only by passage of Senate bill S. 2326.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 47

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Space. We are glad to 

have the report of the Clearwater Historical Society.

Senator Jorda n?

Senator J ordan. Ralp h Space is a forester, and I have enjoyed his 

hospitality in the Clearwater area. He is a man well versed in the 

legend and lore of the State.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Space.

Our next witness is Mr. Roger McGinnis, executive vice president 

of the Boise Chamber of Commerce. Appa rently he is not present. 

We will p rin t his prepared statement at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Prepared Statement of Roger B. McGin n is , E xecutive Vice Presid ent, 

Greater (Idaho) Chamber of Commerce

Senator Alan Bible, chairman, members, U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Public 

Lands, on behalf of the Greater Boise Chamber of Commerce, r epresenting 1,300 

business, professional, and individual members, I am appearing before your committee today to reg ister for the reco rd our organization’s support for the proposed Nez Perce Nation al Historical Park, and to urge your favorable recommen dation for the passage of whatever congressional legislation is needed to 

bring this park into being during the next session of the Congress.

The Greater Boise Chamber of Commerce, serving Idaho’s cap ital city, is 

keenly aw are of the many advantage s the establishme nt of this park will have 

to the economy of our State, plus the equally important role thi s park will have 

in the preservation of the priceless herita ge of the Nez Perce country * * * both 

in the matter of lan d as well as historically significant landmarks.

Because we are the cap ital city chamber of commerce, we a re the recipient of 

thousand s of letters each month * * * averaging some 5,000 per month * * * 

throughout the year asking a myriad of questions about, not only Boise, and 

our immediate valley, but the Gem State as a whole. A large number of these 

letters are prompted by students in all grade levels who are seeking referen ce 

material on the history of Idah o and the Pacific Northwest * * * and more 

particular ly the da ta we can supply on Ind ian tribes, early-day explorerssettlers, the Lewis and Clark expedition. Many of these lett ers, particular ly 

from the high er grade levels including college, express an int ere st in visiting 

historic sites within o ur Gem State.

As a result of the extensive national and regional advertising programs sponsored by Ida ho’s Sta te Departme nt of Commerce and Development, as well as 

by our Greater Boise C hamber of Commerce, plus the growing n umber of fe atu re 

articles appearing in many national publications which describe our State ’s 

scenic and vacation areas, we are receiv ing a continually growing number of 

inquiries for prin ted m ate rials describing our Sta te and area .

And, these inquiries are seeking info rma tion about the location and accommodations offered in our national parks. Since Idaho has no national parks, 

this places our entire Sta te at a disadv antage in the increasingly keenly competitive business of tourism. It is tru e th at we have the natio nal Crate rs of the 

Moon information cen ter ne ar Arco, and the western borders of famous Yellowstone National Par k, but neither of these are sufficient to satisfy the growing 

demands of our tourists inquirers who are planning longer vacations.

The Greater Boise Chamber of Commerce, in addition to the han dling of t hese 

thousands of mail inquiries each year, has, in recent years, operated a summertime tou rist information cen ter sep ara te and ap ar t from our full-time business 

office. This tou rist info rmation center, operated 7 days each week for 3 summer 

months, June, July , August, is located on Capitol Boulevard in Ju lia Davis Park, 

adjacent to the Idaho Sta te Historical Museum, is staffed by two full-time hostesses who are traine d by us to answer all types of questions about both our 

immediate are a as well as giving helpful information rega rdin g sights and points 

of interest the to urist might visit in other pa rts of our State.

In 1963 and 1964, the first 2 years of our summertime tour ist inform atio n 

service, our center was visited by carloads of visitors from all the States, most 

of the Canadia n Provinces, and several foreign countries. Based on the listing 

of questions compiled by our hostesses, we learned of an increasing number of 

travelers who are inte rested in visiting national parks, historical landmarks,
48 NEZ PERCE NAT IONAL HISTOR ICA L PARK , IDAH O

and in fo rm at io n ce nt er s, plu s th e usu al num be r of in quir ie s about lake s, mou nta in re so rts, fishin g, an d ca m pi ng sj)ots . W ith th e co mpleti on of th e Le wi s an d 

C la rk Hig hw ay , a g re at nu m be r ask about th e co nd itio n of th e ro ad , pl us in ­

fo rm at io n about th in gs to see an d vis it en ro ute * * * th in gs which pert ain 

to th eir tr avels an d to th e In dia n lo re of th a t ar ea .

We kn ow , as a re su lt of our pe rs on al se rv ice to th es e man y, m an y inqu irie s, 

th a t th e auth ori zati on of th e Nez Per ce N ational H is to rica l P ark w ill be of re al 

va lu e bo th ec on om icall y as well as ed uca tional ly to our Sta te , and ou r ar ea . 

Bo ise, a pri m ary ce nte r fo r tr avele rs en ro ute nort h and so ut h, is si tu ate d on 

se ve ra l hi gh w ay s, bo th N at io nal as well as Sta te . In th is lo ca tio n, we are in a 

po sition to evalu ate th e att ra cti o n s of our beauti fu l S ta te be ca us e of th e gre at 

nu m be r wh o tr av el th ro ugh her e en ro ute to des ti nati ons w ithin our St at e. 

Bec au se of t his , we h av e a dir ect as w ell as an in dir ect in te re st in th e auth ori zati on a nd co mpletion of this v er y muc h w orthw hi le en de av or .

1 th in k it is im port an t, too, fo r me t o re m in d yo u ge ntlemen th a t our or gan iz ation has no t al w ay s fa vo re d th e w ithdra w al of la rg e are as of pu bl ic la nds which 

co uld oth er w is e be us ed pr od uc tive ly fo r th e pu blic good in th e fie lds of fo re st ry , 

mining, gr az in g, an d oth er econ om ic us es . An d, it is be ca us e of th is ofttim es 

re pea te d st and of ou rs f av ori ng pri vate ente rp ri se d ev elo pm en t of re so ur ce are as 

th a t I be lie ve it is also im port ant fo r me to espe cially comm end (he sp on so rs of 

th is pr og ra m fo r th e fa ct th a t th ey do not co nt em pl at e th e tr a n sfe r of a consi de ra bl e am ount of th is Nez Per ce co un tr y to Fed er al co nt ro l or ow ne rshi p, bu t, 

in st ea d, a re m ak in g pr ov isions fo r a co or di na te d de ve lopm en t of in fo rm at io n 

ce nte rs an d to u ri st se rv ice fa cil it ie s em ploy ing th e re so ur ce s of pri vate ente rpri se a s well a s ne ed ed G ov er nm en t a ge nc ies.

In additio n to th is “i m ag in at iv e new co nc ep t,’' I th in k it. is p art ic u la rl y signf iica nt th a t th e Nez Per ce In dia n T ribe will ha ve a ha nd in th e de ve loping an d 

in te rp re ti ng of th es e his to ri ca l sites. Ev en thou gh th is is not co ns id er ed a Nez 

Pe rc e In dia n Tribe pr oj ec t, it is rec og nize d th a t th e hi st or y of th is In dia n trib e 

is an in te gra l p a rt of th e ov er al l his to ry of th e nort hern half of our Sta te , an d 

th e national stor y.

The G re ate r Bo ise Cha m be r of Co mm erc e sinc er el y en do rs es an d su pp or ts 

th is prop os al, an d ur ge s your co m m itt ee to fa vo ra bly reco mmen d th e pa ss ag e 

of w ha te ve r legi slat io n is re qu ired to cre ate th e pa rk , an d to appro pri ate w hatev er fu nd s will be needed to ass ure th e de ve lopm en t of th e par k as ou tli ne d 

in th e fe as ib ility re port pre par ed by th e N at io na l P ark Se rvice .

Senator Bible. I will now call Arthu r L. Barnes, who is director 

of the Idaho State Chamber of Commerce.

STATEMENT OF ARTHUR L. BARNES, DIRECTOR AND PAST 

PRESIDENT, IDAHO STATE CHAMBER OE COMMERCE

Mr. Barnes. Senator Bible and Senator Jorda n, my name is A. L. 

Barnes. I am president of Erb Hardw are Co., Lewiston, Idaho. I 

am also a director and past president of the Idaho State Chamber of 

Commerce and it is in th is capacity that I appear today. The Idaho 

State Chamber Executive Committee, acting for the board of directors pursuant to authority granted by the organization's constitution 

and by-laws, has directed me to submit the following statement with 

regard to the proposal to establish the Nez Perce Nat ional Historical 

Park.

'Fhe Idaho State Chamber of Commerce wholeheartedly supports 

the principle embodied in the proposal to establish the Nez Perce 

National Historical Park. It is understood tha t the general intent of 

any enabling legislation would be to isolate and preserve specific areas 

of historic interest for the benefit of the general public.

This “decentralized, cooperative approach,” as described by the Nez 

Perce National Park Association, would seem to establish a desirable 

precedent, as opposed to the withdrawal of extremely large blocks of 

land.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 49

It is an established fact that Idaho is a State whose economy is dependent upon full utilization of its natu ral resources. With 63.8 

percent of all land in Idaho under Federal ownership, further setasides of magnitude can only restrict maximum resource development 

and reduce the S tate’s tax base.

Another probable benefit of the historical park would be to increase the volume of the areas involved as tourist attractions. Income 

from this source can lie of significant value to Idaho.

The Idaho State Chamber of Commerce, however, reserves the right 

to reexamine its position after scrutiny of the legislation to create the 

park.

It is noted t hat the National Park Service, in various sections of its 

feasibility report, uses such terms as “scenic integrity, scenic controls, 

and uncontrolled private development,’’ and states that “action to 

purchase needed properties and establish needed controls must proceed at once.”

Such terms will require careful and exact definition if the original 

inten t of the proposal is to be retained.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Barnes. This is, as you 

know, a new concept in park management and park development, and 

I am looking forward to working with this proposal with a great 

deal of interest. It is a decentralized type of approach and would 

work very well in avoiding some of the dangers you express. I am 

glad for it. A press release of the Department of the Interior explaining the plan has been ordered printed as an appendix to this hearing.

Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. I am grateful for the statement, Mr. Barnes. I 

think in working out the legislative history of this act we can incorporate certain safeguards and provisions th at would alleviate some 

of the apprehensions you have expressed here. I hope w e can. Thank 

you.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Mr. Barnes.

Our next witness is Jack Clifford, president of the North Idaho 

Chamber of Commerce.

STATEMENT OE JACK CLIFFORD, PRESIDENT, NORTH IDAHO 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. Clifford. Senator Bible, Senator Jordan, my name is Jack 

Clifford. I reside at 190214th Avenue, Lewiston, Idaho. I am director 

of public affairs of Potlatch Forests, Inc., and am currently serving 

as president of the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce. The NICC 

is a confederation not only of business interests but of governmental 

agency representatives and private citizens, and has been deeply interested in the growth and prosperity of the State of Idaho and particularly of this region since 1908.

We of the West have failed for the most part to perpetuate the color 

and events of the most dramatic chapter in the history oL^hebuild.ing 

of this Nation. With a handicap of nearly two centriSw fi'ibre history, the Eastern States, and particularly those of N(^En glan d, have 

had much more success not only in chronicling the l/slory, but in pre* 

serving the spirit of those people and events whi<a^ga\|qp^npetus to 

creation of the greatest society in recorded history. 1965 o
50 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the proposal from the standpoint of one identified with a corporation which believes and practices 

integrated multiple use of lands is the grea t amount of historically 

significant events which can be recorded on relatively few areas. I 

personally oppose the acquisition of more and larger tracts set aside 

for any single-purpose use. Indeed, with a growing population it is 

more important than ever th at public and private lands be managed 

under the multiple-use concept. The proposal before this committee 

is an intelligent answer to any reservations I might have in regard 

to withdrawing more acres from production in an area in which the 

preponderance of land is now public domain. It may well even 

establish a precedent for other areas, both in the West where most of 

the acreage is managed by public agencies, and in the East where 

there is limited land available. Under the concept presented here 

today, it is not necessary to set aside inordinate amounts of land to preserve our heritage or to provide recreation to the American public. 

Only those lands necessary to the administration of the system are 

taken out of production and at the same time areas of historic importance can be dignified by the status of a national park.

As a person interested in western lore and history, I find it significant also that the descendants of those who met and befriended the 

Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805 have again joined hands with 

their neighbors in a mutual desire to preserve something of the heritage of both races. The trials, troubles, wars, and turbulence of the 

past are now but pages of the book which records the story of the 

efforts and the struggles of two great nations. From friendship and 

faith in the future, the Nez Perce Tribe is to be highly commended for 

its efforts to develop this system and to preserve for all time the culture 

and integrity of its colorful past.

I believe th at the combining of various sites into a national par k 

system, ra ther than setting aside large single-purpose areas, is sound 

from the standpoint of economics, geography, and the history peculiar 

to the United States. Events which shaped the destiny of America 

are interwoven into the fabric of our culture but took place in several 

widely spaced locations of equal significance. Further, the mobility 

of the American family lends itself to the enjoyment of a system which 

will recreate the history and recall the lessons of the past by preserving 

for today and fo r succeeding generations the historical heritage of the 

Nation.

There can be no doubt tha t this proposal is of great national significance. The area was first explored by the Lewis and Clark Expedition 

of 1804-06, and some of the most meaningful developments in the 

progress of the Nation took place in the era following the expedition’s 

return to Washington. Today, the vacationer-motorist can easily 

visit all 22 of the sites recommended in the feasibility report prepared 

by the National Park Service. While great economic benefits will 

accrue to the residents of the immediate area, there can be no doubt that 

appreciation for the historic impact of the region on the growth and 

expansion of America will be enhanced.

We join in support of this proposed national park system. At ­

tached to this statement is a resolution recently and unanimously 

passed by the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce in support of an 

area designated and administered by the National Park Service as
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 51

being of historical significance. I respectfully urge this distinguished 

committee to lend the weight of its knowledge and prestige to the 

cidmination of a program to make the proposed system a reality.

(The resolution referred to follow s:)

Resolution No. 3 ofthe North I daho Chamber of Commerce

Whereas the majestic, inspiring history of the fabled Nez Perce country has 

been neglected thus far by the Government of the United States in its official 

designations of historic areas of gre at national significance; and

Whereas this romantic region enfolds three epic tales of our Nations’ hi sto ry: 

the legendary feats and failures of the goldseekers ; the magnificent story of Chief 

Jose ph; and the chronicle of the ultimate challenges to the unrivaled explorers, 

Lewis and Cl ark ; and

Whereas this area and the historic lands adjoining it in four States pass swiftly 

from the old era into the new’ and a highway of unsurpassed beauty has at last 

been completed across the storied Lolo Pass and down the multishaded Lochsa to 

place this secluded area on a main traffic stream, while to the west a great system 

of dams expands steadily upstream to make this area, within a decade, the head 

of navigation on the Columbia River system ; and

Whereas when the swelling tide of highway traffic meets the barges loading 

out to the open sea, then the old ways and the old landmarks may be engulfed 

speedily by the new—unless we now protect and preserve the rich heritage of the 

pa st ; and

Whereas we commend and compliment the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, 

John A. Carver, Jr., upon his announced intention to head a survey tour through 

this region May 15-17, 1963, to determine appropriate means to commemorate 

and retain these historic resources; and we extend a warm welcome and assu rance of our fullest cooperation and assistance to any member of the National 

Park Service Advisory Board, to officials of the National Park Service, and to 

other friends of our region who may participate in this tour ; and

Whereas appreciation should be expressed to the members of the Idaho congressional delegation, to the Governor of Idaho, to the directors of the State 

departm ent of commerce and development, and to the Idaho State Historical Society, and to the other representatives of Federal, State, and community agencies 

and organizations which has encouraged and assisted in this undertaking and 

whose continued efforts we seek ; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce, a t its spring meeting 

at Orofino, Idaho, this 11th day of May 1963, supports the proposal for the creation 

in this region of an area designated and administered by the National Park 

Service as an area of national historic importance, and suggest tha t this area 

should include Federal, State, and private land maintained generally under present ownerships, except as it may be necessary for the Federal Government to 

acquire limited land resources to administer an appropriate national historic 

program and we pledge the continued assistance of this chamber of commerce to 

the prompt attainment of these objectives.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Clifford. I have no 

question myself.

Senator Jord an?

Senator J ordan. Mr. Chairman, the North Idaho Chamber of Commerce is an unusual organization. It is welded together from all of 

the communities of north Idaho into a tremedously effective organization, and Jac k Clifford has made a fine statement on the ir behalf.

Senator Bible. I agree, and thank you very much.

The next witness will be Dr. Earl Swanson, director of the Idah o 

State University Museum.

Dr. Swanson.
52 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

STATEMENT OF DR. EARL H. SWANSON, JR., DIRECTOR OF THE

MUSEUM AND PROFESSOR OF ANTHROPOLOGY, IDAHO STATE

UNIVERSITY

Dr. Swanson. Senator Bible, Senator Jo rdan , and ladies and gentlemen, my name is E arl II. Swanson, Jr ., and I am director of the museum and professor of anthropology, Idaho State University. Several 

things have led me to support the proposal for a Nez Perce National 

Historical Park. One of these is the historic p art which the Nez Perce 

have played in the development of the Northwest. The second is the 

value of Nez Perce territory for scientific studies which shed light on 

the nature of human history. A third factor involves the conservation 

of such resources within the domain of a national park.

The Idaho State University Museum has been carry ing on anthropological research involving aspects of Nez Perce history since the 

summer of 1958. The several programs have involved Federal contracts, State, and private foundations funds, and they continue to the 

present time.

In the first place, the history of the Nez Perce has a special flavor 

based on the character of their culture and the importance of their 

position in the Pacific Northwest. Museum studies at Camas Prair ie 

indicate an antiquity for man in the Clearwater Plate au of at least 

7,500 years.

Senator Bible. Are you saying the Nez Perce were here 7,500 years

ag o?

D r. Swanson. No, I am saying they shared some portion of that 

time. We are not saying the Nez Perce were here all that time but our 

museum studies indicate tha t there have been tribes in the area for at 

least th at many years. Studies show that there has been a continuity 

of culture for at least one group of the Nez Perce, to this time.

Senator Bible. I am sorry for my interruption.

Dr. Swanson. That is all right. We think they have a unique part 

in the development of the region.

Studies, supported by gifts from private individuals and corporations, also indicate close adjustments to an environment which is quite 

similar to that of the Puget Sound and Pacific coast, in which peoples 

live who are related to the Nez Perce by language, and possibly by 

culture.

Other elements of Nez Perce prehistory have come to ligh t through 

salvage programs under Federal contract to the National Par k Service 

in the Bruces E ddy Reservoir, to the Smithsonian Institution in the 

Hells Canyon Reservoir, through the State department of highways in 

programs of excavation carried out along the Salmon River and its 

tributaries between Riggins and White Bird, and more will come to 

light in excavations to begin soon in the High Mountain Sheep Reservoir. All of the studies so far done support the idea tha t the Nez 

Perce have an important heritage worthy of national interest and 

respect.

Second, Nez Perce territory offers to the student of man’s place in 

natu re a laboratory of prime importance. For example, there are special features in the soils of the Clearwater Plateau which permit us 

to think tha t man may have been unable to occupy parts of it until 

about 7,000 to 8,000 years ago. The similarity of some features of the
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 53

prehistoric culture of the Clearwater Plate au to those of an earlier 

time on the Pacific coast offer special opportunities for studying man’s 

adjustm ents to his environment and his reasons for spreading from the 

coast to the interior. The general area of Nez Perce territory is of 

additional scientific interest because there is evidence that native game 

was not abundant on Camas Prairie in the years before the coming of 

the white man. This is a reverse of the situation in the country of the 

Northern Shoshoni.

Finally, we are in an age when men show little concern for their 

own history. As a result, the amount of amateur destruction of irre ­

placeable historic resources is accelerating beyond the capacity of the 

professional or of ordinary government agencies to meet the challenge. 

These resources are also being destroyed by a wide variety of construction which salvage archeology is only partially able to meet. Variable Federal funds provide for more or less successful salvage of some 

archeological localities in the region, especially those under the highway salvage program. However, there are other projects of a local 

community character in which historic resources are destroyed without 

any attempt at salvage or protection. In east Kamiah, a prehistoric 

village of 14 houses was recently destroyed altogether by sewage disposal bulldozing and dragline operations. A more adequate standard 

of protection is needed for the grea t resources of human history that 

exist in Nez Perce territory.

In summary, it should be reiterated t hat the Nez Perce as a people 

have a significant and colorful history which should be preserved.

In the second place, we believe the area of the Nez Perce has some 

very important scientific values for the student of the human origin. 

The range of the environment occupied by the Nez Perce is similar 

in many respects to the environment west of the Cascade Range, where 

there are other people of similar culture, and this adjustment in environment and culture creates a number of problems which it is going 

to take years to study before we can arrive at reasonable answers.

In the third place, we think these historic and scientific values which 

are to be found in this Nez Perce territory ought to be conserved. We 

think they can be well preserved by the National Park Service, 

through their knowledge of this area. This is something they can do 

and guarantee in the national interest of a very high standard. The 

people of this area are unanimous in their support of this proposal and 

we commit ourselves to cooperate in the development without reservation.

Thank you.

Senator Bible. Thank you.

I have a question. I have always admired your field of study. Do 

you have any general idea, and I don’t mean to get you off on a sidetrack, but it always interests me where the Indian comes from. Can 

you give me a capsule idea? Did they originate here? I have heard 

it said they came from the Orient or the Mediterranean area. I don’t 

know how you trace it back.

Dr. Swanson. According to the best information so far, we still 

suggest the first men came to the New World by the Bering Straits. 

Recently people have theorized tha t there may have been settlements 

via Iceland, and others have uncovered settlements in Newfoundland 

about the year 1000, so that route could have been used at an earlier 

time, as suggested by one or two people.
54 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Also there have been discoveries in South Am erica of a gr ea t deal 

of Ja pa ne se cul tur e m ate ria l, so it w ould a pp ea r th ere w ould h ave been 

sev eral rou tes into the New W orld. B ut the bes t evidence so fa r is 

thro ug h the Be rin g Strai ts in periods when the ice sheets were more 

ext end ed than now. Th e sea level was low er an d it was possible fo r 

men to move across such land s. Th ey did n't even know the y wer e on 

a bridge.

Se na tor Bible. T hat has alw ays been fasc inating to me. I hav e 

he ard people tal k a bout it.

Se na tor J or da n?

Se na tor J ordan. It is a sub ject whi ch I wish we had tim e to explo re.

Se na tor Bible. Our ne xt witnes s is Dr . Boyd M artin , dean of the 

College of Le tte rs & Science, of t he Universit y of Idaho.

App ar en tly he is no t here. Our next witness the n w ill be Wayne 

H. Sim s, p res ident of th e L ew is-Clark N orm al School. Is he pr ese nt ?

STATEMENT OF DR. WAYNE H. SIMS, PRESIDENT, LEWIS-CLARK 

NORMAL SCHOOL

Mr. Sims. My nam e is W ay ne H. Sims. I am preside nt of Lew isCla rk Nor ma l School.

Sin ce Am erican cu ltu re is the sum tot al of as ma ny different cultures as we have ha d im migrants fro m different land s and these cultures have been am alg am ate d i nto o ur prese nt c ult ure, i t is incre asingly 

im po rtan t t h at we pres erv e th e i nd ividua l m onuments of o ur owTn p ast . 

In one rel ati ve ly small are a, bou nded by the Salmon Ri ve r on the 

sou th and th e nor th for k o f th e C learwater Ri ve r on t he north , are to be 

foun d prac tic ally all of tho se efforts th at we nt into the ma kin g of 

mo dern Am eric a. Here is the alm ost leg en da ry tre k of Lew is and 

Cl ark, trave ls of fu r trap pe rs, mis sionaries, settle rs, sold iers , logg ers, 

an d of course, th ei r relatio ns to th e Nez Perce In dian s. Ma ny of 

the se sites and th ei r ph ysical p ro pe rti es are still relatively un dis tur bed, 

bu t t hrou gh the erosion of tim e an d pro gre ss they are now threa ten ed 

as never before.

As a tea cher and as an in dividu al, I feel the chance to not only 

pre ser ve these sites bu t to be able to staff the m and offer interp retiv e 

guida nce to the ir significance will help in the teachin g of ou r Am erican he rit ag e, not only to the local stu de nts bu t to all wdio pass th is 

way . Sin ce the site w ith ou t th e p ro pe r i nter pr etat ion is b ut a n em pty 

th in g, the estab lishm ent of th e three main interpretiv e cen ters will 

aid all wyho try to pass o n to succ eed ing generat ions some o f o ur cu ltu re 

and his tor y.

In th is site is histo ry as Am eri cans need to kno w it. Most of the 

scenic wonde rs of Am erica have been pre ser ved th ro ug h the effo rts 

of the G overn me nt an d citizens. I t is im po rtan t to pre ser ve these, and 

equ ally as im po rtan t to pre ser ve ou r histo ry. We are fo rtun ate in 

ha vi ng both scenic and histo ric value in th e same are a o f th e Nez Perce 

Historica l Pa rk . Th is too, is no t ju st a reg ion al int ere st. It is na ­

tio nw ide and of na tio na l im portance. The jou rne y mad e by Lew is 

an d Clark stirre d the en tir e Na tio n an d con tinues to appeal to all 

the peop le o f Am erica.

Th ro ug h pr op er dev elopment and display th is vital par t of our 

histo ry can be prese rved and con sequently ta ught mo re rea dily t o our 

yo un g pe ople an d to all who ar e in terest ed.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 55

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Sims. That is a fine 

statement.

Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Dr. Sims.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Dr. Richard D. Daugherty, p rofessor of anthropology at Washington State University. Dr. Daugherty, we are glad to have you with us this morning.

STATEMENT OF DR. RIC HA RD D. DAUGHERTY , PROFESSOR OF 

ANTHROPOLOGY, WASHINGTON STA TE UN IV ER SITY

Dr. Daugherty. My name is Dr. Richard D. Daugherty. I am 

professor of anthropology at Washington State University. For the

S

ast 16 years I have directed archeological excavations in the Pacific 

orthwest and recently have conducted research in Egypt, Sudan, 

France, and Spain. 1 wish to offer the following remarks in support 

of the proposed Nez Perce National Park and particularly wish to 

comment on the archeological resources relating to the proposed park 

area.

The area proposed for inclusion in this park is rich in prehistoric 

sites. From evidence curre ntly available, it will be possible to present a record of man’s occupation of this area during the past 11,000 

years. The archeological resources to be found in this region consist 

of village sites, campsites, burial sites, caves, rock shelters, pictograph 

sites (designs painted on rocks), and petroglyph sites (designs inscribed in the rocks). To give you an idea of the richness of this 

area, let me point out that this past summer I employed an archeological team to locate and evaluate all the archeological sites which will be 

flooded by construction of the proposed Asotin Dam. Within the 

maximum pool level of this one reservoir, the team located 158 archeological sites. There is little question tha t if a similar investigation 

were conducted along the Clearwater River, sites would be found in 

equal abundance. Importa nt archeological sites have been discovered 

and some already have been excavated within the proposed park area. 

For example, excavations conducted at the important Weis Rockshelter site, by archeologists from Idaho State University, have recorded a continuous cultural record extending over approximately 

8,000 years. In addition, the program of highway salvage archeology 

now going on in Idaho has led to the discovery of other important 

sites along W hite Bird Pass.

The Nez Perce Indians and their ancestors once occupied a very 

large territory. Some of the recent archeological work tha t we have 

conducted on the Snake River also relates directly or at least is closely 

related to the cultural history of the Nez Perce. The programs th at we 

have been conducting along the Snake River annually since 1957 have 

resulted in the recovery of thousands of Indian artifacts and large 

quantities of data concerning this culture history. All of these materials and data are available for display in properly administered museums and visitors’ centers within the park area. With continuing 

programs of research along the Snake—already including many seasons of excavations in Lower Monumental, Little Goose, Lower Granite, and Asotin Reservoirs—much more will be learned and many th ousands more artifacts will be available for display. On the basis of
56 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

what we have learned, and on the basis of what will be learned through 

future archeological research in this area, it will be possible to present 

for visitors to the park a rather detailed picture of man’s activities and 

his adjustments to a changing environment extending over at least 

11,000 years.

Thus, I would strongly endorse the proposal to establish a Nez Perce 

National Park.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Dr. Daugherty. This offers another 

facet and development which is very interesting.

Simply for the record, Washington State University is a t P ullman; 

is this correct?

Dr. Daugherty. That is right.

Senator Bible. Where is Pullman in relation to where we are now?

Dr. Daugherty. It is about 35 miles north. It is in the State of 

Washington but it is geographically very close to here.

Senator J ordan. The archeological resources of this area have 

always been very interesting to me and I would like to explore them 

further and deeper.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Dr. Daugherty.

Our next witness is Sister M. Alfreda Elsensohn.

We are very happy to have you with us this morning, Sister.

STATEMENT OF SISTER M. ALFREDA ELSENSOHN, VICE PRESIDENT, 

COLLEGE OF ST. GERTRUDE, COTTONWOOD, IDAHO

Sister Elsensohn. Honorable Senators, my name is Sister M. 

Alfreda Elsensohn. I am vice president of the College of St. Gertrude, Cottonwood, Idaho; director of St. Gertrude’s Museum, Cottonwood; and author of the two volumes of “Pioneer Days in Idaho 

County.”

A longtime interest in Idaho County has prompted me to write two 

volumes of “Pioneer Days in Idaho County,” published in 1947 and 

1951 by the Caxton Printers of Caldwell, Idaho. Born in Grangeville, 

my interest in local history began in my preschool days when I lived 

at Mount Idaho at the time it was still Idaho County’s th ird county 

seat. I listened in rapt attention as Mrs. II. C. Brown told my mother 

of her experiences in their store at White Bird before the Indian war 

of 1877 and of their escape to the prairie at the outbreak of the war.

I was fascinated by the Chinese in Mount Idaho who had a store 

and a settlement nearby. My fathe r was Idaho County’s first superintendent of schools and I spent hours in his office afte r the county 

seat had been moved to its fourth home at Grangeville.

“Romance Lies in the Name,” is the title I chose for chapter II of 

volume I. Idaho is a name which has suggested romance to poets 

and writers and still seems to suggest a closeness to nature and 

people, if I may judge from the historical correspondence carried on 

through the years since the publication of my two books.

To preserve this pioneer spirit it seems fitting tha t the National 

Pa rk Service should be entrusted with the preservation of Idaho 

County’s historic sites. The major purpose of our national parks, as 

I understand it, is to instruct, to inspire, to open the door to understand ing of the land and its people, and to keep this knowledge unimpaired fo r future generations.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 57

Key historical sites should be preserved for posterity. This is 

especially important in Idaho County since i t covers an area larger 

than the State of Massachusetts and little has been done in the way 

of preservation. Idaho County is closely related to Nez Perce and 

Clearwater Counties by historical ties. In fact Camas Pra irie and 

the Elk City district were p art of Nez Perce County prio r to 1875. 

An 1873 issue of the Idaho Signal, Lewiston newspaper preserved in 

our museum at St. Gertru des Academy, has a list of the county 

officials fo r three counties, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Idaho County. 

It names various post offices including those of Mount Idaho, Newsome, Slate Creek, John Day, Florence, and Washington which no 

longer exist. It carries an advertisement by a druggist a t Washington, 

or “Washington in Warrens Camp” as it was often described, then 

the county seat.

For 5 years, 1848-53, the area now known as Idaho County was part 

of Oregon Territory. Then it became part of Washington Territory. Idaho County as such was created in December 1861 and on 

March 4,1863, it was included in the newly created Territory of Idaho. 

A striking change has been made in the evaluation of Idah o’s assets 

since Washington Irvin g in 1837 wrote th at “it is a land where no man 

permanently resides.”

Idaho County offers a priceless cultural and educational heritage 

which should be shared with people beyond the confines of Idaho 

County. Even within the past year my correspondence with people 

outside the county in such States as New Jersey, Illinois, Louisiana, 

and Texas indicates a grea t interest in Idaho County. To them it is 

now a place where one can escape from the turmoil of civilization, a 

place for “human renewal.”

Florence, Warrens, Washington, Mount Idaho, Slate Creek, Golden, 

Newsome, El k City, Buffalo Hump, Burg dorf, Dixie, Kamiah, Stites, 

Adams Camp, Clearwater, Mountain House, Denver, are but some of 

the place names which evoke historical memories. I have noted that 

the plan for the park mentions three main visitor centers to be located 

at Spalding, Kamiah, and White Bird. It seems to me that it would 

be important to have a four th such center located at Grangeville since 

it is the gateway to some of the old mining towns and to Mount Idaho 

famed for its role in the Nez Perce Indian war.

Idaho County has its share of historical characters. Perhaps no 

one person has evoked more interest than the Chinese woman, Polly 

Bemis, of whom the late J. C. Safley, editor of the San Diego Union 

around 1953, wrote “I interviewed Polly Bemis when she, like a 

modern Rip Van Winkle, emerged from a half century’s slumber 

beneath the shadow of majestic Buffalo Hump.” The original marker 

on the grave of the notorious criminal character, II. C. Talbotte, buried 

in Florence, can be seen in the log cabin museum of the Idaho County 

Historical Society in Grangeville.

L. P. Brown, founder of Mount Idaho and first postmaster of Mount 

Idaho, was involved in many of the early activities of the Camas 

Prairie region including the hotel business in Cottonwood. His hotel 

at Mount Idaho became a hospital during the Nez Perce Indian war. 

The McBeth sisters taug ht the India ns at Mount Idaho later on. 

Tolo, Chief Joseph, White Bird, and Yellow Bull are Indian names 

of significance in Idaho County history. Gue Owen and Sing Lee 

are Chinese names of pioneer interest.
58 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Time has come, it seems, for north central Idaho to take stock of its 

historical heritage and take steps to preserve it before it is too late. 

Dams, mining interests, and national highways threaten to destroy 

some of our historical spots. Such a site as Florence, judging from a 

visit in early August 1964, might well be destroyed by mining interests.

Sources of information and research are still available which would 

afford more of the data needed to interpret these sites. Each passing 

year makes such research more difficult. Only recently I heard about 

the remains of a Chinese settlement in the vicinity of Florence.

On page 3 of the first volume of “Pioneer Days in Idaho County” I 

called attention to a letter in the files of the Nez Perce National Forest, 

written in January 1937 by J . Neilson Barry, of Portland, Oreg., in 

which he commented on the fact tha t tourists would be attracted if 

each forest had its records, li e stated tha t other regions attract by 

historical associations, Europe, Scotland, Evangeline’s country—but 

here we do not develop our historical background. The creation of a 

national park would certainly be in line with this suggestion made 

over 25 years ago. As the author of the two volumes “Pioneer Days 

in Idaho County” I feel that we must make sure tha t our technological 

civilization does not erase the memory of our pioneer achievements 

and character.

M.v purpose—

1 stated 20 years ago in writing the introduction to my first book—

lias been to record as far as possible the geographic and historic factors and associations which have entered into the naming of the towns of Idaho County, of 

her numerous mountain peaks, her creeks, her lakes, her rivers, and many other 

natural features of significance.

Volume I deals mainly with the towns and settlements and their historic associations. Volume II is woven around the history of the physical features of 

the county. Since Idaho County is so large and its history is varied and 

picturesque, I feel justified in considering these volumes representative of the 

pioneer days of north-central Idaho.

One of the greatest gifts we can offer to the future is the preservation of those historic sites, buildings and forest scenery which will 

bring fresh perspectives to the next generation. My participation on 

Labor Day in a field trip to the historic mining towns of Elk City and 

Newsome under the auspices of our Idaho County Historical Society 

accentuated my feeling of a need for the restoration of our historical 

sites. I believe tha t our local people are becoming more and more 

aware of the necessity of preserving such sites and are more interested 

in reading local history.

Highways can be planned to blend with forested and scenic areas. 

Huntin g and fishing do not appeal equally to all classes of tourists. 

To some the historical aspect has a greater appeal. Correspondence 

and association with people unite to convince me tha t the sunlit peaks 

and snowclad mountains of Idaho County have the ir appeal not only 

for me b ut for all who have lived for any length of time in Idaho. 

My work on the history of Idaho County has been a labor of love and 

I feel that I have captured some of the county’s historical values in 

my two books which will help to interpret the sites of the Nez Perce 

National Historical Park.

Ida ho’s economy will be stimulated by such a project. Objections 

to admittance fees to these park sites are sometimes heard but it would 

seem to me that the time has arrived when th is may be necessary if
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 59

our historic sites are to escape destruction. The National Park Service appears to be the only organization so set up as to be able to enlist the aid of the Forest Service, State, and private agencies in a well 

planned program of preservation and historical interpretation.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Sister Elsensohn. You have given us a 

very fine statement, and I can see you are very well versed in the historic past of this area. I think you are right when you say there is 

a growing tendency on the part of the American people to prefer this 

type of thing and to see tha t it is preserved before it disappears. I 

commend you upon your work and your efforts in this field. This new 

concept and this proposal tha t is before us is a complete vehicle to do 

a great deal with that.

I see you mention the probability of another visitor center at 

Grangeville. Certainly, as this program develops and as you mark 

out and preserve some of the great historical sites, you will find other 

sites, too, I am sure, which could be brought within the umbrella of a 

proposal such as this.

This is a splendid statement. Thank you for it.

Senator C hurch. Sister, I want to say, I don’t know if you realize 

it or not, that I regard you as kind of a teacher of mine. Although 

I haven’t been in your classroom, I have read your books and have 

learned a great deal from them. 1 am sure the National Park Service 

can, too.

Senator J ordan. Sister Alfreda, may I remind you tha t I was a 

resident of Grangeville when you published your two volumes. I 

have autographed copies and I prize them very highly. I think you 

have made a genuine contribution to the history of Idaho County 

and the region in these two volumes and you have done it in a very 

scholarly way. I am glad you brought up the point tha t perhaps 

Grangeville should be included as a possible addition to the points 

of interest in this program we are setting up here, and I am glad you 

brought it up because I might be accused of having a conflict of interest had I brought it up. I think our program is flexible enough 

tha t we can certainly broaden it out to include any points of interest 

which new development brings to life.

Senator Bible. Congressman White?

Congressman White. I can only echo what Senator Church and 

Senator Jordan have said, but I think many people of our area should 

know of your work in the museum at St. G ertrude’s, and I think many 

people would be surprised to see the collection of artifacts at St. 

Gertrude’s tha t sister has put together and the way it is displayed. 

T was very much interested.

Senator Bible. Sister Alfreda, I would say that you are in excellent 

standing in this community and we are delighted to have you here.

Sister Alfreda. Thank you.

Senator Bible. I have several statements from educators in Idaho 

and Washington which will be inserted at this point.

(The statements re ferred to follow:)

Sta teme nt of Dr. C. Cle men t F re nc h, P re sid en t, Was hing to n Stat e

Uni ve rs it y, P ul lm an , Wa sh .

My nam e is C. Cle ment Fren ch. I am pr es iden t of Washin gto n St ate Un ive rsity.

39 -8 28 —65------ 5
60 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

I am so rry th at it was not possible fo r me to attend th e Senate In te rior Subcom mittee he aring a t Lew isto n on Fr id ay , October 9, on th e pro pos ed Nez Perce 

Na tio nal Pa rk.

Washin gto n Sta te Un ive rsity, located as it is in the Pa louse ar ea of Washing ton an d concerned pa rtic ul ar ly with the his toric al dev elopment of this area 

of the Pac ific No rth we st, na tu ra lly views with in te rest and con cern the possible establish men t of th e Nez Perce Na tio na l Park. Th roug h th e collectio n 

of historical material of th is area, pr im arily un der the dir ec tio n of ou r un ive rsity lib rary, bu t also throug h the ac tiv ity of va rio us facu lty members, th e un ive rsity ha s a na tu ra l in te re st in this proje ct. I feel th at the work, both of 

ou r facu lty and of stu de nts in a va rie ty of fields, could be fu rthe re d by the developm ent of th is pr oject. I tr ust t hat it may rece ive favo rable a ction on the pa rt 

of your subcom mittee, and th at the Congr ess will su pp or t suc h a favo rable 

rec ommenda tion.

Statement of Claude N. Warren, Assista nt Professor of Anthropology, 

I daho State University

My nam e is Cla ude N. W arren. I am as si st an t profe sso r of ant hro polog y at 

Id ah o Sta te Unive rsity, Pocatello. I ap pr ec iate th is op po rtu nity to testify on 

be ha lf o f th e Nez P erc e N ati on al Hi sto ric al Par k and pa rtic ul ar ly on beha lf of the 

establish men t of a visitors’ ce nter at the W hit e Bird battlefiel d.

Before presen tin g sup po rting evidence fo r the estab lis hm en t of the vi sitor’s 

ce nter at White Bird battlefiel d, I feel obligate d to st at e briefly my own philosoph y with r eg ard to the p ark. It is my opin ion, and the general o pinion of othe rs 

who st ud y man, th at one o f the crucia l factor s th at serve to un ite ind ivi du als into 

a fu nc tio nin g soc iety is a recognized cu ltu re history a history th at explain s the 

re latio ns hi p of the dif fer ent gro ups of people with in the society. Such a his tor y 

ma kes it possible fo r loggers, miners, farm ers, businessm en, India ns, orien tal s, 

and Caucasian s to recognize a common cu ltur al heritage, a history th at solidly 

bin ds them into a fun ctioning society.

The establish men t of the Nez Perce Nationa l Hi sto ric al Par k would, I believe, 

ma ke m ore ava ila ble to the div ers e peop les of ou r Nation, a sig nifica nt portion of 

th ei r common cu ltu ral herit ag e. The Nez I’erc e Na tio nal Hist or ical Pa rk would 

serve not only as a ce nte r for dispersal of the knowled ge of the pa st, hu t the 

vi sito r’s cen ters a nd mo num ents would ser ve as con crete symbols o f our cu ltu re ’s 

his tory.

The pace of life in our c ou ntry today, an d the na tio na l an d loca l crise s th at are 

so well publicized, often make life difficult for the ind ivi dual. It is my per son al 

opinion th at if one pau ses occ asionally and view s ou r pa st histo ry, ou r past 

crises, ou r pa st sucesses, th e ma kin g of dec isio ns of tod ay becom es easie r. Th is 

is no t b eca use t he p as t necessa rily holds the a ns we rs for the presen t, bu t because 

th e pa st help s to pu t the problems of today in th ei r proper per spe ctive.

Fo r these and othe r perso na l beliefs, I am who leh earte dly in su pp or t of the 

general con cep t of the Nez Perce Nati on al Hi sto ric al Pa rk, and an en thus iasti c 

su pp or ter of the pla ns th at have been so fa r ma de available to me by Mr. 

Willia m John sto n. In pa rtic ul ar , I would like to te stify on be ha lf of the 

establish men t of a visit or’s c en ter a t the White Bi rd battlefield, which is the area 

of the propos ed Nez I’erce Na tio nal Hist or ical Par k with which I am best 

acqu ain ted .

I would me ntion only briefly th e ide al physica l setting f or such a ce nter at the 

bat tlef ie ld : th e sweeping view th at com mands the whole low er valley of Wh ite 

Bi rd Creek, with rolling, knobby hills, flat pa stur e and croplan ds below, and 

sil en t fo rtr es se s of ba sa lt above , ad jace nt to th e sweepin g grassy flan ks of the 

eve rgreen -crowned mo untains. The physica l settin g, wh ile trul y magnificen t, 

is nonethe les s but a minor point in fa vo r of the visito rs’ ce nter a t W hite Bird 

battlefiel d, whe n the histo ric po ten tia l of t he area is con sidered . Th is is th e site 

of an histor ic eve nt wh ere men me t to do ba ttle, hu t the final outcome, fa r 

gr ea ter and longer lasti ng than the sor row of lost life, wa s to be th e engendering 

of respect betwee n men. Th e eve nt th at hap pened here ea rned fo r th e Nez 

Perce the respect of many a wh ite man, and it represen ts a point in tim e whe n 

th e div erse pa sts of the in ha bi ta nt s of the area become entwine d in a common 

histo ry.

During th e 2-y ear period from Ju ly 1962 to Ju ly 1964, wh ile I served as Ida ho 

Sta te Highw ay Arc heologist, I became fa m iliar with th e arc heo log ica l poten tia l 

of th e ar ea bet ween Slate Cre ek and th e summ it of White Bi rd Hill. In this
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 61

area I undertook a reconnaissance of the alternate highway rights-of-way in 

order to locate any archeological remains th at might be destroyed by highw ay 

construction. This are a was found to be exceptionally rich in historic and prehistoric remains. In the vicin ity of the White Bird battlefield, six aboriginal 

cemeteries, an are a of storage pits, a house pit, and a rock painting are located. 

Five of the c emeteries were tested by means of limited excavations. They proved 

to be rich in historic and pre historic artifac ts. In the process of removing a 

total of only six burials, we recovered over a thousand trade beads, hun dreds of 

aboriginal shell and bone ornaments, dozens of stone tools, European-made iron 

knife blades, a copper kettle, and an aboriginal wooden bowl. Dozens of burials, 

with a wealth of grave goods, remain untouched in these cemeteries and represent a wide range of ma terial from which the history of early European-Ind ian 

relatio ns can be interpreted.

On the Salmon River between White Bird Creek and Slate Creek, app roximately a dozen archeo logical sites have been located. Limited excavations have 

been underta ken in some of these sites. These, too, are rich in archeological 

remains that represent the transition from prehistory to history. One site, nea r 

the mouth of White Bird Creek, is of particu lar intere st because of nea rly continuous occupation from pre historic tim es well into the 2(Jth century. The ea rliest 

occupation was clearly prehistoric and includ es at leas t one house and numerous 

artifacts. Following this there was an add ition of E uropean trade goods such as 

beads and buttons used by the Indian. The Indian occupation then suddenly 

came to an end. Some time late r, a farm was established on the site. The 

archeological record clearly shows this in the occurrence of many European farm 

tools in the latest deposits.

Other sites along this stretc h of the Salmon River vary from small campsites 

to large villages containing remains of many aboriginal houses. From the 

limited excavations underta ken in some of these sites, it would app ear th at they 

were not all occupied at the same time—some are historic with European trade 

goods, oth ers are prehistoric. Some appea r to have been tem porary hun ting and 

fishing camps while others are clearly perman ent villages. These site s not only 

span the period from prehistory to history, but in addition represent the varied 

economic activities practic ed by the Nez Perce in their seasonal round. The 

potential for interp reting Nez Perc e life ways from the archeological site s on the 

Salmon River is thus considerable.

The rema ins of the aboriginal Nez Perc e occupation represents only a portion 

of the historical potential of the area. The scars of placer mining und erta ken 

by the Chinese mark many of the riverban ks, and the remains of a clu ster of 

Chinese huts have been reported to me by local farm ers. Although I have not 

personally investigated this Chinese village, the re is every reaso n to believe that 

abundan t cultural rema ins are to be found there. This is certainly tru e in 

southeastern Ida ho and nor thern Utah, where am ate ur arche ologists are looting 

anc ient Chinese villages with considerable success.

Finally, early Euro pean implements have been discovered in the area during 

construction and farming activities. Mr. Harry Hagan, of White Bird, has 

several hand hamm ered iron implem ents which he recovered during construction and cultivation on his prop erty near the foot of White Bird Hill. The 

gre at pote ntials of the archeological rem ains along White Bird Creek and the 

Salmon River are virtually untapped, but these remains form a sub stantial 

base upon which both his torian and arch eologist can interp ret a culture history 

of the area , which is of nation al interest. A visitors’ cen ter at the White 

Bird battlefield would be, in my opinion, an ideal location for presenting to the 

people of this Nation a pa rt of their cultural heritage , a cultural heritag e presently to be found only in the rubbish heaps a nd cemeteries of bygone generations 

and visible only to the trained eye of the specialist.

Sta teme nt of B. R obert B utler, Arch eol ogist, and Curator of E duc ation, 

I daho State Unive rs ity Mus eu m

My name is B. Robert Butler. I am an archeologist and the curator of 

educatio n at the Idaho Sta te University Museum. My pa rticu lar int ere st here 

is in the prehistory of the Nez Perce country, where I have been conducting a 

prog ram of archeological research since 19G1. This program is sponsored by 

the Idaho Sta te University Museum and has focused on the Grave Creek-Rocky 

Canyon locality at the southweste rn edge of Camas Pra irie, a major Nez Perce
62 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

camas collecting region at the geographic center of Nez Perce country. It was here that the Nez Perce War of 1877 began. The Grave Creek-Rocky Can­ yon locality has yielded evidence of prehistoric occupation dating back to 5500 B.C. tha t has considerable bearing on the antiquity of the Nez Perce in the Nez 

Perce country. The lower reach of Rocky Canyon, from Grave Creek to the opening of the canyon onto the Salmon River, was called Nip6he and the band of Nez Perce tha t lived there were called the Nipeheme (the people of Nipehe). To a certain degree, the Nipeh£me were unique among the Nez I’erces, at least in the 18th and early 19th century. Most of the other Nez Perce bands acquired horses during the 18th century and were subsequently greatly influenced by the cul­ ture of the Great Plains with its emphasis on horse nomadism, war, and the buffalo, but this was not so with the Nipeh&ne. They did not acquire horses, stayed to themselves, and retained the traditional Nez Perce way of life, the way of life based on fishing, root collecting, and the hunting of deer. However, early in the 19th century the Nipeheme left their ancestral home in Rocky Canyon and took up residence amongst another Nez Perce band in the valley of the Clearwater River. The reason for their move to the Clearwater is not clear; they continued to collect berries and roots and to fish in Rocky Canyon as late as 1917, more than 100 years afte r they had moved away from there. Perhaps they moved because they wanted to have horses but didn’t have sufficient pasturage in Rocky Canyon, or perhaps it was because the Shoshone living in the Boise Basin, who had acquired horses earlier from tribes in the Great Plains, were increasing their raids up the Salmon as far as Camas P rairie and had made Rocky Canyon an unsafe place in which to maintain a permanent residence. These are problems tha t need to be solved by further research among the Nez 

Perce. In any event, the Nipeheme are an important link between the historic Nez Perce and the prehistoric cultural sequence that has been unearthed in the Grave Creek-Ro< ky Canyon locality during the past 4 years. This sequence dates back to 5500 B.C., when the Weis rockshelter in the canyon of Grave Creek was first occupied, and continues unbroken to the beginning of the 19th century, when Double-House, a stratified village site near the mouth of Rocky Canyon, was last occupied and the NipehSme left the canyon to take residence on the Clearwater. The Weis rockshelter was discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Norbert Weis of Union- town, Wash., in the fall of 1960. Because so many other rockshelter sites in Rocky Canyon had been destroyed by thoughtless relic hunters, the Weis’ saw to it tha t the site was brou' ht to the immediate attention of archeologists interested in the prehistory of Nez Perce country. Some years before the discovery of the Weis rockshelter, based on archeological work that I had done at The Dalles on the Lower Columbia, I had theorized that one of the earliest prehistoric cultures in the Northwest was an O’.d Cordilleran culture and that this culture was oldest at The Dalles and had spread eastward from there across the Columbia Plateau some time between 7000 B.C., and 6000 B.C. I also suspected t hat this Old Cordilleran culture was the ancestral culture of such southern plateau peoples as the Nez Perce. Excavation of the Weis rockshelter was considered an excel­ lent opportunity to test this theory in heretofore archeologically unknown country, the country of the Nez Perce. The Weis roikshelter proxed to be a deep, clearly stratified site with an abun­ dance of cultural debris. The sedimentary sequence at the site, along with sup­ porting radiocarbon dates, indicate that the site was first occupied at around 5500 B.C., and last occupied in the 14th or 15th century. A sequence of four cultural phases was identifiable a t the site and the earliest phase, dating from 5500 to 1500 B.C., was strikingly similar to the earliest materials at The Dalles on the Lower Columbia. There seems to be little doubt that the Old Cordilleran culture peoples were the first inhabitants of the Weis rockshelter. Subsequent phases at the site reveal a gradual change in material culture, but not in the general life habits of the residents. There are no extraordinary changes such as might indicate the presence of new cultural groups in the locality. However, by the second century, it was obvious that the Weis rockshelter had ceased to be a major habitation site. Apparently, the former inhabitants of the site had 

founded a village somewhere else in the locality. Local ranchers, the McLaughlins, told me where such a site existed on their property in the summer of 1963. This was the Double-House village site, which was located on a high terrace overlooking Rocky Creek near the mouth of the canyon. The surface of the site was marked by two very nicely preserved house-
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 63

pits and a deep midden beneath. Excavation of the midden revealed two more 

housepits underlying the two surface housepits. Both of the earlier housepits 

had stratifie d deposits within them and yielded important arc hit ectur al details. 

Fou r radiocarbon dates indicate th at the Double-House village had been continu ally occupied from the 2d century to some time in the early 19th century. 

The sequence of cultural ma terials at the site clearly overlap with the later 

phases of occupation a t the Weis rockshelter, both in time and in type, and reveal 

a way of life th at had changed very little since the initial occupation of the 

Weis rock shelter in 5500 B.C. The last inhabitants of the Double-House village 

were almost cer tain to have been the people whom we call the Nipeheme band 

of Nez I’erces. In term s of the cultural sequence the re and at the Weis rockshelter, the Nipeheme would appea r to have been the descendants of the original 

settlers in Rocky Canyon.

The Grave Creek-Rocky Canyon excavations described above rep resent only a 

small sampling of the historical potential and value of the Nez l’erce country. 

However, because of the ever increasing number of relic hun ters in th at country, 

thi s historical potential is seriously threatene d. Some measures must be taken 

to protect and to conserve the pre historic sites in Nez Perce country now, while 

they still exist.

RE FE REN CES

Butler, B. Robert, 1962, “Contrib utions to the Prehistory of the Columbia 

Plate au.” Occasional papers of the Idaho Sta te University Museum, No. 9. 

Pocatello.

Statement of D. F. Engelking, State Superintendent of P ublic I nstruction, 

Idaho

My name is D. F. Engelking. I am Sta te Superin tenden t of Public Instruction for Idaho. I am in favor of the passage of legislation which will create a 

Nez Perce National Historical Park in north-central Idaho.

I feel tha t the story of American history cannot be considered complete without 

reference to the Nez Perce are a of Idaho. This are a reflects the first visitations 

into the Pacific Northwest: the opening of the Northwest to the fu r trad e; the 

introduction and spread of Christian religions in the Pacific No rth we st; and the 

final securing of the Pacific Northwest area for the United State s.

The rap id increase in the population of the United States and the Pacific 

Northwest, the development of additional highways, the tra nsfer of land from 

public to priva te ownership, and the lack of intere st on the pa rt of many American citizens to p reserve our rich h istorica l heritag e all are leading to the destruc ­

tion and obliteratio n of our historical site s which are of national intere st. The 

proposal to create a Nez Perce Nation al Historical Pa rk in the Sta te of Idaho will 

protect, will develop intere st in, and will preserve thi s are a for all time.

In addition to the historical aspects of thi s are a th at once was trav eled by 

Lewis and Clark, when you pass over the Bitterroo t, you pass thro ugh narrow 

and deep ca nyo ns; driv e through the Lolo and Cle arw ater National Fo res ts; and 

follow cle ar sparkling tro ut and salmon streams. You have an opportu nity to 

see elk, moose, mountain goat, and bear. Our forested are as are some of the 

finest in the United States. Here the beau ty and freshness of the mountain 

wilderness are maintained in the ir na tural state. This should be preserved not 

only for this gene ration, but for future generations to enjoy and cherish.

I would strongly recommend the passage of legislation cre ating a Nez Perce 

National Historical Pa rk in the Sta te of Idaho as requested by your committee.

Statement of Ted Nickell, President, Grangeville (I daho) Education

Association

Dea r Sir, my name is Ted Nickell. I am preside nt of the Grangeville Edu cation Association, the local association of professional teache rs and admi nis trators in dis trict No. 241 public schools. We are affiliated with the Ida ho Education Association and the National E ducation Association.

We supp ort without rese rvation the esta blishment of a Nez Perc e Country 

National Historical Pa rk to preserve the Nez Perce country in nor th-c entral 

Idaho th at pertains to the Lewis-Clark Expedition, the Nez Perce Indian wa r 

of 1877, and the e arly gold mining centers.
64 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

As educ ato rs, we have stu died ou r na tio na l hi stor y an d some of us teach it 

daily to you ng Am eric ans. We know th e importa nce of no rth -cen tra l Ida ho in 

ou r Nation’s his tor y, an d we know all ab ou t th e fasc inatingly in teresti ng people, 

eve nts, and wa ys of life th at ha d th ei r places in the flow of tim e in our area. 

Th is sho uld all be known by more Am erican schoolchildre n. Th e bes t way fo r 

the m to learn is to visit a na tio na l historical pa rk with th ei r fam ilie s. The 

second best way is to read abou t it in school. Eith er way of le arning could be 

enhanced by a na tio na l historical pa rk which wou ld preserve the se sc attered 

histor ical sit es and give visitors aid an d inform ati on to “tie the m all tog ethe r.”

In conclusion , th e Grangev ille Ed uc ati on Ass ociatio n recommen ds a Nez Perce 

Co un try Hist or ical Par k because it would enh ance learning ab ou t the na tio nally 

im po rtan t h ist or y of o ur ar ea .

Sta te men t of Mary Avery, Arc hi vi st , Was hing to n State Univ ersit y

My name is Mary Avery (Mrs. E. L. ). I am ar ch iv ist for Washin gto n St ate 

Unive rsity lib rary. One phase of my wo rk consists in loc ati ng fam ily papers 

havin g an y bearing on th e his tory of th e Pacific Northwe st an d in attempting 

to pe rsua de th e ow ners to prese rve the m eith er in th e Washin gto n State Unive rsity Li br ary or in some othe r repu table institu tio n of th ei r choice. Such 

contacts na tu ra lly lea d to a sur vey of the loca le in which the events in question 

occ urred, an d I have become more an d more aw are of the impo rta nce of preserving suc h sit es and , wh ere reco nstru cti on of any early building s is not feasible, of 

securin g as ac cu rate a history as possible of th e events con cer ned an d of makin g 

th is inform ati on available to the pub lic ei th er in a marke r on th e sit e or in 

dis plays in some nearby museum. Th erefore, I wa s very muc h elate d to learn 

of th e proposed plan to cr ea te the Nez Perce Nati on al Hist or ical Par k which 

would accomplish th is purpose to a ver y gr ea t deg ree for one of th e most impo rtan t a re as in th e d evelopment o f th e Pacific No rthwest.

The region in que stion would depict no t only the Nez Pe rce cu ltu re of the 

area, but show very cle arly th e pro blems of tran sp or ta tio n encounter ed by the 

first Am erican exp lorers , th e Br iti sh and Ca nadian fu r trad er s, the la te r overlan d fu r trad er s from St. Louis, an d th e mi ssi onari es an d ea rly se ttl er who 

follo wed. Th e proje ct len ds its elf be au tif ully to a demon str ati on of the many 

phases of the develop men t of this ar ea bec aus e it will inc lud e a lar ge enough 

spa ce to mark the vario us aspects of the approach of th e incoming wh ite fu r 

tr ad er s an d la te r se ttl ers ami the ensuing conta cts , both fri en dly and hostile 

between th e In di an s a nd w hites.

In th e res earch th at I did for a book. Hist or y and Go vernment of th e St ate of 

Washing ton (S ea ttle : Un ive rsity of Wash ing ton Press, 1961), I became very 

ac utely aw ar e of the urgenc y of the nee d to ga th er and preserve all inf ormati on 

pos sible ab ou t the In dian use of th ei r land s an d the impact on both In dian and 

white cu ltu res of the com ing of the wh ite exp lorers , fu r trad er s, an d settlers. 

I fou nd th at there had been, som etim es up un til very rec ent ly, fam ily papers 

ex ta nt wh ich would hav e thrown lig ht on some co ntrove rsi al point, but th at 

they ha d been des troyed by th e you ng generat ion which was un aw are th at such 

docume nts ha d any value to anybod y ou tside the f am ily. Th ere were also wh ite 

pio neers or eld erl y In dian s who cou ld have given much im po rta nt inform ati on 

on som e point of local histo ry, bu t the y, too, had died rec ent ly. Such loss pertain ed no t only to writ ten docum ent s and pioneer na rr at iv es hu t to inform ati on 

ab ou t th e sit es fo r som e par ticu la r even t.

Th erefore, from the stan dp oint of an individu al intereste d in local history as 

well as th a t of a cu sto dia n of fam ily pap ers , I feel th at the crea tio n of the Nez 

Perce Natio na l Hist or ical Par k is ur ge ntly needed an d will pro ve to be of inestim ab le use to stud en ts of reg ion al history an d to scho lar s in div ers e fields, 

such as ant hro polog y, economics, ag ric ulture, an d othe rs who se in te re sts touch 

th e d eve lop me nt of this area.

Senator Bible. Now, I am going to recognize Congressman White 

for any statement and observation he might have.

STATEM ENT OF HON. COMPTON I. W HIT E, JR ., A U.S. RE PR ES EN TA ­

TIV E IN CONGRESS FROM TH E STATE OF IDAHO— Resume d

Congressman White. Thank you, Senator, and Mr. Chairman. My 

name is Compton I. White, J r., I am the Representative of the Fir st
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 65

Congressional District of Idaho, where the Nez Perce National His ­

torical Park proposed in S. 2326 will be situated.

I take pleasure in welcoming you to the locale of the project. It 

is most gratifying to have you make an on-the-spot inspection of the 

proposed park and to give local proponents of the park an o pportunity 

to testify.

In my statement before your committee in Washington, D.C., on 

August 18, 1964,1 reviewed the reasons for establishing the park as a 

method of collecting the important historic data of the region and 

preserving it as part of our American heritage. I wish to state at 

this point that Hon. Thomas G. Morris, chairman of the Subcommittee 

on National Parks of the House Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, agreed to accept the testimony offered at th at hearing as a part 

of the record for his committee in considering my bill, II.R. 9429, 

which is identical to S. 2326 under consideration today. I am hopeful 

that Representative Morris will also accept the evidence presented here 

today.

Your introduction to the proposed Nez Perce National Historical 

Park I hope was spectacular today with your flight over the Bitterroot Mountains, perm itting you to view a mosaic of the primeval 

beauty of the terrain from the Lolo Pass to Lewiston, along the northwestern boundary of these sites intended to be preserved in the park.

I wrote th is prio r to your flight this morning, Senator, and at tha t 

time I was hoping it would be a beautiful day.

Senator Bible. We saw a grea t deal of it. I was deeply impressed 

with what we saw.

Congressman White. I know you must have been impressed by 

the fact tha t you were flying over the Lewis and Clark Highway, 

completed 2 years ago and named for the great explorers who crossed 

these mountains on foot in 1805. This scenic highway ties in with the 

proposed park and will be a grea t attraction to tourists.

Today you will mingle with members of the Nez Perce Indian Tribe 

at the new tribal community building a t Lapwai and learn of the cooperation proffered by these people for the establishment of the proposed park. You will pass the Spalding State Pa rk which commemorates the Reverend Henry II. Spalding, who came in 1836 to 

bring religion to the Nez Perce Indians, and to establish civilization in 

north-central Idaho.

When you return to Lewiston, you will still be in the historical 

vicinity. Lewiston was the first, capital of Idah o and the first ter ritorial legislature met here. The city has a fascinatin g past and a 

potential of growth and advancement of great proportions. Lewiston 

is the only city in the region of the proposed park. It will be Idah o’s 

only seaport when dams in the Columbia and Snake Rivers either 

under construction or programed are completed and oceangoing ships 

berth at Lewiston docks.

I want to pay tribute to Mr. William F . Johnston, managing editor 

of the Lewiston Morning Tribune, for his zeal in initiatin g the park 

movement and for incorporating the Nez Perce National Historical 

Association of which he is president for the stated purpose—“to 

promote, encourage and support a national historical park in northcentral Idaho dedicated to the welfare of the Nation and intended to
66 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

provide historical education, wholesome recreation, and a sense of 

national loyalty and pride in the American heritage of the West.”

When the Honorable Wayne II. Aspinall, chairman of the House 

Interior and Insu lar Affairs Committee, visited Lewiston last spring, 

he suggested that a feasibility report on the proposed park be developed. This work was subsequently carried out by the Departm ent of 

Interior. Favorable reports on the project have been made by both 

the Departments of Interior and Agriculture. The tourism aspect has 

been investigated and found advantageous by national consultants; 

and overall information has been collected by congressional 

committees.

With the ethnic, education, and economic features of establishing 

the park quite well advanced, it seems to me the next step is to coordinate the efforts of the various agencies—local, civic, and State—to 

work out plans fo r acquiring the 22 sites recommended by the D epartment of Interior and to decide on the method of administration. It is 

my fond hope that all the requisite information will be available for 

consideration early in the next session of Congress.

I th ank you, Mr. Chairman, for giving me the opportunity to testify 

and to sit with you during this hearing.

Senator Bible. We are delighted to have you with us, Congressman, 

and you are welcome to stay throughout the hearings. I know you 

have a very busy schedule and 1 understand. We are delighted to have 

you remain with us, whatever suits your schedule.

Congressman White. Thank you.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Mayor Curtis of Orofino.

Mayor Curtis.

STATEMENT OF A. B. CURTIS, MAYOR, CITY OF OROFINO, IDAHO

Mr. Curtis. Good morning, S enator Bible, Senator Jordan, Senator 

Church, and Congressman White, and ladies and gentlemen. My name 

is A. B. Curtis and I live a t Orofino, Idaho, in the heart of the Nez 

Perce National Park as proposed. I speak to you today as mayor.

We deeply appreciate the privilege and the opportunity of making 

an expression of opinion here, and thank you for your consideration 

in coming out and taking the grassroots opinion from the people at 

home and to see this wonderful, historical monument as proposed. I 

thin k it is particula rly significant and certainly wonderful tha t the 

concept of a decentralized park development is being considered. It 

certainly lends strength to the park system and brings the people much 

closer to the values.

To save time, I would like to brin g out one or two thoughts, and 

my speech has been supplied.

Senator Bible. Your statement will be incorporated in full in the 

hearing record.

Mr. Curtis. Thank you. I would like to say tha t our country is now 

embarking on a greatly accelerated growth and I would like to point 

out tha t the coming of the Lewis-Clark Highway through our community and the development of the Dworshak Dam complements this 

park development. We have been informed by the Army Corps of 

Engineers th at approximately a quarter of a million visitors per year 

will visit the Dworshak damsite, and that will be compatible with the
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 67

park development. The Dworshak Dam will be one of the largest in 

the world, and, as a coincidence, it is only 2 miles from Canoe Camp, 

so the thing fits together and one project complements the other, in 

tourism. The Canoe Camp is the pa rt where the Nez Perce Tribe left 

their horses and built canoes to continue their trip downstream to 

Fort Clatsop. I hope this new development by mankind, of this 

tremendously large project, fits into the more cultural and historical 

benefits of the project.

I thank you for permitting me to be here.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Curt is.

Senator Jorda n?

Senator Jordan. That is a fine statement.

Senator Bible. Congressman White ?

Congressman White. I also thank you for a fine statement.

(The prepared statement referred to follow s:)

Statement of A. B. Cur tis, Mayor of Orofino, I daho

My name is A. B. Curtis and I live at Orofino, Idaho, in the he art of the Nez 

Perce National Pa rk as proposed. I am mayor of my city and have been elected 

to th at position contin uously the p ast 14 y ears. I speak to you today as mayor.

Our city deeply appreciates the privilege of meeting with the Senate Interio r 

Subcommittee on Public Lands on the subject of a proposed Nez Perce Nation al 

Park, a development in which we are greatly intereste d. We fu rthe r wish 

to express our appreciation to you and the subcommittee for the valuable time 

and expense involved with your visit to the are a for a firsthand look and 

grassroot views.

I wish to compliment the committee on its views of a decentralized park 

development and the philosophy of pinpointing areas of historical significance 

without tak ing vast are as of public and private land resources into a plan of 

nontaxp ayin g status . The comm ittee’s idea of developing and adm inistering 

are as of intere st into par ks and monuments will serve the people better, in that 

they will be more accessible. The plan will enrich the values by g rea ter public 

appreciation because we live close by a nd daily see t he ir value s with our traveling public friends.

It is of great impo rtance th at Congress quickly consider the proposal under 

the concept now being considered so that the work of protection, management, 

and use can be quickly implemented. Fu rth er delay would only cause deterioration, depreciation of the values, more costly restoration if not complete loss of 

certain sites as the are a develops. Our community is in full accord with your 

reasonable, well-thought-out undertaking as now proposed.

Our country is now embarking on a greatly accelerated growth. The coming 

of the Lewis-Clark Highway thro ugh our community aan d the development of 

the imp orta nt Dworshak Dam is compatible and complements the park development. We have been informed by the Army Corps of Engineers that approximately a qu arter of a million visitors per yea r will visit the Dworshak Dam in 

the first yea r of its completion. Traffic flow will increase the follow’ng years 

as the tourists find the ir way into this new empire of historical value. The 

Dworshak Dam as now planned will be the largest dam of this type in America 

with its 6 million cubic yards of concrete. The recreation values planned in 

the Dworshak project complements the overall park planning of the region 

and affords the public an opp ortu nity to see mankind’s gr eat development along 

with our rich historical heritage.

Close by the Dworshak Dam development is Canoe Camp, which is a very 

imp ortant national park consideration. This is the point where the Lewis-Clark 

Expedition abandoned their horses and made canoes to continue the ir trip wes tward downstream to Fo rt Clatsop. Canoe Camp is a very imp ortant spot which 

we would hope th at the Nation al Pa rk Service would plan greater development, appro priate markers, bette r parking are a for visitors, also an information center. The s ite is cer tainly an im portant point which should be prese rved 

for the American people in tere sted in the development of tho West.

We strongly urge early consideration of this fine und ertaking and I thank 

the committee for giving me the privilege to make this expression today.
68 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Se na tor B ible. Our next witn ess is A ngus W ilson. Tie is chair ma n 

of the Nez Perce Tr iba l Executive Com mittee. We are very ha pp y 

to see you ag ain th is m orn ing .

STATEMENT OF ANGUS A. WILSON, CHAIRMAN, NEZ PERCE TRIBAL 

EXEC UTIVE COMMITTEE

Mr. W ilson. Se na tor Ch urch, Se na tor Bible, and Se na tor Jo rd an , 

I have sub mitted my testim ony fo r this he aring today. I ask th at it 

be p rin ted in the record. However, 1 will d igress a littl e here in some 

of the re ma rks 1 make.

Se na tor Bible. Yo ur sta tem ent will be incorporate d in full in the 

record.

Air. Wilson. I am An gus A. Wilson and I am here tod ay in the 

official cap aci ty of my office in su pp ort of this pro posed Nez Perce 

Na tional Histo ric al Pa rk .

I will break it down into three pa rts . We hav e toda y entered into 

the enc ourage ment of the S ena te in est ablishin g th is p ar k and we give 

it o ur su pp ort. Th e Nez Perce T rib e is one t hat has been very active 

in the pro ject.

Second, we w an t to encourage th is movemen t by co opera tin g w ith the 

Fe de ral, S tat e, and p riv ate agencies.

Three , last bu t no t least, we have t hro wn ou r wh ole hearted su pp ort 

behin d this projec t and we have acq uired key rea l estate prop ertie s 

wi thin the complex of this pro jec t. Th is was done to discou rag e 

spe cul ato rs, a nd the tribe int ends to invest money by bu ild ing suitab le 

motel and restau rant acco mmodations. Maybe the Gover nm ent , at a 

la te r date, would h ave to invoke laws reg ul atin g th is so rt of th ing.

Th e Nez Perce triba l governm ent is en tir ely beh ind this proje ct 

an d we would like to see this complex develop ed at a very early date. 

I th in k it will no t only bene fit the Nez Pe rce Tr ibe in this area bu t 

it will benefit the entire region. Also , the e ntire U nited Sta tes .

Se cretary Uda ll was ou t here 2 y ears ago an d he made the remark 

here, in one o f his visits, t hat he would like to pre serve the wilderness 

areas in the W est, no t only fo r the people out in the W est b ut fo r all 

the peo ple to see. O f course, Se creta ry of the In te rior Uda ll is a 

wes tern er.

In con cluding, ma y I say thi s, th at the are a has been satisfie d in 

its trad itio n a nd it s hou ld be p reserved.

Tha nk you.

Se na tor Bible. Tha nk y ou very much, Mr. Wilson. That is a very 

fine sta tem ent, an d since I hav e been in Lewis ton I have ha d ma ny 

peonle tell me o f t he very sple ndid coo per ative efforts you have given , 

an d th is can wo rk ou t to the benefit an d mutua l ad va ntag e to ma ny 

people. I commend you. I t is ve ry well done.

Se na tor Jo rd an ?

Se na tor J ordan. Mr. Ch airm an , An gus Wilson is alw ays welcome 

at these hearings. He is no t only chair ma n of the trib al com mittee, 

bu t he is a spokesman fo r good governm ent here and in the Nation’s 

Ca pi tal and his sta tem ents are alw ays respon sive an d instr uc tiv e, as 

they have been tod ay.

Se na tor Bible. Tha nk you ve ry m uch.

(T he pre par ed sta te m en t refe rr ed to fo llow s:)
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 69

Prepared Statement of Angus A. Wilson, Chairman, Nez Perce Tribal

Executive Committee

My name is Angus A. Wilson, cha irman of the Nez Perce Tribal Executive 

Committee, which is the official governing body of the Nez Perce Ind ian Tribe 

of Idaho.

I am here today in my official cap acity solely for the purpose of expressing 

the tribes views and sentiments relative to the proposed Nez Perc e National 

Historical Park.

The Nez Perce trib al governing body h as gone on record favo ring the proposed 

Nez Perce N ation al H isto rica l P ark as defined.

Under present long-range economic plans, the trib e intends to invest money 

in supp ort of the tourism program within the complex by building su itab le motel 

and resta uran t accommodations.

In conclusion the trib e feels th at a project of this kind can benefit this entire 

region, hence the importance of encouraging and supp orting this movement.

Senator Bible. As we close out fo r our noon recess, I want to pa rticularly commend all of the splendid witnesses we have had this 

morning. If this keeps up, this high caliber, afte r lunch, it will be 

one of the most outstanding hearings I have conducted. The thin g 

tha t appeals to me is the diversity of the testimony you have offered. 

Sometimes in these hearings we seem to only just, view and review 

with extended and stilted reports. Tha t is not true here. You have 

all opened up different facets.

We stand at recess until 1 :30.

(Whereupon the hearing was recessed until 1:30 p.m., October 9, 

1964.)

AFTERNOON SESSION

Senator Bible. The afternoon session of this meeting will come to 

order.

I do want to say that the luncheon at Lapwai was one of the nicest 

luncheons I have attended for a long, long time. It was indeed a 

pleasure to be there, for lunch.

Our first witness this afternoon will be Mr. G. F. Jewett, Jr . Mr. 

Jewe tt is the executive vice president of Potlatch Forests, Inc.

It is a pleasure to have you, Mr. Jewett.

STATEMENT OF GEORGE F. JEW ETT , JR., ADM INISTRATIVE VICE 

PRES IDEN T, POTLATCH FORESTS, INC.

Mr. Jewett. My name is George F. Jewett, Jr .

I am administrative vice president and a member of the board of 

directors of Potlatch Forests, Inc., located with its corporate headquarters here in Lewiston.

My interest in and support of the proposed Nez Perce National 

Park stems from a longtime interest in the historical background of 

this region. I have studied the history, collected artifacts of historical 

interest, and contributed to various efforts to preserve the historical 

heritage of this area. Aly efforts in this la tter area have been fr ustra ting due to the activity of a number of historical groups which have 

been competing for the available support which has tended to dilute 

each other’s efforts. Actually, we have had too many organizations 

located jus t fa r enough apart to keep from merging interest in “ doing 

something” about historical sites and museums, actual accomplishments have been slowed by lack of real leadership and local jealousies.
70 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Meanwhile, floods, fires, and general lack of care have taken their 

toll of many objects of historical interest because there was no place 

to put them. Many private owners of historical artifacts have permitted them to be taken from the Clearwater Valley so that they would 

be placed in places where they would be properly cared for and appreciated. The proposed Nez Perce National P ark seems to offer a unique 

solution to this problem. The park would unify, under a common 

administrative head, many diverse groups and individuals in a wide 

geographic area; at the same time, it would permit local or specialized 

interests to continue their efforts. The park could be the catalyst 

which we have been lacking among these diverse groups interested 

in the h’Story of this area.

Another significant aspect of the proposed park is the combining 

of various sites into a park rather than puttin g together a single large 

area of land. This is very desirable from an economic point of view. 

The land of the State of Idaho, like most of our Western States, is 

largely owned by the Federal Government. As a representative of a 

company dependent upon the natural resources of this area, and being 

the largest employer of this State, I am concerned with the use of 

land and timber. We examine carefully any proposed single use 

of land and the acquisition of private lands by the public sector. 

My associates in the management of Potlatch Forests share with me 

the view that the proposed park is worthwhile and is in the best interests of this area. In fact, several people from our company have 

been helpful in making preliminary plans for various aspects of the 

park. We believe the acreage proposed for the park is adequate for 

the purposes of the park and, at the same time, will not remove enough 

land from other possible uses to be damaging to the area. The proposed park should stimulate more than enough activity to offset any 

possible losses from other uses of the land.

The proposed Nez Perce National Park seems to be appropriate both 

to the peoples and events that it seeks to commemorate, as well as to 

the peoples of our times. Lewis and Clark were on the move during 

most of the time spent on their famous tr ip; the Nez Perce Indians 

roamed a broad geographic are a; the famous battles fought in this 

country were widely separated bv time and space. Likewise, the 

people of our times are highly mobile. We utilize various means of 

transportation, but the automobile is most commonly used. As new 

roads have been extended across mountain ranges and old ones improved, economic changes have permitted people to take more time 

for vacations and travel. They will have the time and the means to 

follow the trail taken by Lewis and Clark and to visit our historical 

sites in a way that would not have been possible a few years ago. This 

means that the kind of park that is being proposed is now feasible 

whereas it would have been impossible without these present conditions. We should take advantage of the opportunities presented 

by our changing times rather than clinging to old standards tha t 

were appropriate when they were adopted. Every summer we become 

increasingly aware of the inadequacy of our existing national parks 

to cope with the growing numbers of visitors. Rather than trying to 

contain visitors in a given geographic area, the Nez Perce National 

Park will tend to move people along and will not suffer from limitation of capacity which is making so many parks unpleasantly overcrowded.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 71

Fina lly, again in point of time, it does not seem likely to me that 

it would have, been possible a few years ago to bring about a join t 

effort in this area of public interest by so many levels of government, 

local agencies, and private individuals. If this proposed park should 

be approved, perhaps it will also stand as a milestone of cooperative 

efforts in this particu lar field. My industry has had a long history 

of a somewhat similar form of cooperation in the conservation of 

our tim ber resources and in forest-fire fighting. We hope tha t we can 

be helpful in this new area as well.

In summary, I favor the proposed Nez Perce National Park because 

it can be the catalyst for bring ing together separate efforts to pre ­

serve our historical heritag e; because it represents a sound use of our 

land resources in developing economic values as well as historical 

ones; because it provides a unique form of park tha t is particularly 

appropriate to the people of our times; and because it represents 

a cooperative effort tha t has precedence in other fields that should 

bode well for its success.

Thank you.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mr. Jewett. That is an 

unusually fine statement, and you emphasized the points that I think 

are important, in indicating that this should be and can be, and I hope 

will be, worked out on a cooperative effort. It was a splendid statement.

Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. Thank you. It was a very succinct statement.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much.

Our next witness is Dr. Boyd A. Martin, dean of the College of 

Letters and Science of the University of Idaho.

Dr. Martin.

STATEMENT OF DR. BOYD A. MARTIN, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF 

LETTERS AND SCIENCE, UNIVE RSITY OF IDAHO

Dr. Martin. Senator Bible, Senator Jordan , my name is Boyd A. 

Martin. I am dean of the College of Letters and Science of the 

University of Idaho.

I request, at this time, permission to include the written testimony 

of Dr. D. R. Theopliilus, who is president of the University of Idaho. 

He was unable to be here today and he has asked me to express his 

regrets to the subcommittee and has asked th at I appe ar for him.

Senator Bible. Very well.

Dr. Martin. Pres iden t Theopliilus has been a resident of the State 

of Idaho for 37 years. During this period he has been associated 

with the university in both teaching and research activities. He has 

visited every single site proposed here as part of a national park and 

he has authorized me to state tha t he endorses this program without 

any reservations. He believes it will be a great asset to th is community 

and to the West.

I would also like to include in the record the remarks of Dr. Siegfried B. Rolland. Dr. Rolland is a professor of history at the Un iversity of Id aho and he is a specialist in the history of Idah o and the 

Northwest. Dr. Rolland has done a great deal of research in this 

area and he feels one of the great advantages of this particula r pro-
72 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

gram will be th at we will be preserving and caring for records which 

formerly have not been properly preserved and cared for. In fact, 

the people of Idaho have been slow, in many cases reluctant, to effectively preserve the history of this part of the country.

Speaking for myself, 1 would like to say tha t I think the program has special values along certain lines. First, it has a real teaching value. We can use this park, these sites, for the teaching of a 

cultural heritage of Idaho and the Northwest. We can also use it for 

research purposes and also use it to preserve some of the ffnest anthropological collections in the Northwest, and some of the finest historical sites in the Northwest. We can combine these for the purpose 

of teaching and research.

I would also say it has another real value in tha t we are going to 

preserve this for the future generations. Fortu nately, this can be 

done now. Earlier, we were too close to it to do it.

We have two great cultures in this area, the Nez Perce, one of the 

finest In dian cultures in this area ; and also a pioneer culture. One 

of the reasons we have been so slow to preserve these cultures is because we were so close to them and did not recognize their real cultural 

heritage. I think the people of Idaho now recognize the value of this 

kind of a program and 1 would like to say on behalf of President 

Theophilus and Dr. Rolland and myself tha t we would like to endorse 

this program for educational purposes without any reservations.

Thank you.

Senator Bible. Tha t is a very fine statement. You put a new emphasis on the value th at this program can be in the educational field.

Senator Church, do you have any questions?

Senator Church. No, except to comment that th at was an extremely 

good statement, and I want to commend Dr. M artin for it.

Senator Bible. Senator Jord an ?

Senator J ordan. I would like to remark tha t this brings all of the 

State institutions permanently behind the program, with this statement we have had from Dr. Martin, and his testimony was mighty 

fine.

(The statements of Dr. Siegfried B. Holland and President D. R. 

Theophilus follow:)

Statement of Dr. Siegfried B. Rolland, Professor of History, University

of I daho

October 8,1964. Dr. Boyd A. Martin,

Dean, College of Letters and Science, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho

Dear Dr. Martin : My atte ntion has been called to the fac t th at you are to

testify before the Senate Public Lands Subcommittee which meets at Lewiston 

tomorrow to consider the curr ent proposals for establishing a nation al historical 

park in north-central Idaho. I have followed the accounts of the progress of 

this proposal in the newspapers and have read the mimeographed summary 

in sup port of it prepared by Mr. William F. Johnston. I certain ly subscribe 

to both the content and the spirit of that summary. It is my u nde rsta nding th at 

various individuals inte rested in the preservation of historical sites as well as 

oth er aspe cts of the park program plan to submit stat ements in support of it. I 

am a professor of history at the University of Idah o where I teach both Idah o 

and Pacific Northwest history, largely to futur e teac hers of those subjects. 

I also direct gra duate resea rch at the M.A. and Ph. D. levels in the same fields. 

As a member of Library Associates and for many years, in my capacity as chair ­

man of the arch ives and history committee, I have been concerned actively—and 

still am—a t the university, with the discovery, collection, and preserva tion of 

histor ica l records. Obviously my concern for the historical park prog ram is deep
NEZ PERC E NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 73

and direct. I would app reciate it, therefore, if you would express my support of 

this program to the Sen ate’s subcommittee.

Those of us who are concerned with teaching and the promotion of researc h in 

regional and State history—and resea rch alone makes teaching possible—are constantly reminded that this is an are a not long removed from the pioneer iieriod. 

For reasons too complex to detail, such are as, and this is especially tru e o f Idaho, 

suffer from a paucity of the type cf docu mentary source materials which have facilitate d the recovery of the historical past in the older States and sections of 

our country. In the absence of numerous and fully complete collections of wr itten records, it seems imp erative that the still existing evidence of man ’s history 

and cultu ral development be preserved. This is not a local matter, but a matter 

of regional and national concern. The history of Idah o is inextricably rela ted 

to tha t of the old Oregon country a nd to the Pacific Northwest and through them 

to the history of the Nation. A people una ware of, unap prec iative of, the past 

can have little basis for the building of an attra ctive future . The importance for 

the teaching and writin g of history of the sites to be preserved in the proposed 

park should not be underestimated. No part of h istory is qua litative ly more impo rta nt tha n another. The type of anth ropological and archeological evidence 

which the program envisaged in the creatio n of this park will preserve, form s 

the “stuff” of history. In the absence of written records, artif ac ts and other 

cultural remains, such as ghost town sites of which there are many, can still provide the ma terial for reconstructing and building appreciation of the past in ancient as well as rela tive ly modem aspects of the history of thi s area .

A citiz enry capab le of und erstanding and app reciating the past is the best 

gua rantee for the future in a democratic society. The teachers, the youth, the 

people of thi s are a and the people of the Nation need not only the evidence, 

but the encouragement to learning and understanding which public sponso rship 

and interp retative programs would assure und er a national historical park 

organiza tion in the Nez Perce country. Too much of America’s cultural heritage 

is lost each year by the destruc tion of historic buildings (a good example is 

the Highland Park pla nt of the Ford Motor Co. which produced the model-T 

and father ed the modern assembly line in American ind ust ry) in are as where 

land value for ind ust rial and commercial purposes is so gre at th at the dollar 

overwhelms history. In are as such as the country between the Lew’is and 

Clark tra il and the Salmon River economic pressures are not so great. Such 

destruction should be avoided to the fullest exten t possible. The proposed 

historical park will certain ly aid in the realiza tion of this goal.

Respectfully yours,

Siegfried B. Rolland, 

Professor of History, University of Idaho.

Statement of Dr. D. R. Theophilus, President, University of Idaho

Senator Bible, my name is D. R. T heophilus, a resident of Moscow’, Idaho , and 

preside nt of the University of Idaho. I wish to make a statem ent on the proposed act to authorize a Nez Perc e Nation al Historical Pa rk in nor th-cen tral 

Idaho.

It has been my privilege to live in Idaho for over 37 years and to have intimate knowledge of all proposed sites to be incorporated under the act. Th at 

the sites have national historical significance is well attested to by the writings 

of our historians. The Nez Perc e country is not only lovely and magnificent 

from the standp oint of nature, but i t is important in the development of the W est 

in historical events dealing with the Indians, missionaries, gold miners, and settlers. Th at this gre at Nez Perc e country and suitable sites should be preserved 

because of the ir national historic significance should not even be questioned because it is so evident on even ca sual review.

In my opinion, it is imperative th at prompt enactme nt of the proposed act is 

taken in order to preserve the land and site s from the inroads of modern living 

and transp ortation.

May I urge favorable consideration on the pa rt of the Senate Public Lands 

Subcommittee and express the hope th at the re will be prompt favorable action 

take n on the bill early in the nex t session of the Congress. Thank you for the 

opportu nity to present a stateme nt.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Fathe r Michael O’Malley.
74 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

STATEMENT OF FATHE R MICHAEL O’MALLEY, REPRESEN TING TH E 

CATHOLIC MISSION AT SLICKPOO, IDAHO

Fathe r O’Malijby. Senator Bible, Senator Jord an, and Senator 

Church.

Senator Bible. Fathe r O’Malley.

Fathe r O’Malley. I represent the only Catholic mission at Slickpoo, 

where I spent some years with Father Joseph M. Cataldo, the pastor 

of the Nez Perce. The first time I met him was back in the 19th century, back in 1898 and in 1899. The first thing he said, after taking 

my hand, was “I want you to study the Nez Perce language. It is a superior language, superior to the English.” I found a rath er classical 

language, compared to Latin very much in its declensions and inflections. It was amazing. 1 always have wondered about the origin of 

the language.

Father Cataldo translated the Bible into the Nez Perce language. 

He says that is about all he can do now, he has been in exile from the 

white people so long. I said the best 1 can do is translate Father 

Cataldo’s Bible and his prayers and hymns. I knew many of them 

by heart at one time. For that reason, he had me come to the Corpus 

Christi procession. In October 1905 I was living with him. I was not 

a priest yet. I was on the way, and he gave me the history of the 

mission from the early days, and also some of his reflections on the 

Nez Perce. The original records of the mission are in the Crosby 

Library at Gonzaga University, in Spokane, along with tha t Bible, the 

dictionary and grammar in Nez Perce. They are available there.

Now, I will read my statement, if you don't mind. I am sorry that 

I do have to read.

I am Father Miclujel O'Malley, Jesuit priest, 89 years old, and 

presently assistant pastor of St. Alovsius Church in Spokane, Wash.

I was first associated with Fathe r Joseph M. Cataldo in 1899 at 

Umatilla Indian Mission near Pendleton, Oreg., where all the preaching was done in Nez Perce. I came to St. Joseph's Mission as a 

scholastic under Father Cataldo in 1904.

I am honored to file a statement for the record narratin g the story 

of Father Cataldo’s missionary work among the Nez Perces, including 

the founding of the Catholic Nez Perce India n Mission and (see pp. 

105 to 109 in the National Park Service’s “P ark Feasibility Study") 

the building of the church known as St. Joseph’s Mission Church at 

Slickpoo, just 90 years ago. These facts were related to me by Father 

Cataldo in October 1905, at the mission.

The original records of the mission are in the Crosby Library at 

Gonzaga University, Spokane, along with the Bible, dictionary, and 

grammar in Nez Perce, and if the park is created, the full cooperation 

of the university has been assured for research into the history and 

contribution of the Catholic Church to the development of the area.

In response to their frequent requests, Fathe r Joseph Cataldo, S.J., 

was sent to the Nez Perce Indians in the fall of 1867. His charge 

included the Catholics of Lewiston, for whom he built a small church. 

Then, on invitation, he went to Chief Stuptup’s camp, now known as 

Catholic Gulch, on the Clearwater, about a mile above Spalding bridge. 

There he built a cabin for a chapel and residence, and there began to 

instruct the Nez Perces. With the chief as interpreter, he preached,
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 75

and transla ted into Nez Perce the prayers, hymns, and catechism from 

the Kalispel language, which was sjxiken by both priest and chief.

ilf ter some months, Father Cataldo moved from Stu ptu p’s camp 

to the camp of Chiefs Uyaskasit and Slickpoo, about a mile up the 

Clearwater, now Weeaskus, east of Lewiston. There he was welcomed, 

and given a lodge, and there he won the children and the youth, who 

attended his classes, and soon eagerly learned the prayers and hymns 

in Nez Perce.

Some Indians would call a t the rectory in Lewiston to inquire and 

learn. Among these were Luke Billy and the three Slickpoo young 

men, who also helped the priest to acquire mastery of their beautiful 

language. The adult Indians in both camps made it clear enough 

that, while they appreciated the religious instructions, they were not 

ready for baptism. His work went on steadily for Indians and whites 

but, after about 2 years, his Jesuit superior called him, as a warning to 

the Nez Perces, and sent him to another Indian mission, but allowed 

him to visit Lewiston and the Nez Perces on occasions. In his absence, 

there grew and spread a desire for his return. In his missionary jo urneys he had sustained some serious accidents, a broken leg in a fall from 

a horse and two rescues from drowning in the Clearwater River.

On October 28, 1871, James Lakoskan, a Nez Perce, made contact 

with Father Cataldo at the old Coeur d’Alene Mission, and addressed 

him: “Blackgown, you know tha t I am the only man you baptized 

among the Nez Perces; so the chiefs sent me to call you back. We did 

not listen to yo u: or rath er to Go d; but now all are sorry. They want 

you back, and promise to be baptized.” Joseph Lakoskan added much 

about opposition to his work by the personnel of the Indian agency, 

and urged the priest to hurry back. The priest explained that he did 

not leave the Nez Perce of his own accord, but he had to obey his own 

chief, his superior, and so would ask permission to return.

On Saturday, April 27, 1872, Father Cataldo rode down south to 

Lewiston, happy as an exile returning home. He met an Indian, 

and told him the news, which was spread fast by the Indian grapevine. Next day, Sunday, as the whites left the church after Mass, 

the church filled up with Indians. Soon there arose a murmur of 

prayer, like the hum of a beehive, common prayer. The priest was 

amazed to hear the Indian prayers that he had taug ht the children. 

Chief Slickpoo explained in a whisper, ‘‘Blackgown, these are the 

prayers you taught our children: the children taught th eir parents. 

Now we are ready to be prepared for baptism to be Christians.”

For many days, in the camp up the riverbank, instructions were 

given; and went on into the night. When ready, two groups of a dult 

Nez Perces were baptized in the church in Lewiston, 32 persons altogether. On May 30, 18 more Nez Perces were baptized in the cabinchapel at Stu ptu p’s camp. Then in June, Chief Webb invited the 

priest to his camp on the Sweetwater Creek, at Webb, and there a small 

group was soon ready, having lx>en instructed and taught the prayers 

by a little girl. Soon afte r that, Chief Webb was received into the 

Church, a C hristian true to death. The s pirit of the early Christians 

prevailed in these new Christians.

In the course of the year 1873 over a hundred Nez Perces were received into the Church, and in May 1873 at a camp near Sweetwater, 

at Simon Kawipas’ home a large number receiver! their first Holy
76 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Communion. Marriages were found to be valid, and were blessed. 

Late r on, 169 adults were confirmed.

In 1873 two Catholics in Lewiston, I)r. Kelly and Charles Kress, 

initiated a drive for a fund to build a church for the Catholic Nez 

Perces. Protestants helped generously. Father Cataldo continued 

the drive among the Indians. Miners and Chinamen helped. The 

church was opened and blessed on November 1,1874,90 years ago. The 

Indians were happy and proud of their own little church.

On December 8, priest and people celebrated the Immaculate 

Conception; on the evening before, hymns were sung and speeches 

given around a bonfire, a custom that gave the feastday the name Allaki, i.e., “with tire.” Father Cataldo continued to be a roaming missioner. There were no resident priests until Father Anthony Morvillo, S.J., a noted linguist, arrived from Sicily. He studied Nez 

Perce, helped bv Father Cataldo and the Indians. Morvillo remained 

at the Mission about 15 years, wrote a grammar and dictionary and 

much besides in Nez Perce. He was succeeded by Father Aloysuis 

Soer, S.J., from Holland, who for 19 years, traveled the reservation 

in a buggy; bringing the comfort of religion to the Indians, and to 

the Indians and whites after the reservation was thrown open November 22,1895.

During the Nez Perce war of 1877, Fa ther Cataldo was busy going 

around on horseback to avert the evils of the war, comfort the Indians, 

who took care of the stock and houses of the whites who fled to the 

towns. For 16 years, from 1877 to 1896 he was general superior of all 

the Indian Missions of the Fa r Northwest in charge of the Jesuits, 

and traveled in all weather conditions, and spent a few years in Alaska.

Father Cataldo came back in August 1904 and remained as pastor 

and director of the school fo r 3 years. He returned aga'n in August 

1915, and remained until his death on April 9, 1928, at the age of 91. 

He was crippled with broken bones for years, slept the night in an 

armchair, and went to the church on crutches to say Mass at 6:30 a.m. 

Two disastrous fires brought sorrow to him, and discomfort to the 

sisters and the children of the school, which was his hope and his joy. 

He had brought 12 sisters from Philadelphia, Pa., who drew from his 

example the courage to persevere. His last week was spent in preaching at a mission in Nez Perce to Umatilla Indians.

Senator Bible. Father O ’Malley, I certainly appreciate your statement. You have given us another insight into the Nez Perce and I particularly appreciate the fact you came all the way from Spokane, 

Wash., to share your knowledge and experience with us. It is a valuable contribution to the record. Thank you.

Senator Church ?

Senator Church. I thank you, Father. Tha t was a wonderful 

statement. We appreciate it very much.

Senator Bible. Senator Jord an ?

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Father.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Dr. Alfred W. Bowers, professor 

of anthropology and sociology at the University of Idaho.

Senator Church. While we are waiting for the next witness to 

come up, it has been called to m y attention that this map up here, 

behind us, was prepared by Mrs. Zoa Swayne and she made it, to be 

given to the Lapwai community building, as a g ift from the Orofino
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 77

A.A.U.W. I think she has done a splendid job and ought to get credit 

for it. I wanted to call that to the attention of the committee.

Senator Bible. I am happy, to have you do so, and I might say when 

I returned from tha t very hue lunch, I studied that in detail and it is 

remarkably well done. I share those sentiments.

Dr. Bowers.

STA TEM ENT OF DR. AL FRED W. BOWERS, PROFESSOR OF AN THROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY, UN IV ER SITY OF IDAHO

Dr. Bowers. Senator Bible, Senator Church, and Senator Jordan, 

I am Alfred W. Bowers, professor of anthropology and sociology a t 

the University of Idaho. I am a thir d of the trium virate of a nthropologists who appear before you today in support of the proposed 

park. We have not collaborated at all, but we have all come to the 

same conclusion.

Now, I want to speak in a different vein in terms of our national 

heritage and national interest, believing tha t in the final analysis a 

park of this sort will be appreciated by the people of all sections of our 

Nation. I reviewed the bill to authorize this historical park and it is 

my firm conviction th at a park established here by the National Park 

Service will serve the people of Idaho and our Nation well, while at 

the same time preserving the various historic and archeological sites 

for people everywhere to enjoy them and become better acquainted 

with these unique experiencs in our national history.

Special acknowledgement should go to our public servants and to 

those in these communities who have worked so hard to preserve and 

develop these resources, and to the National Park Service tha t has 

served us so well in the past.

Our country with its many local traditions and cultural roots is 

like a beautiful tapestry of many threads. What has happened in 

the past, wherever it may have taken place within our wide land, is 

shaped and molded into tha t complex which we call our national 

heritage.

Every body of tradition must be regarded as the living embodiment 

of our past and it follows that a way of life such as we find here in 

north-central Idaho today or anywhere else in our broad land, cannot be understood unless its past is taken into account as fully as possible, using every available device—historic sources, comparisons with 

other ways of life in other sections of our land, archeological evidence—to probe its background and development.

In this atmosphere men and women of good will of these communities of north-central Idaho, people of two races, are working hand in 

hand to preserve the best of their two traditions.

Our great highways which move the freight or the people in the pursuit of their livelihood also bring people closer to those historic spots 

which they have read about. They can view firsthand the spots where 

the g reat dramas of our cultural history were enacted. But the highways and railroads, and the great dams that impound our waters, that 

we may live richer lives, are defacing our earth.

In an age of science when more scientists are living than in all of 

human history and most of them are exceedingly productive; when 

our eyes and our thoughts are on the moon and the dista nt planets;
78 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

when fatal diseases of little children are virtually all wiped out and 

the health of our people is the best in all of human history; when 

fewer farmers produce more food th an ever before; when we are becoming more urbanized; when planes and rockets are virtually obsolete before they are airborne; when we have within our own grasp 

the capacity to destroy all of mankind; when people have more leisure 

time than any time in history; when our way of life is changing so 

fast that our social scientists and philosophers fear that we may actually lose continuity with our past and become rootless, men and women 

in communities all over America, and leaders in our Government at 

all levels are taking stock of our ancient heritages to see what can be 

preserved for the future generations.

It is in this atmosphere that parks, historic monuments, museums, 

and the like are cropping up all over America to tell the story of our 

country to people who are in a hurry, and to preserve in the local communities that which is unique to tha t area.

Federal legislation today requires that contractors building our 

highways and reservoirs take into account and salvage and preserve 

as much as is possible of our archeological, paleontological, and historical resources. Some of us here today have for many years been 

directing these salvage operations through cooperative programs between the National Park Service and our universities or between va rious bureaus and departments of the various State governments and 

the National Park Service or the Smithsonian Institution. This salvage is big business today as we deface and rebuild our earth. States, 

too, have antiquities acts.

Some developments of parks, museums, or monuments are so 

uniquely local in interest and the historic events which are being 

reproduced there are of such limited interest to the Nation at large, 

tha t these sites ought to be developed by local private and public 

agencies; and one ought not to shift onto national agencies the 

expense of development and preservation of such sites or monuments.

Sometimes the events, however important they may be, are collectively so widely dispersed that a unified administrative agency would 

be cumbersome and exceedingly ineffective.

This proposed historic park—the Nez Perce National Historical 

Park—which you are considering today is administratively sound 

from the national level, for many of the events which have taken 

place within this valley and the adjacent highlands were of such a 

nature as to affect the lives and fortunes of all of us wherever we 

mav live.

I would say I have seen all these sites and many of them several 

times, and know others which are not in the list to which I would certainly want to direct the attention of the Par k Service, if this park 

is established.

Rarely does one find so many important sites marking the critical 

events of a State’s or a region’s history as are centered within the 

Clearwater in an amazingly limited area and with easy access to all 

of them by highway. And the recent opening of Highway 12 along 

which other historic sites, museums, and monuments to the east of the 

Rockies are being completed or planned, the development of this proposed park would add much to the understanding of our Western 

movement by our neighbors living in the East. Motoring along this
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 79

fine highway which links the East and the West, travelers will see set 

for them, the unique events of these various communities.

If I were talking to people in other sections of our land, there are 

some unique events in Idaho history I would want them to know more 

about and how our history in Idaho is intertwined with theirs. Fore ­

most in my thoughts would be the well-documented Lewis and Clark 

Expedition which stalled from our Atlantic seaboard, reached the 

Pacific shores, and for the first time wove a thread—however tenuous— 

that tied the East with the West and laid the foundations for our western expansion into an area where other nations were p utting down 

roots also. I would want the people of the East and Midwest to know 

that with the construction of huge dams we are defacing our earth and 

covering the sites where so much of our country's history was written. 

On our own Columbia and Snake Rivers salvage has been pursued at 

a breakneck pace ahead of the construction of these huge dams, and 

highway and railroad relocation activities.

I would want the easterner or any visitor in our midst—and our 

own people, too—to view some of the places where, had the response 

of our native Indian population been unfriendly, the course of history probably would have been quite different. Perhaps the history 

of our Northwest would not have been much different had a band of 

young Crow and Ilid ats a Indians not discovered the notorious Bird 

Woman Sacajawea and transported her as a prisoner to the Ilid atsa 

and Mandan, on the Missouri River, where she was adopted into the 

Itishuka clan of one of their villages to become as free in her movements as any other Hidatsa woman; perhaps Lewis and Clark would 

have found their way to the Pacific without her help, but she certainly 

made their t rip easier; perhaps Lewis and C lark would have reached 

the Pacific if they had found the first Nez Perces at Weippe unfriendly and unwilling to p ermit them access to their land and rivers. 

But in my opinion, Lewis and Clark would never have reached the 

Pacific without the cooperation of the Nez Perce who were then closely 

tied in friendship to their downstream neighbors.

More immediately, the Nez Perce war of 1877, and the rule of Chief 

Joseph so well covered in history books is inadequately covered by 

monuments and historic spots. If the battles against the Sioux in 

1876 are noteworthy enough to warrant the developments of the Government has already undertaken on the Little Big Horn River in 

Montana to mark the turn ing point in their efforts to put the powerful 

Plains Indians on reservations, the Nez Perce war the next year— 

1877—which had comparable results for the Indians west of the 

Divide, merits equal recognition.

I would also want to emphasize to the people of the Eas t tha t 

Idaho, though not very populous when the Civil W ar broke out, was 

able to make a noteworthy contribution to the no rthern cause through 

(he newly discovered gold in the Clearwater drainage.

An area like this—and I am referring now to the river systems 

and the valleys and islands—an area like this, occupied by our American aborigines even before the first literacy or cities or towns developed anyplace in the world, w arran ts more than passing mention 

in considering the assets of this park. This position was analyzed in 

greater detail by Dr. Dougherty from the Washington State U niversity and Dr. Swanson of Idaho University Museum this morning.
80 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

So we return to my initial position that our country is one of many 

traditions, which flow together like a great riv er system. As a river 

is as g reat as the tribu taries that feed it, So is a nation as strong as 

the local traditions on which it has been founded. Every body of 

tradition is its own embodiment of the past.

In the relocation and establishment of historic areas, balance and 

good judgment are necessary ingredients that all sections of our Nation are represented according to their respective contributions to our 

national heritage.

The people of Idaho, white and Indian, should be complimented 

for their good judgment in formulating a proposed historic park of 

this sort to represent the best in two traditions with so little evident 

disturbance of existing industries and settlements.

I have never heard a voice raised in the Moscow community or w ithin the University of Idaho faculty in opposition to this proposed park.

Senator Bible. That was an unusually fine statement, Dr. Bowers, 

and you have given us a little different viewpoint of some of the values 

that can flow from a proposal such as this. I never tire of studying the 

results tha t build up around a situation l ike this.

Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. This is another of the fine statements we have 

heard here today that stimulate the imagination for this great project. 

I am grateful for the testimony from this witness, Dr. Bowers.

Senator Bible. Thank you, Doctor.

Our next witness is Bob Larrabee, who is president of the Clarkston 

Chamber of Commerce.

Air. Larrabee.

STATEMENT 0E ROBERT LARRABEE, PRESIDENT, CLARKSTON 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. Larrabee. Senator Bible and Senator Jordan , and ladies and 

gentlemen, I am Robert Larrabee, president of the Clarkston Chamber 

of Commerce, of Clarkston, Wash. I assure you and your committee 

that our organization, representing the business men and women of 

our city, stands back of the Nez Perce National Historical Park Association program.

Our cities of Clarkston and Lewiston, with only a river and bridge 

between, and once only a ferry, have always cooperated and worked 

side by side on all major matters of public interest, such as the proposed park project.

Even though our p art of the State of Washington is not an integral 

part of this new pa rk system, because of our geographic proximity to 

the Nez Perce country in Idaho the park land has our united support.

We now join Lewiston and the Nez Perce area in welcoming tourists 

to this area. This park system will not only benefit the West, but it 

will draw tourists, students, and many others from throughout the 

United States and other countries who will be intensely interested in 

learning more about our wonderful area.

When they come this way, we will welcome them to Clarkston also, 

and lend our chamber interest to make them want to come back again 

and explore the region further.

Senator Bible. That is a very fine statement. It emphasizes that 

this proposal has more than State interest. I realize that Clarkston
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 81

is just across the river, but it shows this is a regional interest, and I 

am sure it is of national interest as well. It is a fine statement. Senator Jordan ?

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Bob.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Melvin Alsager of Moscow, Idaho, State commander of the American Legion. Apparently he has 

had to leave. Ilis full statement will be included at this point.

(The statement referred to follow s:)

Statement of Melvin J. Alsager, Department Commander, the American

Legion of I daho

My name is Melvin J. Alsager. I am the commander of the American Legion, 

Dep artm ent of Idaho.

I app ear before you today to urge the passage of legislation esta blishing a 

serie s of historical site s in thi s region of cen tral Idaho, to be known as the 

Nez Perce Historical N atio nal Park.

The endorsement of the American Legion to this most worthy p roject is predicated upon the following words in our pream ble to our co nstitution:

“To foster and p erp etu ate a 100-percent Am ericanis m;

“To preserve the memories and incid ents of our associations in the great 

wars.”

I pledge the who lehe arted support and cooperation of the American Legion, 

Department of Idaho, to the preserva tion of the historical value of thi s are a in 

our Nation’s h istory for future generations.

Senator Bible. George M. Klein, the mayor of Grangeville. Is 

he here?

We are happy to have you with 11s, Mr. Mayor.

Senator J ordan. Mr. Chairman, may I have the pleasure of introducing him to you ? He is the mayor of my hometown. He is a civicminded leader and a man of whom we can take counsel in this affair.

Senator Bible. Thank you. I am glad to have that introduction.

STA TEM ENT OE GEORGE M. K LE IN , MAYOR, CITY OE GRA NGEVILLE , 

IDAHO

Mr. Klein. Thank you, Senator Bible, and thank you, Senator 

Jordan. I appreciate this opportunity to be here.

Our statement has already been submitted for inclusion in the 

record.

I would like to say in addition to what is included in the statement 

tha t for several weeks we have been working along with some other 

gentlemen from our area contacting people, explaining this program 

to them, people who have not had an opportunity to attend chamber 

meetings or other meetings, and we have talked to many of them. 

We talked to many of our friends and neighbors, Senator Jordan, 

as you will recognize by their names, people who are considered 

rugged stockmen who are ranchers and from the Salmon River area, 

and business people from Dixie, men who are miners and lumbermen. 

We had an opportunity to explain this new concept of public parks, 

which was to say it was different than anything that has been p resented before. They understood the idea and we were met with absolutely no opposition, even on the fringes or in the areas of many of 

these historical sites that are proposed. It was a real pleasure to work 

and go out on a mission like this that received so much enthusiasm 

from so many people in all walks of life in this area.
82 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Thank you very much.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much. That is a fine statement, 

mayor.

Senator J ordan. Thank you very much.

(The statement referred to follows:)

P repared Sta tem ent op George M. Klein , Mayor, Grangev ille, I daho

My name Is George M. Klein. I am the mayor of the city of Grangeville, 

Grangeville, Idaho.

This city of 3,700 population is located about 15 miles north of the White 

Bird battleground on the edge of the Camas I’rair ie and was founded by tl*? 

members of the first charity Grange in the State, hence the name Grangeville.

The people of our city, our city council and civic organizatio ns, enthusiastically approve and endorse the proposal to establish in north-ce ntral Idaho a new 

Nez Perce Country National Historical Park and ask Congress to auth orize this 

project.

The citizens know and value the keen inte rest th at has been generated over 

the period of the past many yea rs in the Nez Perce Indian Wa r of 1877, the 

Lewis and Clark Expedition, and the early gold mining centers of the central 

Idaho country. Nationally known historians have given warning that unless 

these nation al and priceless historical shrines are protected now, they may soon 

be spoiled through enroacliment by inappropriate outside influences.

We understand that the proposed park development will result in some possible 

economic gains to the Nez Perce Indian Tribe and all of this area . These benefits are not to be discounted in the development of human and economic resources in and adjacent to the reservation. But these economic gains are only 

a very much needed byproduct to a project of truly national significance and 

one that can be justified solely in terras of its historical, archeological, and scenic 

inte rest to all of the people of our country.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Mr. E. V. Lorenz, president of 

the port of Lewiston. Is he here? We have his statement and it will 

be inserted at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta tem ent of E. V. Lorenz, P resid ent, Lew ist on P ort Com m is si on , 

Lew isto n, I daho

My name is E. V. Lorenz. I am president of the Lewiston Port Commission.

In 11)71, a series of dams and locks will be completed on the Columbia and 

Snake Rivers to create a channel from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho, 4(55 

miles inland. These locks will be of sufficient size to hand le oceangoing barges 

and tugs. This will greatly expand the market for our products, through the 

possibility of lower trans portation cost.

At the present time, the Pacific Northwest has only 38 percent of the average 

population of the entire country. Where the natio nal average is GO persons per 

square mile, we in the Pacific Northwest have only 23 persons per square mile.

However, we have a favorable climate, rich soil, a n abundance of pure water, 

and low-priced electric power. Certainly it is reasonable to expect an explosive 

increase in our population in the next 25 years.

With the sho rter workweek, it is most imperative th at increased recreatio nal 

parks be created for our people.

The Nez Perce Historical Park is only one of many new areas for sightseeing 

and recreation that will be necessary for our fut ure generations.

Senator Bible. Our next witness will be State Senator Carl C. 

Moore, from Xez Perce County.

He is not here. Ilis statement will be inserted at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 83

Statement of Hon. Carl C. Moore, State Senator From Nez Perce County, 

Idaho

My name is Carl Moore. I am State senator representing Nez Perce County, 

Idaho.

The proposal before you today is one of concern to all citizens of this Nation. 

This new concept would create a national park to preserve important historic 

sites for the benefit of present and future citizens and would accomplish this 

without the acquisition by the Federal Government of large trac ts of land.

In considering the historic value of these sites, we must remember that the 

American dream of one great Nation “from sea to shining sea” was brought to 

full realization because of the action which took place in the areas to be included 

in this national historic park and related sites.

It is not necessary to repeat in my testimony here the historic importance of 

the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Spaulding mission, and the gold discovery 

at Pierce. Likewise, the Nez Perce Indian war has a place of undeniable importance in our national history.

The actions of this committee and the National Congress will determine 

whether or not these sites are to be preserved. We are now a t a point of major 

change in this area. Some sites already have been destroyed or so severely 

damaged tha t restoration or preservation is not possible. The sites which this 

committee has under consideration still possess historic integrity to a very 

dramatic degree or can be restored without major changes. Failure to act now 

will permit the destruction of additional sites and ultimately the loss of all 

these sites, which possess such tremendous historic significance. The loss to our 

Nation, should this be permitted to happen, would be incalculable.

I. therefore, urge early and favorable action on the Nez Perce National Historical Park legislation which you now have before you. Such favorable action 

will preserve these historic sites and will also establish a new and desirable 

concept in national parks.

Thank you for your consideration.

Senator Bible. Our next witness will be Edw ard M. Brainard from 

Grangeville. Is lie here?

A Voice From Audience. Senator, I would like to say that these 

statements—some of these, people have come and gone du ring the day.

Senator Btble. We understand.

A Voice From Audience. These statements are some tha t have 

been presented from our group in the Grangeville area.

Senator Bible. Very fine. I want it clearly understood tha t all 

statements submitted to our committee will be incorporated in full 

in the record and, as soon as this record is closed—and it will be 

closed November 15—thereaf ter will be printed, each of you will receive a copy of it, and all of these statements are going io be incorporated in it.

(The statement of Edwa rd II . B rainard follows:)

Statement of Edward M. Brainard, Manager, Radio Station KORT, 

Grangeville, Idaho

I am Edward M. Brainard, general manager of Radio Station KORT in 

Grangeville, Idaho.

Having moved to Idaho from New England, where many of the Nation’s 

earliest historical sites have been completely obliterated by the encroachments 

of high-rise apartments and office buildings, I am perhaps more sensitive to 

the possibility of tha t happening in the Pacific Northwest than many Idahoans. 

From this point of view, if for no other, I urge your committee and both Houses 

of the Congress to give serious consideration to the establishment of the Nez 

Perce National Historical Park, with a view to preserving for all time the sites 

and landmarks of Idaho’s earlier days, especially those directly connected with 

the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Nez Perce Indian War of 1877, and the early 

gold-mining centers.

I call the committee’s attention not only to the planned sites and landmarks, 

but also to the region around the community of Mount Idaho, where settlers
84 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

built a fort of floursacks for their own defe nse; and to the once-flourishing, 

but now completely abandoned, town of Florence, where some 10,000 miners 

once produced some .$10 million in gold which reputedly helped save the Union in 

the W ar Between the State s.

In addition to prese rving these and other historical sites and landmarks, the 

Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk could create c ertain economic advantag es to 

the region and for people who sorely need them.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Cecil D. Andrus, State senator for Clearwater County. His statement will be printed in full.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement of Hon. Cecil D. Andrus, State Senator, Clearwater County, 

I daho

My name is Cecil D. Andrus. I am the Sta te senator from Cle arw ater 

County and I am here today in supp ort of the move to cre ate Nez Perc e 

National Park.

In our county, and within the confines of the proposed park, is located the 

town of Pierce, Idaho, where gold was first discovered in this region. In thi s 

area, and in its original condition, is the first courthouse, a stam p mill, mine 

tunnels, and many oth er points of intere st that most adults have only read 

about in our history books. We feel that these points should be maintained for 

all future generations. Other historical points in magnificent settings, are 

abu nda nt. Many of these have been discussed in detail here today and I do 

not intend to tak e up your time by repeating this detailed material, but I do 

want to convey to you, and to your committee, the thinking of the people of 

Cle arw ater County. We sincerely want, and respectfu lly urge, your committee 

to give this proposal your favorable endorsement.

I personally pledge my supp ort to Sta te legislation th at will enable thi s park 

to become a reality with the harm onious partici pation of the State of Idaho.

Senator Bible. Marcus J. Ware, president of the Luna House Historical Society.

We are very happy to see you, Mr. Ware. I enjoyed visiting with 

you during the lunch hour.

STATEMENT OF MARCUS J. WARE, PRES IDENT, LUNA HOUSE 

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Mr. Ware. Senator Bible and Senator Jordan , I have a brief 

statement from our friend, Sam Tilden.

Senator Bible. I certainly did enjoy meeting him during the lunch 

hour.

Mr. Ware. He couldn’t stay through out the hearing, and if he were 

here he probably couldn't talk loud enough to be heard.

Senator Bible. He is a man who is 102 years old, I understand.

Mr. Ware. Ninety-six.

Sam Tilden attended Carlisle School, though he didn't graduate. 

Thereafter, Chief Joseph, on his last trip to Washington, D.C., in his 

many efforts to get the righ t for his people to return to Wallula, 

stopped in the Flathead country and asked Sam Tilden to go along 

with him, to have an interpreter check on the interpreter. This is 

Sam Tilden ’s statement.

Senator Bible. We will have to give him credit for that. I think 

some of us in political life could use the same technique.

Mr. Ware. My words are Sam’s here.

Statement of Sam Tilden

I am happy to speak on behalf of the plan for a Nez Pe rce Nation al Historical 

Park.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 85

I am Sam Tilden, a nephew of the Chief Joseph who led his people during 

the Nez Perce War of 1877. I know that my uncle did not want that war, but 

when he saw it was inevitable, he did not hesitate to do the best he could to 

lead his people through th at try ing time.

When the w ar broke out, I was living with my grandm other on the C learwater 

River, ju st below where the town of Kooskia is now located. When word 

reached us th at Chief Joseph and his people were encamped on the Cle arw ater 

ju st above Stites, we broke camp and joined him. This was ju st before the 

battle of the Clearwater. I was 9 yea rs old at the time. My grandmother and 

I were w ith Chief Joseph from th at time until the battle of the Bea r Paw. During the retre at, my grandm other’s teepee was alwa ys pitched nex t to th at of 

Chief Joseph.

At the Bea r Paw, I escaped on a saddle horse given to me by Chief Joseph. 

After the surprise att ack at the Big Hole, I always kept a saddle horse staked 

at night by my grandm other’s teepee. This enabled me to get away.

I rode n orth from the Bear P aw to a Cree camp, where I was told I had reached 

safety in the “Red Coats” country, th at is, Canada.

From the Cree camp, I went to Sitting Bull’s camp where I found my mother 

and stepfather. We remained in the Sioux camp all win ter and then went to 

Fo rt McLeod for a year and a half, before return ing to the United State s.

My people have always been frie nds of the white people except during the 

difficult period of the Nez P erce War.

Captains Lewis and Clark and the members of their party were well received 

by our people when they arrive d at Weippe Pr airie in Septem ber 1805. They 

were tired, weary, sick, and hungry. The aid of our people then helped make 

the expedition a success and so helped to save our Northwest for the American 

Union.

I thin k th at the Nez Perce Ind ian s have earned a place of natio nal importance 

in the history of the American people and th at the proposed national park now 

being considered would be something in which all Americans, both red and white, 

would have a deep and a las ting pride.

And his signature is scrawled on this page.

I won’t read my own statement. It is submitted and will be in the 

record.

Senator Bible. It will be incorporated.

We enjoyed the opportunity of seeing Sam Tilden.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Prepared Statement of Marcus J. Ware

As Nez Perc e County his tor ian and president of the Lun a House Historical 

Society, Inc., I desire to make a statem ent in beh alf of the proposed Nez Perce 

National Historical Park.

The field of intere st of our society is coextensive with the a rea known as the 

Nez Perce Indian country. We are deeply concerned with the preserva tion of 

the rich historic past of this area, and the ade quate exemplification and interpretation of its history for present and future generations. This can be accomplished by the protection and res toration of historic sites, coupled with appropriate exhibits at key points.

Here in the Cle arw ater coun try, the Lewis and Clark Expedition met its most 

crucial test and, bu t for the frie ndly aid of the Nez Perce Indians, might well 

have failed.

Here at Lewiston were the beginnings of organized government in what is now 

Idaho, the one Western Sta te settled initiall y by a tide of people flowing in from 

the Pacific coast.

At Spalding were the first missionary efforts, the first mills, the first irr igation in Idaho, and the first pri nting press in the Pacific Northwest.

These and other events of our pioneer history, woven togethe r by the colorful 

contribution of the Nez Perc e Indians, dem onstrate th at the proposed park is 

of national importance.

Beginning with the exciting days of the first exploration by Lewis and Clark, 

the missionary zeal of both Protestant and Catholic priest fanned into flame by 

the Indian delegation to St. Louis, and climaxed by the thrilling events of the 

Nez Perce Wa r of 1877, the history of this region is of nationwide significance. 

The present-day rally of the Nez Perc e Tribe which has turned from the
86 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

prophecy of doom, defe at, and extinction at the turn of the century and, und er 

the able lead ersh ip of its own men and women, has become one of the most 

for ward looking and progressive of Indian peoples, is an inspira tion to all 

American citizens.

There could be no more fitting name for this proposed park than th at which 

honors this trib e which has made such a significant contribution to the development of the Western United States.

The proposed park has the unqualified endo rsement of the organization I 

represe nt.

Senator Bible. We have several statements handed in from historical societies which will be included in the record at this point.

(The statements referred to follow:)

Statement of Herman W. Reuter. President, Idaho County Historical

Society, Inc.

At an executive meeting of the Idaho County Historical Society. Inc., on October 2, 1964. we were informed you would hold public hearing s rela tive to the 

establishme nt of a national par k in Idah o to be known as the Nez Perce Natio nal 

Park.

At this meeting, the following resolution was adopted :

Whereas thi s organization is in fav or of the preserv ation of historical sites, 

and of recording the facts relative to the Lewis and Clark Expedition through 

thi s area, and of the history of the Nez Perce Ind ian W ar: Now, there fore, be it

Resolved, Th at the Idah o County Historical Society, Inc., go on record to urge 

the establishment of this Nez Perc e National Historical Par k.

Statement of Eugene Tay'lor, Representing the Pioneer Society of Latah

County, Idaho

My name is Eugene Taylor and I represe nt the P ioneer Association of Latah 

County. We of the Pioneer Association of Latah County feel that the historical 

value of the are a considered by the Senate subcommittee hearing to he held in 

Lewiston. October 9. is of vital concern to the Nation because it was one of the 

links that helped tie our Nation together. The value of preserv ing, for posterity, 

whatever information and physical structur es are now in existence will he far 

reaching in the future. We feel th at in order to prevent distortion of fac ts the 

program should be under the complete protection and control of the Natio nal 

Pa rk Service.

Statement of II. J. Swinn ey, Director, Idaho Historical Society

My name is II. J. Swinney, and I am director of the Idaho Historical Society, 

which is the dep artm ent of the Sta te government of Idah o charged with responsibility in historical matters. I respectfu lly subm it herewith the following sta tement for the subcommittee hea ring at Lewiston for Friday , October 9, on the 

proposed Nez Perce National Historical Par k.

It is unnecessary f or me to repeat a t gre at length the evidence which has been 

so cle arly marshaled in so many rejiorts and studies, and which so amply demonstr ates the major historical importance for the United States of the area now 

und er considera tion as the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Par k. In the 

Nez Perce cou ntry ’s h istory there are examples of many of the major influences 

in the history of Western America. Here lived an anc ient and significant Indian 

people, as yet almost unstudied by modern scholarship. Here the Lewis and 

Clark party accomplished most of the terr ibly difficult land trav el on their jou rney to the Pacific, and here they made cordial contact w ith the Indians. British 

fu r tradin g organiz ations operated her e; here Protestant missionaries not only 

taug ht the Gospel bu t established the first irrigated farm s, with Catholic priests 

soon following; and here the series of gold rushes which populated the interior 

Northw est began. Here the terri toria l government of Idaho—which then included the modern Sta tes of Idaho, Montana, an d Wyoming—was first proclaimed 

in 1863. Here Americans, both Indian and non-Indian, have shared in the development of mines, towns, agriculture, and the lumbering industry to produce a 

continuous and still continuing story of w estern development in all its phases.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 87

Yet this has been accomplished w itho ut most of the dras tic and bruta l changes 

in th e landscape which so often accompany the historic m arch of civilization. In 

the Nez Perce cou ntry is left a vast and bea utiful are a where the historic h eritage 

which belongs to every American can be re-created on its original and unspoiled 

stage—where the homeland of the Nez Perce people and the places where its 

history happened can he visited by the growing numbers of Americans who travel 

every year to see th eir own country first.

For many yea rs the need for historic preservation and historical development 

in thi s are a has been a recurring theme in the thin king of are a leaders. Many 

organiza tions have given attention to the history of the Nez Perce coun try, and 

several, including some founded for the purpose, have attempted to take definite 

action along these lines. But, like the country itself, the problems and the geography are too big to be successfully dea lt with by a local or a Sta te effort. The 

lands concerned are in every conceivable type of ow nersh ip: Federal, State, and 

local governments; major and minor indust rial and commercial holdin gs; timberlands and mining claims; farm s, homes, and Indian rese rvation lands. To coord inate these proper but various interests, only the highest possible au tho rity 

is sufficient. If this land is to be made to teach its w ealth of h isto rical lessons to the American public, the broad resources of the Federal Government are required. Certain ly the resources, for example, of the Idah o Historical Society, both in term s 

of funds ami of staff time, are insufficient even for the scho larship involved in a 

project which necessarily must be on a large scale. Research is requ ired in history, archeology, and anthropology. There are, furthermo re, a multitu de of 

technical and professional problems which must and can be solved in ma tte rs 

of park development, visitor centers, and so on. With the leadership of the 

Federal Government and with the specialized knowledge of the Park Service, 

special services can be provided and the efforts of cooperatin g agencies can be 

channeled and directed to produce a historical park of a new type, whose sca ttere d land are as can be connected by a chain of i nte rpretation in o rder to explain 

to Americans a large part of the story of the ir cou ntry’s development in one century into a continenta l giant.

Except for the Jefferson National Expansion Monument in St. Louis, nea rly 

2,000 miles away, this story is not being pulled together for presentation to the 

public in any oth er place so fa r as I am awa re. The Nez Perce country not 

only tells this story, but may tell it uniqu ely ; it may well be that no other place 

in the West is so well adapted , dem onstrates so m any facets of the story, as the 

proposed Nez Perc e Na tional Historical Park.

As the official Sta te historical agency of Idaho, the Idaho Historical Society 

would welcome the establishment of a national historical park in the Nez Perc e 

country. Our organiza tion has alread y cooperated closely with local plan ners, 

and with Park Service and Forest Service officials engaged in studies of the proposal. We could and would continue this cooperation and enthusiasm, and we 

hea rtily su pport the proposal.

Senator Bible. Our next witness will be Fran k Sullivan, president 

of the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce. He was my host last night, 

and he is all right.

STATEMENT OF FRANK SULLIVAN, PRES IDENT, LEWISTON 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. Sullivan. Senator Bible and members of your committee, I am 

Frank Sullivan, president of the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce.

In view of the fact tha t previously our chamber has unanimously 

approved the Nez Perce National Historical Park as outlined in the 

feasibility report, I will comment on some of the phases which may 

convey to your committee some of the reactions of business and pro ­

fessional men of Lewiston.

The general opinion is tha t “time is the essence” and tha t this is, of 

necessity, a crash program in order to preserve these historic sites 

before it is too late.
88 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

It is the general opinion that these sites are trul y of national significance and tha t this great Northwest may well have been lost to 

Great Britain, had it not been for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. 

Then a very favorable reaction is also noticed, because the proposed 

or estimated cost to the U.S. Government and State governments, for 

this wide-ranged park, is very low as to capital investment, and also 

as to annual upkeep. This plan of local participation and cooperation 

is very appealing to our business and professional men of Lewiston.

I thank your committee for the opportunity to present these brief 

views.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much for tha t statement, Frank, 

and I certainly appreciate your being host for the chamber of 

commerce last evening.

Senator J ordan. Thank you, Fran k, and I want to add my voice 

to tha t of the chairman and express our appreciation of your fine 

hospitality.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Nellie B. Woods, of the Spalding 

Museum Foundation.

STATEMENT OF NE LLIE B. WOODS, SECRETARY, SPALDING 

MUSEUM FOUNDATION

Mrs. Woods. Distinguished Senators and honored guests, I am 

Nellie B. Woods, secretary of the Spalding Museum Foundation. As 

a group, we wish to go on record as supporting wholeheartedly the 

movement for the visitor's center at Spalding, as indicated by the 

National Park Service, and will pledge our support thereto.

We have many pioneer relics and Indian a rtifacts in our possession, 

notably the Chief Looking Glass collection, and articles formerly 

belonging to Kate McBeth, Mary and Maizie Crawford, and others 

whose history is indissolubly connected with that area. In case the 

Park Board should desire any part or all of these collections for the 

purpose of display in a museum, we will be very happy to donate them.

The Spalding Museum Foundation also owns a small building site 

at the west end of the present Spalding Pa rk, on which we had originally intended to erect a museum building. This land we will also be 

very happy to give to the Park Department at such time as they may 

desire. This also includes the concession stand now being operated 

there.

The Spalding Museum Foundation recently had moved (he building 

in which the Reverend Spalding died, and which was reputedly used 

by Kate McBeth, which was being torn down. Protective repairs are 

being done to safeguard this building, and, at such time as the Park 

Service wishes to take over its care and restoration, we will also turn 

it over to the proper authorities.

We also have in our possession the logs which came from the dining 

hall to serve the students in his school. These, too, will be put at the 

disposal of the Park Department, if and when they wish to restore 

this building.

I assure you tha t the Spalding Museum Foundation will cooperate 

fully with the aims and endeavors of the National Park Service in the 

establishment of a visitor’s center at Spalding, which will be a part 

of a chain in this program.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 89

I wish at this time to also present to Senator Bible a copy of the 

Lewis and Clark Branch of the Idaho Writer’s League, a new historical book, called “Tsceminicum,” which means “meeting of the 

waters.” I hope you will find a great deal of pleasure in this, Senator 

Bible.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much. I will read it and I know 

I will enjoy this history.

I appreciate your testimony. Again it shows the spirit of cooperation and I compliment you.

Our next witness is Marvin Riley, president of the Orofino Chamber 

of Commerce.

His statement is in. We will print it at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement of Marvin C. Riley, President, Orofino Chamber of Commerce

Mr. Riley. My name is Marvin C. Riley and I am president of the Orofino 

Chamber of Commerce. I wish to presen t the following resolution of the 

cham be r:

“ OROF INO CH AM BE R OF COMMERCE RESOLUTION

“Whereas the re are a number of historical sites of national intere st in the 

vicinity of Orofino; and

“Whereas these sites need to be protected from gradua l depreciation through 

development for o the r purp ose s; and

“Whe reas those sites would best serve the community and Nation if they were 

prese rved and developed as national si te s;

“Whe reas the creation of the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk would best 

accomplish these objectives ; Now, therefore, be i t

“Resolved, T hat the Orofino Chamber of Commerce urges p assage of legislation 

during the 1965 meeting of Congress esta blishing the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk.”

Senator Bible. I will next call Mr. Ivie, chairman of tlie Parks 

Committee, of the Kamiah Chamber of Commerce.

STATEMENT OE CLAUDE IVIE. CHAIRMAN, PARKS COMMITTEE, 

KAM IAH CHAMBER OE COMMERCE

Mr. Ivie. You have my statement there.

Senator, Senator Church, and Senator Jordan, I am very pleased 

to be here to say my few words. Anything that I can say is already 

said, and has been said many times, and possibly even more fluently 

and eloquently than I could ever sav it. We at Kamiah, of course, 

are sitting right on top of the possibility of the greatest historical 

site in our State, and we realize that up until now very little has been 

done to save any of them. People in Idaho, in general, sort of have 

an antipathy in connection with the historical sites. As I say, we are 

very happy, though, tha t something like this has come up to possibly 

insure the preservation of historical sites and these events and these 

artifacts. We hope t ha t Congress will see it convenient to pass this 

proposed legislation and, in the near future, to establish this park. 

We feel that only an agency as large as the National Park Service can 

truly identify—can truly preserve—these things, and so, as I say, we 

are wholeheartedly behind this and we thank you gentlemen for all 

tha t has been done in this area.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much. We certainly appreciate 

your statement. Your prepared statement will be printed at this 

point.
90 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. IDAHO

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta tem en t of Cla ud e I v ie , C h a ir m a n , P arks Co m m it tee, K a m ia h C ham ber

of Com mer ce

My name is Claude Ivie. I am cha irman of the Pa rks Committee of the 

Kamiah Chamber of Commerce.

The Kamiah Chamber of Commerce, in special session October 1, 1964, 

approved a resolution with regard to a proposed establishment of a national historical park with in the State of Idaho, to preserve and protect historic sites, 

valuable artifacts , and known legends as presently available in Nez Perce 

County, situated in north-cen tral Idaho, and develop these for the enlightenment and enjoyment of all citizens, present and future.

The Departm ent of the Interior, through the Secretary and his assista nts, 

the various members of the National Park Service, the U.S. F orest Service members, representing the Department of Agriculture, historians, inte rested council 

members of the Nez Perce Tribe, and many local autho rities on early history 

of the State of Idaho have shown gre at inte rest and have laid a firm fou nda ­

tion for the establishme nt of a national historical park .

Pre liminary studies and review s of the facts att estin g to the tru th of all 

statem ents have been made by the National Pa rk Service, and the cred ibility 

of known legends researched as fa r as practicable ;

Therefore, the Kam iah Chamber of Commerce urges the adoption of preliminary steps for this project by th e Congress of the United State s.

The establish ment of a national historical park in Nez Perce country, in northcen tral li.aho, would not tie up la rge tr ac ts of land, or work hardship on any free 

enterpri.-e. These sites would be a series of points of interest, strung out by historic chance, each a project of supreme intere st and, collectively, a fine memorial 

to the Indian and non-Indian fore bearers of the Nez Perce country.

The Kamiah Chamber of Comn^erce wishes to extend appreciation to the Nez 

Perce Tribal Council, Secretaries of the Interior and Agricultu re, Governor of 

the Sta te of Idaho, Nez Perce National Historical Park Association, and all interested citizens and historians for their contributions of material, time, and 

effort.

We urge the Congress at its convenience, to enact furth er measures for the 

preserv ation of these historic sites, art ifa cts , and legends and mainta in them for 

nation al recognition and enjoyment.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Mrs. Leone Butterfield, State 

historian for the Idaho DAR.

(No response.)

Senator Bible. Her statement will be included at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta tem en t of Leo ne B utt erfi eld , I da ho Sta te H is to r ia n, D aughte rs of t ii f. 

A m er ic an R ev ol ut ion

My name is Leone Butterfield. I am the Sta te his torian for Idaho Dau ghters 

of the American Revolution.

It gives me gre at plea sure to tell you th at one of the chief objectives of the 

Daugh ters of the American Revolution is the restoration and preservation of 

places and items of h istorical inte res t in the United States.

Our organization would like to go on record as endorsing the proposed Nez 

Perc e National Park, and to ass ure the committee that we would help in any 

way i>ossible toward the preserv ation of these various significant historical sites 

in Idaho.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Andrew L. Smith, superintendent of schools, Lewiston, Idaho.

Apparently he had to leave. We have his statement to insert at this 

point.

(The statement referred to follows:)
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 91

S ta te m ent of Andr ew L. S m it h , S u per in ten d en t of Schools , L ew is t o n , 

I da ho

My name is Andrew L. Smith. I am superintendent of schools at Lewiston, 

Idaho.

I wish to lend my support to the creation of the proposed Nez Perce National 

Historical Park. It is my firm belief tha t only through action on this proposal 

in the near future can there be any hope of preserving many places of importance, historic and scenic, for the future of all Americans. This concern is 

particularly great at this time, with the rapid growth of the population of this 

Nation and the general expanding interests of its people in scenic and recreational areas.

As an educator, I am also concerned. Nothing has a greater impact on an 

individual with some historical knowledge, than a visit to a well preserved 

historical site. Throughout the Nation, such places should be preserved as 

part of our American heritage. The proposed Nez Perce National Park is rich 

with such sites. The visitors’ centers could well be the only depositories of 

knowledge of historical significance, which might otherwise soon be lost forever.

Thank you for your consideration.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is John F. Nickens, who is president of the council, city of Kooskia, Idaho.

His statement is in. We will include it a t this point in the record.

(The statem ent referred to follows:)

Sta tem en t of J o h n F. N ic k e n s , P res id en t of t h e Co un cil ,

Cit y of K oosk ia , I da ho

I am John F. Nickens, president of the council, city of Kooskia, and I am 

authorized by the mayor, Mr. J. J. Schnackenberg, and the City Council of 

Kooskia, to make the following sta tem ent :

We, the citizens of Kooskia, are exceedingly interested in the proposal for the 

Nez Perce Country National Historical Park in the area for the following 

reasons:

The word “Kooski” itself is a Nez Perce Indian word meaning “with water,” 

or “the meeting of the waters.”

A fair percentage of our citizens are Nez Perce Indians.

No less than three sites of the battles fought during the Nez Perce Indian 

war of 1877 are located within a radius of 5 miles from Kooskia.

(1) Near the mouth of Cottonwood Creek, 5 miles south of Kooskia ;

(2) Near the mouth of Clear Creek, 2 miles east of Kooskia ; and

(3) Battle Ridge, 5 miles southeast of Kooskia, and for which the ridge was 

named.

None of these sites are marked, nor, to my knowledge, even named as such. 

It is difficult to direct anyone to these sites. We are desperately in need of 

markers, directions, exact locations, and a brief history.

Senator Bible. The next witness is Rev. E. Paul Hovey, president 

of the Lewiston Ministerial Association.

STATEMENT OF REV. E. PAUL HOVEY, PRESIDENT, LEWISTON 

MI NISTERIAL ASSOCIATION

Reverend H ovey. Senator Bible, Senator Church, and Senator Jordan, I am E. Paul Hovey, president of the Lewiston Ministerial Association, and also the moderator of the United Presbyterian Synod of 

Idaho, and minister to the Presbyterian congregation of this city.

It so happens tha t the church I serve was the first white Presbyterian Church to be installed in the State of Idaho. It has joined 

together the mission church of Spalding, and the settlers church tha t 

originally began on the Oregon coast. They were brought together 

and formed and united in Lapwai in 1873. My church jus t celebrated 

its 90th anniversary about a year ago.

39-8 28— 65------ 7
92 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

You have my prepared statement. I do not think it would need 

to be elaborated upon, but I would like to point out that this did bring 

these groups together, and possibly if the Indians had not gone seeking religion, the settlement in Idaho would have been delayed many, 

many years and there is every probability this section of the country 

would not have been a part of the United States of America, because 

Lewis and Clark found this the most unlikely spot in which to settle, 

and it was 25 years afte r they came before Spalding came and settled 

in Idaho.

I am particularly happy to endorse parks. My brother, before he 

died, was the editor of “Parks and Recreation,” and executive secretary of the National Par k Men’s Association, so I have had quite an 

acquaintance with parks. 1 know their value, and I can assure you of 

the endorsement of the Lewiston Ministerial Association.

The Council of the Synod of Idaho will meet next Tuesday in 

Boise, and I can assure you that they will go on record endorsing this 

park.

I would point out tha t these spiritual values tha t came and were 

developed in this section, were values on which our country was 

founded, and we can preserve and teach history when it can be verified 

in places and relics tha t exist much more readily than what is learned 

simply from books.

Senator Bible. Thank you so very much for your fine statement, 

and the booklet which you have handed in, which I will certainly read. 

Your statement will be printed in full.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement op Rev. E. P aul Hovey, President, Lewiston Ministe ria l

Association

My name is E. Paul Hovey. I am president of the Lewiston Ministerial 

Association, and moderator of the United Presbyterian Synod of Idaho.

The history of our land can be taught from books, but how much more vividly 

can it be expressed when actual sites of events can be visited and one find there 

at least some authentic relics of these events.

In a very real sense the history of our entire Nation has been influenced by 

what happened in the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park What happened here largely determined the expansion of our territory beyond the Louisiana Purchase to the coast.

Today we can still be inspired by the sites of numerous historic events, but 

unless more adequate steps are taken to preserve and relate them, our children 

and our children’s children will have to learn of these solely from books. This 

will be our country’s loss.

Many things have already been lost to future generations, and we cannot 

expect to preserve everything, therefore, what we do preserve becomes precious.

In this scenic setting, some tremendously significant things happened which 

ought to be kept alive in the memory of our Nation. The unique proposal for 

this particula r park will be a long step in keeping them alive. Joshua set aside 

a site of some important Israelite history and sa id : “When your children ask 

their fathe rs in time to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ then you shall let 

your children know * * In like manner, when people ask “why a Nez 

Perce National Historical Park,” the park itself will give much of the answer. 

The answer, of the pioneering spirit of Lewis and Clark, whose exploration 

opened this region to our Nation, the questing spirit of the Nez Perce, who 

journeyed eastward inviting the missionaries to come and bring with them the 

white man’s Book of Heaven, the compassionate spirit of the responding missionaries, and the adventurous spirit of the settler whose coming developed 

communities and homes.

These tra its have made our Nation what it is today. We need them in our 

Nation's tomorrow. If the Nez Perce National Historical Park can make the
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 93

tre k of Lewis and Cla rk ; the spirit of Henry Spalding, Marcus Whitman , and 

Joseph Cataldo; the lead ersh ip of Chief Jose ph and many others, live in the 

minds of those who visit this park, a tremendous service will have been rendered our land.

These sites have magnificent beauty, historic interest, and spiritual inspiration, and need only to be protected and proclaimed. The proi>osed Nez Perce 

Nat ional Historica l Park provides such a way.

We commend it, because of these spiritual, historical, and recreational values.

Se na tor Bible. Our ne xt witness is Mayor W illiams of Lew iston. 

Is he here ?

I t is good to see you t od ay, Mr. Mayo r.

STATEMENT OF G. HARG WILLIAMS, MAYOR. CITY OF LEWISTON. 

IDAHO

Mr. William s. Tha nk y ou, Senator.

Se na tor Bible, Se na tor Jo rd an , Se na tor Clark, if you will pe rm it 

me at this lat e ho ur, I will officially welcome you to ou r c ity on behalf 

of the city. I would lik e to say th at the p eople of Lew isto n joi n with 

the othe r citizens of Id ah o in com me nding yo u in yo ur e ffort in pr oviding th is Senate Pu blic La nd s Sub com mittee he aring fo r the purpose of receiving testim ony rega rd ing th is new concept of natio nal 

pa rk s as provide d in the Nez Perce H istoric al Na tio nal Pa rk .

More th an a decade of t ho ug hf ul conside ration and stu dy has been 

giv en by some of Id ah o’s most em ine nt citizens, on how best to preserv e the priceless h erita ge of o ur area so im po rta nt in t he his tor ica l, 

cu ltu ral, an d economic grow th of ou r gr ea t Na tion. We believe th at 

th e pro posed Nez Pe rce Na tio nal Park concept is the best possible 

metho d of insu rin g the preserv ation of ou r most im po rtan t histo ric al 

shrine s, c ulture s, a nd events of n ati on al inter est .

As ma yor of Lewiston, I wou ld like to briefly present fo r yo ur 

conside ration some of Lewisto n’s ea rly histo ry, con sisting of dates 

an d events so vitally interw oven wi th the pro posed Nez Perce Na ­

tio na l Hi sto ric al Pa rk .

Th e ye ar o f 1861 saw Lewis ton become, throug h the effo rts of some 

300 miner s and businessmen, the first incorporate d tow n in th e te rr ito ry th at was destined to become the 43d St ate of ou r Un ion . In 

th is same year, the second county cre ate d in Id ah o was Nez Per ce, 

wi th Lewiston as the county seat. In 1862, the first vig ilance commi ttee of Idah o, a sel f-c onstituted judic ial bod y fo r the dis pensation 

of justice , was effected at Lewis ton un de r the nam e of the Id ah o 

Vigilanc e Com mittee, and pro ved a m ost efficient insti tutio n. In this 

same year of 1862, the first news paper in Id ah o, the Ter rito ry , was 

org ani zed and the first session of th e te rr itorial leg islatu re met at 

Lewiston, December 7. Also in 1863, pro mi nent Llo yd M ag rude r a nd 

pa rty were mu rdered by ro ad agents at Nez Perce Pa ss, Id ah o, in what 

was called the “most da star dly and foul manner known in the mo untain s.”

In 1864, the second session of the te rr itorial leg islatu re convened 

at Lew isto n on December 14 fo r th e la st t ime.

In 1865, the te rr itor ia l capit al was removed from Lewiston, and 

located at Boise by U.S. Mars hal J. II . Al vo rd, un de r orders from 

W ashing ton, D.C.

Le wisto n’s he rit ag e is closely a ssoc iated with the Sp alding Hist or ical 

Si te w hich is up the C lea rw ate r Ri ve r ju st 9 miles e ast o f h ere. Mis-
94 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

sionaries H enry and Elisa Spalding, the first white settlers in Idaho, 

established the first mission there in 1839. They were the parents 

of the first white child born in Idaho. They built the first grist and 

saw mill, and the first school and church. They also set up the first 

printing press west of the Rockies, and north of California.

In our city of Lewiston on the 17th of June 1877, Mayor S. C. Hale 

called a special meeting of the city council to consider the Indian 

situation. As a result of this meeting, 40 York rifles were ordered 

from Po rtlan d to reinforce the 8 or 10 rifle pits surrounding Lewiston. 

Today, one of the best preserved pits is to be found east of Fifth Street, 

and immediately south of our Carnegie Library. These half-moonshaped trenches 30 feet wide, our historical Luna House, our preserved 

first, log cabin of Lewiston, and many other material evidences of our 

historic past are all closely linked with the other historical treasures 

of the region's rich heritage. I thank you for your kind attention, and urge your favorable consideration of the proposed Nez Perce National Park.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much, Mayor.

Senator Church. Thank you, Mayor Williams. You paid me a 

<rreat compliment. You referred to me as Senator Clark. And Chase 

Clark is my father-in-law, as you know, and he is about the finest man 

I have ever known. I am highly complimented.

Senator Bible. Senator Jordan?

Senator J ordan. Thank you.

Senator Bible. Than k you very much, Mr. Mavor.

I personally would like to handle the remainder of the hearing this 

way. Senator Church and I must leave momentarily. Senator Jo rdan is kind enough to indicate he will hear the balance of the witnesses. 

I want to know who all the witnesses are. I don't know, is Paul Kiepe 

of Riggins, Idaho, here? He wrote me a letter that he had some concern about this partic ular 

proposal. I wouldn’t say it was completely adverse, but he has some 

concern about developing Riggins Hot Springs, if I remember the 

letter correctly. I want to make the letter a part of the record. I 

want to hear him. It is the first time I have found someone who has 

an objection. I am kind of looking for one, but I guess the homework 

has been done well.

Senator Church. It is a good thing we did get an adverse report. 

We wouldn’t like the record to look like a Russian congress without a 

single dissenting vote. It is almost unanimous.

Senator Bible. If Mr. Kiepe is not here, his statement will be made 

a part of the record.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta tem en t of P aul K ie pe

Mv name is Paul Kiepe. I am a resident of Idaho County and a student of local Indian affairs. I respectfully offer my views in opposition to the proposed

Nez Perce N ational Historical Pa rk .

When you commence to trea t living people as objects, even historical objects, 

even objects of veneration, you cann ot help ceasing to trea t them as people. In the names of historicity, tourism, are a development, and rela ted sorts of 

non-Indian values, I am opposed to the liqu idation of Ind ian values.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 95

To the Nez Pe rce we have done dama ge enough. If we ea nu ot help them re ­

sto re th ei r uniqu e way of life, let us no t in te rfer e with th ei r co ntinu ing eff orts 

to prese rve w ha t remain s of i t

Let us no t fo ster professio na l In di an s—an d kill wha t remain of th e re al ones.

In ste ad of th e propos ed pa rk . I sug gest con gre ssional action as follo ws :

(a ) De sig nate not more th an tw o or th re e na tio na l mo nume nts in th is area , 

suc h as the bat tle fie ld at W hite Bird, which to ur ists can loc ate by s tudy ing th ei r 

guideb ooks a nd m aking local inq uir ies .

(?>) Re sto re to th e living members of th e Nez Pe rce Na tio n historical sit es of 

value to them . One such site I know of, bec aus e it is ne ar me; doubtle ss th er e 

are oth ers .

The valuable Nez Perce site I know’ of is w ha t is now’ called Rig gin s Ho t 

Sp rings—Weh Min Kish, in th e Nez Perce tongue . Weh Min Kish, “h ealin g 

water s,” is a na tu ra l sp ring of wa rm w ater ne ar Salmon Riv er, 6 miles ea st of 

th e villag e of Riggins. It he ale d the ills of In di an sick in ages past, an d kept 

the w ell in h ealth . It could so do aga in.

I reco mmend to you this pr op os itio n: T ha t a unifo rm ed pa rk at tend an t, ta lk ­

ing, cann ot preserve histor ical val ues nearly so well as a naked In di an taki ng 

a bat h.

Senator Bible. Is Robert Hansen here? lie is president of the 

Grangeville Chamber of Commerce. If not his statement will be 

printed at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Sta teme nt of Robert H an se n, P re sid en t, Cha mb er of Commerce, Grange ville, 

I daho

I am Robert Hansen, presiden t of the Gra ngevi lle, Idaho, Ch am ber of Commerce, con sis tin g of more th an 100 bus ine ss and profe ssi onal men, fa rm er s an d 

ra nc he rs of the Grangeville area .

The Gra ngevi lle Ch am ber of Commerce, in re gu la r session on the 25th of Ju ne 

1963, app rov ed by unanim ous vote, th e attach ed resolut ion and memo ran dum 

supjMirting th e establish men t of a na tio na l hi stor ic pa rk in th is area , kno wn 

as the Nez Pe rce country . In additio n to th e enclose d res olu tion, which we 

pre sent as pa rt of ou r statem en t, we, in concert with th e folk of Nez Perce In ­

dian Tribe, point ag ain to the specific historical site, an d the inc ide nt the reo n, 

at th e Whit e Bi rd battl eg roun d, a few miles south of our cit y on U.S. Highwa y 95 th a t ma rke d th e beg inn ing of the end of th e most colorful an d heroic 

ch ap ters of ou r na tio na l histor y and th e ea rly settlem en t of th e West.

Fur th er , we endo rse the proposed leg islati on to develop this Nez Perce Countr y Na tio na l Hi sto ric al Par k and th e new concept of a collection of sc attered 

historical sites develop ed and in te rp re ted by th e Nati on al Pa rk Service pe rson ­

nel which would be a ma tch les s educ ati on al and cu ltur al as se t fo r ou r own 

citizens, as well as th e vi sitors to th e reg ion from throug ho ut the Na tio n an d th e 

world.

We also point to th e fa ct th a t in ou r area, th er e is no kno wn opp osit ion to 

th is propose d pr ojec t an d ou r en tire ar ea is un ite d in supp ort of the Nez Pe rce 

Co untry N ati on al Hist or ical Pa rk .

Senator Church. Wayne Eller, chairman of the White Bird Village. 

His letter will be printed here.

(The letter referred to follows:)

October 9, 19B4.

Hon. Alan Bible.

Chairman of the U.S. Senate Public Lands Subcommittee:

We ar e the trus te es of t he v illa ge o f White Bi rd Council.

We unanim ously supp ort th e pro posal to cr ea te the Nez Perce Nationa l 

Hist orical Pa rk.

We have long recogn ized the ric h histor ical sign ificanc e of th is loc ali ty an d 

esp eci ally the Whit e Bi rd battlefiel d. Hist or ical sites, such as thi s, ar e ra pidl y 

being des troyed by souvenir hu nt er s an d th e elements.
96 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

A park such as this, located near our community, would undoubtedly favor 

local enterprises and would lend support and stim ulation to a museum th at has 

been proposed for several years.

It would give cultura l, as well as commercial significance to our rapidly expanding tourist industry.

Wayne Eller, Chairm an.

Neva Shuck, Trustee.

Vernon C. Thomas, Trust ee.

Harold D. Henderson, Truste e.

Kathryn Bentz, Trust ee.

Senator Bible. E. R. Tyler, mayor of Asotin. Is the mayor here?

STATEMENT OF DUANE E. BIGGAR, REPRESEN TING THE MAYOR 

OF ASOTIN, WASH.

Mr. Biggar. Aly name is Duane E. Biggar. I am mayor pro tern 

for the town of Asotin. I have a joint statement of the mayor and 

myself I would like to read. Also a statement of the mayor for incorporation in the record. This first statement is signed by the mayor 

and myself and is as follows:

Senator Bible, my name is E. R. Tyler, mayor of Asotin, Wash. I 

have come before your committee personally, and also I am happy to 

have a prepared statement for the record, to assist in any way that I 

can, as mayor of Asotin. As a citizen of this area, I am deeply interested in the development of the Nez Perce National Park.

I am draftin g this statement while being confined in the Tri-State 

Memorial Hospital, and by pure coincidence, Mr. Ralph Williams, 

Gilford, Idaho, is confined to the second bed in my room. Mr. Williams 

should have his name in the record as he has the largest, and most 

historic collection of In dian artifa cts in the whole Nez Perce country, 

including the Indians. Mr. Williams farms in the Gifford, Idaho, 

area and has made a life’s study of the Nez Perce people, and he talked 

of making available to the possible museums at Spalding some of these 

rare and beautiful parcels of In dian history.

I have always believed that anything accomplished of necessity is 

the right time to do anything, and I feel that the time certainly is right, 

at this point, to record the early history of this area, and to preserve all 

possible artifacts and historic sights, so rich and clear in the minds of 

living generations of people soon to be passing into history.

The speed of modern progress is such that I would urge this committee to give the earliest consideration to the proposition of a series 

of national park sights with Spalding, Idaho, as the nucleus, radiating 

from Spalding to the other proposed sights, most of which I personally 

have visited. This I am sure would offer to any tourist a treasured bit 

of the West's early history, with a beautiful field trip, in any direction, 

to enjoy the beautifully changing scenery in all directions.

I feel this project is a worthy one and most timely. Thank you.

(The prepared statement referred to follows:)

Statement of E. R. Tyler, Mayor of Asotin, Wash .

Senator Bible, my name is E. R. Tyler, mayor of Asotin. Wash., a small town 

located 6 miles south of Clarkston on the Snake River. I have been in business 

there for 16 years.

On beha lf of my town, I offer dedicated support to the Nez I’erce National 

Historical Park plan.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 97

I ha ve vi si te d m os t of th e si te s of his to ri cal val ue co ve red in th e pla n an d I 

fe el th ey sh ou ld be pr es er ve d. A t th e pre se nt ra pid pa ce of liv ing, m an y hi sto ri ca l si te s of our da y, an d th e tim es of th e Nez Per ce s wh o he lped m ak e our 

hi st ory , are go ing to be co ve red by bac kw at er from th e Sna ke R iv er Dam s, an d 

w ill be lo st to u s.

W ith th e co nst ru ct io n of th e Aso tin Da m, ju s t ab ov e our town, it is our pl an 

to h av e a Nez P er ce In dia n a rt if a c ts ex hib it w ithin th e co niines of th e d am (w it h 

pe rm issi on of th e Cor ps of Arm y E ngin eers ), as a perm an en t re co rd fo r th e 

to uri st s, whi ch tits w ithin th e c on ce pt of th e ch ai n of si te s we are ta lk in g ab out 

her e toda y.

Ev en as ob sc ur e as th ey a re , peop le se ar ch out th e In dia n w ri ti ngs on th e rock s 

ab ov e Aso tin on th e Sn ak e River , heari ng o f them th ro ugh ar ti cle s w ri tt en by th e 

tr av el ed itors wh o come to th is ar ea. It is ou r pla n to pre se rv e th es e whe n slac k 

w ate r come s to t he a re a.

We ex pe ct ou r town of Aso tin to grow ra pid ly w ithin th e n ext few ye ar s, an d 

m an y of th e to u ri st s dr aw n fr om our vast co untr y an d el se w he re will co me our 

way too, so I w ho le he ar te dl y su pp or t, on beh al f of my peo ple, th e Ne z Per ce 

N at io na l P ark plan .

Senator Bible. Thank yon for tha t expression of opinion. It was 

very well done.

I find that I must leave and Senator Jo rdan will hear the balance of 

the witnesses. I would like to meet the people who are going to testify. 

I presume all of the rest will say we are all for this proposal. The 

names th at I have on my list are Cletus Uhlorn. of the Cottonw’ood 

Chamber of Commerce; Gertrude Reavis, president of the Pullm an 

Chamlier of Commerce; R. D. Williams, Idaho County commissioner; 

and Dr. William W. Elmendorf, professor of anthropology, Washington State University. He has already testified.

Kent Jones, president of the Asotin Chamber of Commerce; Cleo 

Patterson, president of the Salmon River Chamber of Commerce; 

John L. Olmsted, copublisher of the Idaho County Free Press; Eu ­

gene Taylor, from the Pioneer Association of Latah County; Herman 

Reuter, of the Tdaho County Historical Society; Alary Avery, 

archivist from Washington State University; Floyd 1. Swanson, 

president of the Grangeville Kiwanis Club; and Harold Lynch, president of the Center St ar Mine, Elk City.

We have statements from all of these people and they will be included in full in the record.

G. Shearer, president of the Shearer Lumber Prod ucts; David 

Peterson, chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Development Advisory 

Committee; Ha rry E. Kale, president of the Idaho County Wildlife 

Association; Craig Schlottman, president of the Grangeville Jun ior 

Chamber of Commerce; and Ha rry Christy, American Legion Post 13 

of Lewiston.

Fred Handel, mayor of Moscow; Mrs. L. W. Randall of the Alice 

Whitm an Chapter of the DAR; Margaret Skelton, Catholic Daughters of America, Lewiston; Jerry Soderburg, master of Charity Grange 

at Grangeville; Kathryn J. Brainard, president of the Grangeville 

Soroptimist. Club; Mrs. Robert Bentley, president of the Grangeville 

American Legion A uxiliary; and Mrs. Kirk McGregor, from the Nez 

Perce County Conservatives.

Senator Carl Moore will be witness No. 1. You, Airs. AlcGregor, 

will be witness No. 2.

Senator Church. Senator Carl Moore.

Senator Bible. Senator Aloore we called when he was making a 

weather report.
98 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

I saw Melvin Alsager back there.

Senator Church. Mel, had you testified ?

Mr. Ai ,sager. I have not. I will just submit a statement.

Senator Bible. Thank you. We are glad to see you.

Then do we have other witnesses other than those I have indicated? 

The Pomona Grange, and this, will be included and made a pa rt of 

the record in full.

It appears, then, if I read this right, do we have a representative 

from the National Council of State Garden Clubs and the Idaho Federation of Garden Clubs ?

A Voice From Audience. I have a statement for you.

Senator Bible. Are you for this?

Senator Church. Would you like to testify?

A Voice F rom Audience. I have just a few’ statements to make and 

a statement to submit.

Senator Bible. We have the statement submitted for the record.

Our next w’itness, 1 think, unless there are others—I hope I caught 

all of the hands that were raised, and I think I did. Our first witness will be Senator Carl Moore.

STATEM ENT OF HON. CARL MOORE, STATE SENATOR RE PR ES EN TING NEZ PERCE COUNTY

Senator Moore. Senator Bible, Senator Church, and Senator Jo rdan, my name is Carl Moore. I am State senator representing Nez 

Perce County, in which Lewiston is located. I have submitted a 

written statement, but I would like to emphasize two points.

First, this new concept of a national park is one which can lie of 

tremendous value to this Nation as a whole, where wTe can use small— 

comparatively small—areas of land to accomplish this purpose.

Secondly, already some of these historical sites have been badly in 

need of repair. Time is of the essence in this matter. My father was 

bom about 40 miles from w’here we live today, 90 years ago—it will 

be 90 years next month. During his lifetime the changes which have 

taken place are less than the changes which are anticipated and can 

be seen will occur within the next 10 years. Time is of the essence. We 

must move now. This, I think, Mr. Chairman, with the statement I 

submitted, w’ill be sufficient.

Senator Bible. We certainly appreciate your statement, Mr. Moore, 

and the committee appreciates the fine hospitality you have extended 

to us in this area. Thank you very, very much.

Senator Moore. Than k you, sir.

Senator Btble. Our next witness is Mrs. Kirk McGregor, repre ­

senting the Nez Perce County Conservatives.

I have a statement signed by Albin V. Nelson, chairman of the Nez 

Perce County Conservatives. Tha t statement will be incorporated 

in full in the record for you.

STA TEM ENT OF MRS. K IR K McGREGOR, RE PR ES EN TING TH E NEZ 

PERC E COUNTY CONSERVATIVES

Mrs. McGregor. Thank you, Chairman Bible and distinguished 

Senators.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 99

It is very fine for you to give us this opportunity to appear before 

you. I am appearing as a representative of our chairman, because 

lie is working, as are the other men who belong to our organization.

My name is Betty McGregor, Mrs. Kirk McGregor. 1 am representing the Nez Perce County Conservatives, and we interpre t the 

word as it is generally accepted, the general nomenclature of the 

understanding of it.

My husband and I are lifelong residents of the State of Idaho. We 

have two boys who are also interested in remaining in this wonderful 

State of ours.

Senator Jor dan is familiar w ith the roots of the heritage of our two 

boys of both sides of their family. I am going to do something I am 

sure Senator Church will approve of. I am going to take this out of 

the realm of a Soviet report, I am going to inject in the proceedings a 

note of caution and I pray for God's presence in guiding me and looking over your hearts to understand our sincerity and concern for the 

future, not only of the real estate in question, but the future of the 

people of our country over whom you gentlemen have so much and 

tremendous influence and power.

I am submitting my statement and a statement containing our 

principles.

You have told us you want to strike a note of caution, and I am 

glad to have you make tha t observation, because after all you are entitled to your viewr

s, just like everybody, so we are very happy to have 

your views.

Mrs. McGregor. Are you telling me you don’t feel I should read 

my statement ?

Senator Bible. You may, if you want to.

Mrs. McGregor. Fo r the purpose of bringing this to the attention 

of some of the young people who are here, im portant to their history 

class, if I could take 7 minutes.

Senator Bible. I certainly have no objection. It will be made a 

part of the public record.

Mrs. McGregor. This brochure I call to your attention contains the 

principles of the organization which I represent, and in view of these 

principles, you will note our overall purpose is the preservation of our 

precious country. Our interest in the Nez Perce Nation’s national 

historical park is p art of th at overall picture. We believe in preserving the struggle of our forefathers. We are very much in favor of 

these sites chosen by the group of people. However, we do not recall 

ever having seen in public print any reference to the cost of this project to the taxpayers of America. Regarding the national debt and 

the President’s war on poverty, we don’t believe we need to elaborate 

on the necessity of saving money wherever we can. We all know the 

last bulwarks of freedom in this country are the private property owners. If we keep on, we are going to be taken over by those who will 

destroy us and our American freedom in the form of communism, and 

our own reports of how the Communists control vital positions in our 

country and are waiting for the time to come to control us. In this 

area we are brainwashed. We have developed a city manager form of 

government that has cost the taxpayers more money. We are involved 

in the area redevelopment program. We have a free library tax. We 

have just hired an airpor t manager to finish the necessary remodeling,
100 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

afte r only 4 months in office, and we are not sure what hidden fingers 

we are going to find, so we are unusually concerned of any added tax 

burden.

We heard on the radio that the cost of the park in question would 

be $2 million. This, we feel, must not be allowed. It is time that your 

elected representatives exercise their good judgment and leadership 

and protect the people from themselves. It is as necessary as having 

a wise parent.

Naturally everyone wants his best interest, and feels it is more important than anything else. We look to you gentlemen for statesmanship and guidance and restraint. We, in America, are establishing a 

false concept of our Government. Too much emphasis has been put 

on Government handouts tha t generations of goldbricks are being 

nurtured. It has been the history of civilization that their destruction 

was brought about by excess taxes and demoralization of its people. 

Those who will learn nothing from history are condemned to repeat 

it. If you take an objective look at what is happening in this most 

wonderful country in the world, we must admit the same thing is happening here. We must do something about it i f we are going to save 

ourselves from this same fate as the Romans and the French and the 

English and others.

We are appealing to you to dedicate the areas as sites but to hold off 

on funds until such time as the Federal budget is balanced.

Thank you for your interest in this matter, and I respectfully submit these tracts.

I might just say, Chairman Bible, perhaps the burden rests with 

you, as soon as you gentlemen can balance the budget, the sooner we 

can have these.

Senator Bible. I think I understand what you are saying all right. 

I don’t know th at I completely agree with your views or those of the 

Nez Perce County Conservatives. I think our position has been made 

rath er clearly and emphatically that this is a good cooperative program ; it brings into play the Federal Government and State government and private enterprise and friends of the tribe. It is going to 

cost some money. You say it is going to cost about $2 million, and 

that isn’t far from being right. But I think it is justified for this area. 

I recognize possibly that your group does not share tha t viewpoint, 

but this would be my viewpoint on it, and I wouldn’t want to mislead 

you in tell ing you otherwise. I am certainly happy to have your views, 

and this will be a part, of the record and rest assured it will be called 

to the attention of those who pass ultimate judgment on the report.

Mrs. McGregor. Thank you, Senator Bible, for hearing our viewpoint.

Senator Bible. And thank you, very much. The statement of Albin 

V. Nelson will be printed at this point.

(The statement referred to follows:)

Statement of Albin V. Nelson, Chairm an, Nez Perce County, Conservatives

We are members of the Nez Perc e County Conservatives. Enclosed with 

thi s statement is a brochure exp laining o ur principles.

In view of these principles, you will note our overall purpose is the preservation of our precious country. Our intere st in the Nez Perce Natio nal His torical Pa rk is pa rt of th at overall pictu re. We believe in honoring the tradition s 

of our forefathers. We are very much in favor of the sights which have been
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 101

chosen by a group of people who have been given of themselves in this wonderful cause.

However, we do not recall ever having seen in print any reference to the 

cost of this project to the tax pay ers of America. Regarding the national 

debt and the Pre sid ent’s war on poverty, we don’t believe we need to elaborate 

on the necessity fo r saving money wherever we can.

We all know that the las t bulw ark of freedom we have in this country ar e 

the private prop erty owners. If we keep indenturin g these people with overburdening taxes, we are going to be taken over by those who would destroy us, 

and our American Republic. We read from the FBI, and form er Communists, 

and from your own colleagues’ reports of how the Communists control vita l 

positions in our country, and are ju st waiting for the stra tegic time to move 

in and co ntrol us.

Here in this area , we are brainwashed to accept all the socialistic programs 

available, or we are accused of everything from being again st progress to 

extrem ists to fright peddlers. We have adopted a city manager form of governm ent that has historically cost the tax pay ers more mo ney ; we are involved 

in an are a redevelopment program; we have formed a port distric t; we have a 

free library ta x ; we have ju st hired an air port manager who has found it necessary to remodel af ter only 4 months in office; we have hired a county engineer, 

built him a building, and we’re not sure what “hidden taxes” we’re going to 

find. We are sure you will und erstand our deep concern for any added tax 

burden.

We heard on the radio that the cost of the park in question would be $2 million. This, we feel, must not be allowed. It is time th at our elected represen ­

tatives exercise the ir good judg men t and leadership and protect the people 

from themselves. It is ju st as necessary as having a wise pare nt. Natura lly, 

everyone wants his pet intere st and feels it is more imp ortant than anything 

else—so we look to you gentlemen for statesmansh ip and guidance and res traint.

We in America are establishing a false concept of recreation being more impor tant and honorable tha n honest work. So much emphasis is being put on 

recreation, retirem ent, government hand outs, th at generations of “goldbricks” 

are being nurtured .

It has been the history of civilizations th at the ir destruction was brought 

about by excess tax ation and demoralization of its people. As Santayan a so 

wisely said, “Those who will learn nothing from history are condemned to 

repeat it.” As you take an objective look a t what is happening in this most wonderful country in the world, you must adm it, we a re sure, that the same thing is 

happening here and we must do something about it if we are going to save ourselves from the same fate as the Romans, the French, the English, and all the 

oth er fallen empires.

Therefore, we are appe aling to you to so designate these are as as historical 

sites, but to hold off an any exp end iture of funds until such time as the Federal 

budget is balanced. It is n ecessary from a fiscal as well as moral and education 

approach.

We tha nk you for your' intere st in this ma tte r and respe ctfully submit these 

facts.

Senator Bible. Our next witness is Kent Jones, president of the 

Asotin Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Jones, it is good to see you again.

STATEMENT OF KENT JONES, PRES IDENT, ASOTIN (WASH.) 

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Mr. J ones. Senator Bible, Senator Jordan, and Senator Church, 

I am Kent Jones, president of the Asotin (Wash.) Chamber of Commerce. I am here to speak fo r the business people of my town.

As a lifelong resident of the area, I am especially pleased to testify 

in support of the Nez Perce National Historical Park chain. My 

home occupies a pa rt of the ancient tribal winter campground, where 

the Nez Perce gathered to hunt and fish.
102 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Asotin means “place of eel” in the Nez Perce tongue. Near Asotin 

Creek, where it flows into the Snake River, Chief Looking Glass, Capt. 

B. L. E. Bonneville, and other great men renowned in history, held 

their meetings and enjoyed a hospitable climate with the Indians.

The first white man to actually settle in Asotin County was one 

Sam Smith, on June 10, 1861. He erected a small store and provided 

hotel accommodations for travelers passing to and from the Idaho 

mines. The store was located on what is known as the Old Mission 

Orch ard at Alpowa.

The flat at the mouth of the Grande Ronde River, 25 miles upstream 

from here, was the powwow grounds of the Indians in early days, 

when they gathered there from the Yakima Valley in Washington to 

the reservations in Montana.

The very roots of our community are deeply and emotionally involved with Nez Perce lore. It is therefore most gratifying to assure 

you the support to this park concept by the Asotin Chamber of 

Commerce.

Senator Bible. Thank you very much. I have no questions. Senator Church ?

Senator Church. Thank you very much. I am wondering if Mr. 

Jones is our last witness, Mr. Chairman ?

Senator Bible. Yes. I think the lady back here wants to present 

a statement.

Senator Church. Yes, please. Mrs. Bert Ralstin.

STATEMENT OF MRS. BERT RALSTIN, PAST REGIONAL DIRECTOR, 

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE GARDEN CLUBS

Mrs. Ralstin. Senator Bible, Senator Church, and Senator Jordan, 

I am Mrs. Bert Ralstin, past regional director of the National Council 

of the State Garden Clubs. I am representing the Idaho State Fed ­

eration of Garden Clubs this afternon, and we hear so many reasons, 

and all good ones, for establishing the Nez Perce National Historical 

Park. One of the real aims of the National Council of the State Garden Clubs is preservation and enjoyment and protection of our Nation’s natural resources. I think the establishing of this Nez Perce National Historical Park would be doing just tha t thing. It would be 

preserving our national n atural resources. It would make it possible 

for many people to enjoy it and certainly under the protection of 

Idaho and our Federal Government.

There is just one thing I have not heard mentioned today, in regard 

to this, that I would think would be quite effective, and that would be 

to increase the patriotism of our younger generation. I believe if this 

park were established it would go down in our history books more 

emphatically than the Lewis and Clark Tra il and the lives of Lewis 

and Clark, and tha t it would be where they could see and enjoy these 

things. It would lie read in the English language all over our United 

States. I think it would be giving our young people more of an overall idea of their wonderful heritage that they have come by in our 

western country by reading about and seeing this national park. You 

know, there are three ways possible to learn. One is by word of mouth; 

another one is by reading, and we have read very much about this 

area ; and the other is by seeing, which we are about to make possible
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 103

for people to actually see what we have in our grea t West. So, in re presenting the Idaho State Federation, I wish to reaffirm our stand on 

the approval of the establishing of a Nez Perce Historical Park in 

north-central Idaho, and by doing this our West is really coming into 

its own.

I thank you.

Senator Bible. Thank you for a very line statement. The resolution you have submitted will be printed here.

(The resolution referred to follows:)

Resolution of National Council of State Garden Clubs, I no.

The Idaho State Federation of Garden Clubs, reaffirm their approval of the 

establishing of a Nez Perce National Historical Park in north-central Idaho.

(Signed) Mrs. Bert Ralstin,

Pacific Regional Director.

(Signed) Mrs. Louis Koeiiler,

State President.

<Signed) Mrs. Georoe Riggers,

Clearwater District Director.

Senator Bible. The statements you have submitted, along with 

those received in the mail, will all be printed in the record. As 1 previously stated, the record will be kept open until November 15.

In closing, I merely want to express my personal gratitud e to my 

two colleagues from Idaho, Senator Jorda n and Senator Church.

Senators, I have been in this great State of yours. I come away 

the richer for this experience. This has been, in my judgment, the 

finest hearing tha t I have ever been privileged to preside over for the 

depth and clarity and diversity of points of view that are given in support of this project, and it is a new concept in the national park system. It seems to me it is one that will work, and I want to tell you I 

am personally impressed. I think it does make sense. I think it is 

government and private enterprise working at its very best and attempting to preserve and save something for the future, and to carve 

out of this area of yours, and after all, it is yours, a very, very historic 

part of history, and to preserve it now while we may and can. I comment you for that effort.

I pay a specific tribute to Bill Johnston, because he is the man who 

has been represented to me many times, and I have seen his fine hand 

working in this proposal before us.

I commend Senator Church and Senator Jordan for calling him to 

my attention.

Early next year this matter will be called to the attention of the subcommittee, and it will be up to them to determine where we go from 

here.

It has been a complete hearing and gratifying to visit with you 

people. My only regret is th at I cannot stay longer. [Applause.]

(Whereupon, the hearing was concluded at 4 p.m., October 9,1964.)

A pp en dix A

(Under authority previously granted, the following statements and 

letters were ordered prin ted:)

H ous e of Repre sent at ives,

State of I daho,

Boise, October 8, 1964-

Sen at or Len B. J ordan,

Boise, Idaho.

Dear Len : The creation of Nez Perce National Historical Park can be of great 

benefit to the people from both a historical and economic standpoint.

As we get older we realize that some of the things that were commonplace 

during our youth are becoming obsolete and we wish we had preserved some of 

them.

You are to be congratulated for your efforts to preserve some of the most 

important lore and history in the settling of the Pacific Northwest.

Sincerely yours,

H arold Snow.

Idaho County, Stateof Idaho,

Board of County C om mission er s, 

Orangeville, Idaho, September 30,1964-

Hon. Alan Bible,

Chairman, Public land Subcommittee. Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, Washington, B.C.

Dear Senator Bible: Mv name is R. D. Williams, and I am chairman of the 

Board of County Commissioners of Idaho County, Idaho. In this capacity, I feel 

it is imperative that 1 express to you the views of the board of which I am chairman, my personal views, and what j believe to be the unanimous opinion of those 

residents whom I represent in county of Idaho.

The proposal to w *.:* a Nez verce National Historical Park by perpetuating 

the sites of the Nez Perce country which is so integrated with the history of our 

Pacific Northwest heritage is a magnificent gesture which will be welcomed in 

this immediate area and be of tremendous benefit to our entire country. We feel 

particularly interested in this project since it is our understanding tha t of the 

three main centers to be operated by the Park Service, two would probably be 

located in Idaho County; i.e., the White Bird battleground center and the Lewis 

and Clark camp center on the east side of the Clearwater River at Kamiah, 

Idaho.

I believe that as chairman of the Public Land Subcommittee of the Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee, which is holding a hearing on this proposed park, you are surely aware of the unusual unanimity with which newspapers, civic organizations, and local governmental bodies in this area have endorsed the proposed plan.

We people who reside in this area are fortunate to live in a scenic wonderland, 

an area of sparsely settled natu ral magnificence with a past so close that it still 

seems to be a part of the present. It would be selfish for us not to want to share 

some of our beauties and traditions with all of America.

With this thought in mind, and knowing the complete accord on this plan tha t 

Is found in our county, we respectfully submit to you that Congress should, for 

the benefit of all of our citizens, establish through statu tory procedures, a national historic park to preserve the landmarks and key historical sites in Idaho 

County and in the adjacent contiguous counties which bear importantly upon the 

cultural background of the Nez Perce Indian society and the former frontier mining areas of north-central Idaho.

Very truly yours,

R. D. Williams, Chairman.

105
106 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Sta tem en t of F or rest F lo ch, C h a ir m a n , B oard of County Co m m is sio n er s, 

A sotin , W a s h .

I am Fo rre st Floch, chairman of the Board of County Commissioners of 

Asotin County, Wash.

My g randfathe r was a pioneer in the land of the Nez Perces. His homestead 

was located on Weisenfels Ridge, 3 miles eas t of Anatone. This land was between the two large Nez Perce campsites a t Asotin and the Grande Ronde River, 

lying on the fringes of the tribal hun ting grounds of the Blue Mountains.

I am proud to sta te th at my anc estral homestead is also a portion of Nez 

Perc e history. It has been handed down in the Floch family from grandfath er 

to fathe r to son, and I am th at son. I still own the farm.

A f ort was built at Anatone during the Indian uprising in the 1870’s, a nd I’m 

told th at my grandfath er had a hand in building it. However, because of the 

coexistence between the pioneers and the Nez Perces, it was never used to any 

extent.

When I was atte nding school at Anatone, the Indians came thro ugh and 

camped there. They went to the head of the ridge on my uncle’s place to dig 

cous. We would go down and visit them as kids, and it was one of the highlights of my life.

So, speaking on beha lf of the Asotin County commissioners, my family, and 

the citizens of Asotin County, I feel particularly honored to actively support this 

park concept.

Sta tem ent of R. D. W il l ia m s , C h a ir m a n , B oard of County Co m m is sio n er s, 

I da ho County , I da ho

My name is R. D. Williams. I am cha irm an of the B oard of County Commissioners of Id aho County, Idaho.

In this capacity, I feel it is imperative th at I express to you the views of the 

board of which I am chairman, my personal views, and what I believe to be the 

unanimous opinion of those residents whom I represent in the county of Idaho.

The proposal to create a Nez Perc e National Historical Pa rk by perpetuating 

the sites of the Nez Perce country which is so integra ted w ith the history of o ur 

Pacific Northwest heritag e is a magnificent gesture which will be welcomed in 

this imme diate are a and be of tremendo us benefit to our entire country. We 

feel par ticula rly inte rested in this project since it is our und erstanding th at of 

the thr ee main centers to be operated by the Park Service, two would probably 

be located in Idaho Co unty; i.e., the White Bird battleground center and the 

Lewis and Clark camp center on the east side of the Clear water River at 

Kam iah. Idaho.

I believe th at as cha irm an of the Public Land Subcommittee of the Senate 

Interio r and Insul ar Affairs Committee, which is holding a hea ring on this proposed park, you are surely aware of the unusual unanimity with which newspai»ers, civic organizations, and local governmental bodies in this area have endorsed the proposed plan.

We people who reside in this a rea are fortu nate to live in a scenic wonderland— 

an area of sparsely settled natural magnificence with a past so close th at it still 

seems to be a pa rt of the present. It would be selfish fo r us no t to want to share 

some of our beauties a nd tradition s with all of America.

With this thought in mind, and knowing the complete accord on this plan th at 

is found in the county, we respectfu lly subm it to you th at Congress should, for 

the benefit of all of our citizens, establish , through sta tutory procedures, a 

nation al historical park to preserve the landmarks and key historical sites in 

Idaho County and in the adjac ent contiguous counties which bear importantly 

upon the cultural background of the Nez Perce Ind ian society and the former 

fro ntier mining areas of n orth-central Idaho.

Sta tem en t of Vin c e n t U h len k o t t, Mayor, Cit y of Cla rkst on, W a s h .

I am Vincent Uhlenkott, C larkston city mayor.

Clarkston, as you know, was named for William Clark, so we too are tied 

In with the Lewis-Clark story, and add our supp ort to the requ est for the 

establishment of the Nez Perc e National Historical Pa rk sites preservation. 

Much of the history of this area took place where the city of Clarkston now 

stands.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 107

Chief Timothy’s grave, and those of members of his family, have been 

removed from the bank of the Snake River 6 miles downstream from here to 

the Beachview Pa rk in Clarkston, which overlooks the Snake River. An appropriate ma rke r st ate s:

“In tr ibu te to Chief T imothy, 1800,1891.

“F irst Nez Perce Christian convert and prea cher, led Col. E. J. Steptoe’s 

troops to safety and ferried them acro ss the Snake River at Alpowa, when they 

faced annihilation by hostile Indians, May 20,1858.”

Beneath t his inscription to Timothy, and on th e same m ark er is this memorial 

to his dau ghter, Jane S ilc ott:

“Chief Timothy’s daughter, wife of Joh n Silcott, guided Capt. E. D. Pierce 

around the Nez Perce Reservation to gold diggings near Pierce, Idaho, in 1860, 

thu s initiatin g gold mining in Idaho.”

These are but thr ee even ts of our history linked with the Nez Perce-Lewis 

and Clark history, which show close identification and intere st in the pre servation of the history being presente d here today for the Nez Perc e National Historical Park.

Statement of William T. Mitchell, Mayor, City of P ullman, Was h.

My name is William T. Mitchell, and I am mayor, city of Pullman, Wash. 

During the month of July, thi s year, I had the first opportunity to tra vel the 

new Lolo Pass highway, from Lewistown, Id aho to Lolo, Mont.

There were many automobiles on this road with out-of-State license plates. 

Although those folks driv ing th is scenic highway no doubt appreciated the rivers, 

mountain s, and tree s, I would question th at they realized the historic background of this region.

Certainly the re is a lack of his torica l identity. It seems to me we noticed 

one or two historical markers. This region is so full of history th at unless steps 

are taken to restore and preserve some of these sites the Lolo highway will be 

nothing but ano ther road.

Spaulding is a good example of neglect. Certain ly this is £ site th at should 

become a national shrine. Then there is the White Bird battlefield . Here another memorial should be placed. On the east end of the highw ay ano ther 

shrine or memorial should be placed in memory of Lewis and Clark. I am 

cer tain th at if some of these sites could become n atio nal parks tra velers would 

not rush along to get to the end of the road. They would be able to spend a 

little time to reflect on the history of our country.

Although these locations are all in the Sta te of Idaho, those of us living so 

near to the bord er would be able to app reciate these historical regions more. 

I am in favor of the proposed Nez Perce Na tional Park.

Statement of Lyle H. Billow, Mayor, Village of Nezperce, Idaho

My name is Lyle II. Billow, and I am mayor of the village of Nezperce, Idaho.

By its very name, “Nezperce,” our little city suggests a great pride in close 

association with the heritage of o ur Nez Perce Indian culture.

I believe I speak f or a vast majority of our e ntire community when I say th at 

we are wholehe artedly behind the proposal made by the Nez Perce National 

Historical Pa rk Association.

We are geographically located near the cen ter of the region where a gre at 

deal of history was made in the strug gle fo r the development of th e Gre at Northwest. It was a long and arduou s stru ggle which could not res t until the Nez 

Perce Ind ian Tribes had been convinced of the futility of fu rth er strife.

It is an are a bounded by the Salmon Riv er on the south, the Snake River on 

the west and the nor th fork of the Cle arw ater on the north. The Lolo Pass 

in the east serves roughly as the pivotal point of an isosceles triangle.

The Nez Perc e Ind ian s recognized this are a for wh at it is—a land of brea thtaking beauty, with majestic na tural fore sts, cascading strea ms, large plateaus 

and valley s which produced abunda ntly for th eir way of life.

Recent archeological discoveries show t ha t the Nez Perce Ind ians h ave resided 

in this are a for some 7,000 years. They must have loved it deeply for they 

struggled hard to keep it.

It is only incidental th at the gre at State of Idaho contains a major portion 

of the seat of a cul tur e which was a way of life before the Phara ohs of Egypt.

39 -8 28 — 65 ------ 8
108 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

In many respects it was a good way of life with a nice philosophy. In a way 

perhaps their ideas have colored our thinking as a nation, more tha n we may 

realize. The Nez Perce Indians as a people were peaceable at heart, striking 

out only in self-defense or in reta liation for a wrong done them. When such 

an occasion arose they fought with multiplied strength and superhuman strategy. 

Yet they left to the individual all of the liberty human dignity allowed. When 

we study them we find tha t our ideals as a great nation have evolved in almost 

exact parallel.

I there fore feel that it becomes of paramount national intere st th at we preserve as many relics and evidence of this great historical and cultural background, as is practical, in the form of a grea t national park.

Statement of Fred W. Handel, Mayor, City of Moscow, Idaho

My name is Fred W. Handel, I am the mayor of the city of Moscow, Idaho. I 

wish to express the enthusiastic supp ort of the citizens of Moscow for the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park.

Being the center of higher education in the State, the citizens of Moscow are 

more aware of the need for preserving our natio nally known historical sites.

The development of the Lolo Pass Highway with its historical significance 

and natur al beauty of the area makes the development of a national park a 

natura l step in the preservation of many nationally imp ortant historical sites.

As mayor of the city of Moscow, Idaho, I feel it is important that I impress 

upon your committee the historical importance of this are a and the enthusiasm of our citizens to encourage the preservation of historical sites in Nez 

Perce County.

With local, State, and Federal cooperation this historically important area 

may be preserved for the future.

Statement of Gaylord It. Colvin, J r., Postmaster, White Bird, Idaho

My name is Gaylord R. Colvin, Jr ., I am inistmaster at the town of White Bird, 

Idaho.

I have been a resident of this community for 45 years and am third generation in this area. I have always had a great inte rest in history, the Nez Perce 

Indians in particular, a s my great g randpa rents came to this ar ea with the Marcus 

Whitman party and settled in the land of the Nez Perce.

I think that the history and the cultures of these fine I ndians should be preserved and brought to the atte ntio n of more people.

My belief is that something must be done soon or all physical evidence of these 

early historical happenings will be lost forever.

In my job as a postmaster I spend a grea t many hours every year doing my best 

to answ er questions about the Nez Perce Indian war. The causes, the war, and the 

aftereffect are all points of interest to tou rist and local residents alike.

I like to be able to inform tourists on this matter but my knowledge is for the 

most part handed down from the oldtimers and what littie there is to be found 

in Idaho’s history books.

I believe it would be a good thing to have a park in thi s are a to help inform 

people on a subject that is of great interest to most everyone.

Statement of J. L. Martin, Secretary, Grangeville Lions Club, I nc.

My name Is J. L. Martin. I am secretary of the Grangeville Lions Club, Inc., 

from Grangeville, Idaho.

I appear here today on behalf of the Grangeville Lions Club, whose members 

repre sent a m ajor portion of the business and professional community of Grangeville, Idaho. The Grangeville Lions Club urges the estab lishm ent of the pro ­

posed Nez Perce National Historical Par k, to preserve, commemorate, and int erpret the histo ry and c ultu re of the Nez Perce country.

This proposed park will consist of a series of historical sites and interpre tive 

facilities in north-c entral Idaho to be administe red under a cooperative approach 

enabling a large number of Federal. State, community, and priv ate inte rests to 

work together in order to protect and interp ret widely scattered historical sites
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 109

without “locking up” a big land area, and without competition to existing multiple-use practices on the lands involved.

All people in the United States are interested in preserving historical sites and 

providing interpretive facilities of early American history. The scenic magnificence of the Nez Perce country and the appeal of the Nez Perce story in all its 

aspect need to be preserved. Early explorers and fur traders, missionaries, gold 

miners, settlers, soldiers, loggers, and Nez Perce Indians all have left their mark 

on not jus t the Nez Perce country but the whole Nation.

There is an urgent need for early action to preserve these sites before they 

are lost forever through construction and development projects.

The Grangeville Lions Club urges Congress to pass legislation to establish the 

Nez Perce National Historical Park and to provide the necessary funds for the 

proposed program.

Statement of Myron L. Hunt, Commander, Lewis-Clark Post No. 13, 

American Legion

In regular meeting on this date the Lewis-Clark Post No. 13, American Legion 

voted unanimously to favor the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park. 

The Americanism committee proposed the resolution to the membership as it 

is in a complete accord with the American Legion stand to preserve for Americans of the futu re generations the rich heritage and unsurpassed beauty unique 

to the Nez Perce country and the State of Idaho.

The iwst realizes that this geographical area has been a storehouse of historical facts and tha t in recent years materials and arti fac ts have been unknowingly or heedlessly destroyed. It is also felt that the history of any area 

can better be transmitted to the future when educational guides and signs are 

provided. Many historical items yet remaining in this area are of untold value 

for educational and patriotic purposes as well as tourist attractions. If these 

sites and artifacts are not preserved in the near future they will be destroyed 

and lost forever.

Voted upon and duly signed October 7,1064, at Lewiston, Idaho.

Statement of Mrs. Robert Bentley, President, American Legion Auxiliary, 

Grangeville, I daho

My name is Mrs. Robert Bentley. I am president of the American Legion 

Auxiliary, Grangeville Unit 37. At a meeting on October 5, 1964, the members of Grangeville Unit 37 voted unanimously to go on record as favoring 

the establishment of a national historical park in Idaho, to be known as the 

Nez Perce National Historical Park.

This action was taken because the group believes that the preservation of 

historical sites and the recording of otherwise little-known facts on the Nez 

Perce Indian War of 1877, the Lewis and Clark Expedition through this region, 

and the mining activity of the 19th century, by increasing interest and knowledge of our country’s history, will be valuable in encouraging good citizenship 

and Americanism. As a patriotic and civic service organization, we endorse this 

project.

Since we are citizens of Grangeville and Idaho County, we wish to suggest 

certain sites in the county which we believe should receive attention, as they 

are rich in historical interest and may be in danger of being forgotten if action 

is not taken to preserve them for posterity. Among these places are the old 

mining towns of Florence and Newsome, once active mining centers, now uninhabited ghost towns. Of interest because of their connection with the Nez 

Perce Indian War are the old fort at Mount Idaho, Foster’s grave near Cottonwood, and Tolo’s grave north east of Grangeville. Tolo was an Indian woman 

who gave warning to the settlers of the Indian attack, and Foster was a soldier 

killed in action by the Indians. We respectfully recommend these sites to the 

committee’s attention.

Statement of Ernest E. Day, Representing the Idaho Wildlife Federation

I am E rnest E. Day. I reside at 420 Crestline Drive in Boise. Idaho. As the 

immediate past president of the Idaho Wildlife Federation, I represent Mr. Bill
110 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Reynolds, its president, who could not be presen t for the hearing this morning. 

I a lso represent th e Ada County F ish and Game League.

By an action of the directors of our organizatio n, we wish to place our suppo rt 

solidly behind the many who are working so diligently for this most desirable 

Nez Perce National Historical Park.

This park will be a gre at step for Idaho in furth er developing our recreation 

potential. It will have gre at significance in the conservation and in the preservatio n of such imp ortant h isto rica l segments of our cultura l background.

We of the Idaho Wildlife Federatio n would like to make one suggestion regard ­

ing this most significant p ark for I da ho : If it is at all possible, we would urge that 

at one site ade qua te camping facilitie s be built and maintained to accommodate 

some of the many campers who will come to enjoy this are a from other western 

parks. This facility, we feel, should be incorporated in the final program for 

thi s much needed n ational park for Idaho.

I request th at these rem arks be made p ar t of the record of th is hearing.

The Synod of Idaho,

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.,

October 15,1964. Senator Alan Bible,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Bibl e: The general council of the Synod of Idaho of the United 

Presby terian Church, meeting in Boise, Id aho, October 13,1964, took the following 

action.

To endorse and support the proposed actio n to establish the Nez Perc e National 

Historical Pa rk with sites in the Cle arw ater Valley, inclu ding those of great 

historic intere st to the Pre sbyteri an Church. The first Pre sbyterian minister to 

visit this area, the Reverend Samuel Pa rker, wrote a revealing account in his 

“Journal of an Exploring Tour” published in 1844. The Reverend Henry Spalding’s contribution of Idaho and Northwest history is of gre at significance for 

his many firsts in the area. The mission of the Reverend Asa Smith at Kamiah 

is im portant for his work in the Nez Perce language. The missions of the McBeth 

sisters did much to bring educa tion to the Nez Perce people. These sites included 

in the new concept of a nation al park for thi s region brings the hearty endorsement of th e council of the synod of Idaho.

You may be ass ured of the cooperation of the Presbyteria n Church of Idaho. 

Sincerely,

G. Eldred Kelley, Sta ted Clerk.

E. Paul Hovey, Moderator.

Statement of Harry E. Kale, Representing the Idaho County Wildlife

Federation

My name is Ha rry E. Kale, D.O. I am immediate past president of the Idaho 

County Wildlife Association, from Grangeville, Idaho.

I wish to speak in behalf of the many members of the Wild life Fed era tion in 

Idaho County. We fa vor this legislation for many reasons. We urge that funds 

and the necessary legislation be enacted to establish the proposed Nez Perce 

Country Nation al Historical Par k. We believe this merits preservation in the 

national inte rest. We believe this ma tte r is urgent.

We know of many sites and this is as it should be. The history of the Lewis 

and Clark, the White Bird battleground. The establishme nt of religion. The 

old forts, and the Ind ian agency. Even now some are becoming commercial, 

some are gone.

Therefore, we the Idaho County Wildlife Association, wish to go on record 

in favor of the Nez Perce Country National Historical Par k.

Lewisto n, I daho, O ct ober 9,196 4. To the Committee:

The Tsceminicum Club, a member of General Federatio n of Women’s Clubs, 

wishes to go on record as supp orting wholehearted ly the creation of the Nez 

Perce National Historical Par k.

Yours truly,

Mrs. T. W. Armour, President.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK. IDAHO 111

Statement of J ohn F. Nicke ns, First Vice President, Kooskia Lions Club

My name is Joh n F Nickens. I am first vice preside nt of the Kooskia Lions 

Club, and I am authorized by the president, Mr. Emmet E. Rynearson, and the 

Kooskia Lions Club, to make the following statemen t:

We are in full agre eme nt with the Kam iah Chamber of Commerce, that we 

are despe rately in need of a fu rthe r att raction for the tou rists who are now coming, and will be coming, over our new Lewis and Clark Highway which so 

closely paralle ls the old Lolo T rail, used in its era by the Nez Perce India ns on 

the ir way to buffalo huntin g grounds.

We are convinced, that with good markers, and with the knowledge th at they 

are entering the are a where the last gre at conflict was fought between the 

Indians and II.S. troops, th at pa rticular int ere st would be indicated by those 

tou rists and would make a good reason for their remaining in the area ano ther 

day, and in many cases longer.

We are vita lly inte rested in the project as a whole, and believe the are a 

should embrace the outermost limits of Nez Perce Ind ian activity of their 

time.

We wish to tha nk you, sir, for spending a portion of your valuable time with 

us in our section of the country, and wan t to assure you that we stand ready and 

willing to give you any assistanc e of which we ar e capable.

Statement of Floyd I. Swanson, President, Kiwanis Club of Grangeville, 

Grangeville, Idaho

My name is Floyd I. Swanson and I was currently serving as president of the 

Kiwanis Club of Grangeville, Grangeville, Idaho.

The work of Kiwanis is prima rily dedicated to the youth of the Nation. We 

believe, th at for the young people to fu rthe r their intere st in the ir her itage of 

this gre at country, it is important th at they can have the opportunity to visit 

and stud y the places that w ere so prominent in the ear ly history of this wonderful country.

There are many such places in our are a that can be included in such a plan 

as the Nez Perce National Par k, and we unanimously support the development 

of the Nez Perce National Park .

Statement of J erry Soderberg, Master, Charity Grange No. 294, 

Grangevilie, Idaho

My name is Jerry Soderburg. I am master of C har ity G range No. 294, Grangeville, Idaho. At a meeting on October 6, 1964, it was unanimously passed by 

this organiza tion to endorse the esta blishment of the Nez Perce National Historical Par k, because we feel th at it is of gre at importance th at there should be 

a preservation of the historical events that have taken place in this area.

Statement of Kathryn J. Brainard, P resident, Soroptimist International

Club of Grangeville

My name is Ka thryn J. Brain ard . I am president of the Soroptimist Club of 

Grangeville, Idaho. The club membership of 34 ha s voted to endorse the establishm ent of the Nez Perce National Historical Park, hoping n ot only to per petuate the local historical sites, but to give them the nation al recognition they so 

richly deserve.

October 7, 1964. Hon. Alan Bible,

Chairman, Senate Public Lands Subc omm ittee:

Alice Whitman Chapter of Daugh ters of American Revolution have gone on

record as favo ring the esta blishment of a national pa rk in northern Idaho, as 

set for th by your committee.

Cordially,

(S) (Mrs. L. W.) Willetta Husted Randall, Regent.
112 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Statement of Catholic Daughters of America, Court Cataldo, No. 158, 

Lewisto n, Idaho

The follo wing re so lu tion w as ad opte d by Cat ho lic D au ghte rs of America, 

C ou rt Cat al do , No. 158, Lew iston, Id ah o, on Octo be r 5, 19 64:

We en do rs e th e fo rm at io n of Nez Per ce N at io nal H is to ri cal P ark , an d 

We st ro ng ly reco mmen d th a t le gi sl at io n cr eati ng th is park be give n ea rl y co nsi der at io n, a nd th e bill pa ss ed a s soo n as pra ct ic ab le .

Statem ent of Kraig Schlottman, President, Grangeville, Idaho, J unior

Chamber of Commerce

My na m e is K ra ig Sc hl ot tm an . I am pre si dent of th e Gra ng ev ill e, Id ah o, 

Ja yc ee s.

The G ra ng ev ille Ja yce es a re su ppo rt in g th e prop os ed Nez Per ce N at io nal H is ­

to ri ca l P ark . T hi s park wi ll he lp to pre se rv e an im p o rt an t p a rt of th e her itag e 

of our co un try. The are a to be co ve red by th e park ha s a his to ry in te re st in g 

an d o f i m po rtan ce t o al l th e pe op le o f th e U ni ted Sta te s.

The pr op os ed si te s will pr es er ve , fo r fu tu re gen er at io ns , scen es of m an y not ew or th y ev en ts in th e de ve lopm en t of nort h-c en tr al Id ah o an d th e Pa cific N orthwest. The si te s will co ve r th e hitso ry , ex pl or at io n, an d de ve lopm en t of th is 

co un tr y from th e tim e of th e earl ie st in h ab it an ts th ro ugh th e Ix*wis an d Clark 

Exp ed itio n, th e m ission ar ie s, gold disc ov eries, th e N ez Per ce I ndia n W ar , an d th e 

earl y a g ri cu lt u ra l se ttle m en t.

T he Nez Per ce In dia ns ha ve a ve ry co lorful his to ry an d are nat io nal ly rec og ­

nize d fo r th e ir ea rly ci vi liza tion . Some of th e si te s are e xa m pl es o f th e ir c ulture 

an d he ri ta ge. The se are in te re st in g to m an y people ac ro ss th e l an d.

The Lew is an d Cla rk Exp ed itio n th ro ugh th is are a w as of g re at im po rtan ce 

to th e en ti re U ni ted Sta te s. I t pa ve d th e w ay fo r fu tu re de ve lopm en t an d tie d 

th e Pa cific N or th w es t to th e re st of th e co un try. Man y of th e we ll-kn ow n site s 

in th eir jo ur ne y are lo ca te d in th e are a to be co ve red by th e prop os ed pa rk . 

R etrac in g t h e r oute of th is f am ou s tr ip will b e in te re st in g t o m an y American s.

The m is si on ar ie s wh o ca m e in to th is co un tr y are his to ri ca lly fa m ou s. Th e 

wor k of Sp aldi ng is we ll kn ow n by m an y an d th e lo ca tion w he re he worke d is a 

pri m ary p oi nt of in te re st .

Go ld w as ta ken from th e are a in g re at quan tities . The re m ai ns of wor king s 

an d bu ildi ng s of th is era a re re m in der s of an im p o rt an t p a rt of th e gr ow th of 

th is c ou nt ry .

The Nez Per ce In dia n W ar is an ep ic of In dia n w ar s. I t w as am on g th e la st 

of th e In dia n up ri si ng s an d has dra w n nati onal in te re st . A ppro pr ia te si te s 

co m m em or atin g th e b at tlef ie ld s a re im p o rt an t to ev eryo ne .

E arl y se ttle m en t by fa rm ers al so pl ay s an im port ant p a rt in th e ba ck gr ou nd 

of t h is c ou nt ry .

We be lie ve th a t th e heri ta ge of th e Nez Per ce co untr y is clo sely re la te d to Ihe 

heri ta ge of th e N ation. Di scov ery, ex pl or at io n, an d se ttle m en t of th is are a 

he lped in th e de ve lopm en t of th e U ni te d Sta te s. The region has a rich hi st or y 

which is of in te re st to m an y pe op le ev er yw he re . At th e pr es en t tim e, man y of 

th e pl ac es w he re his to ry w as mad e a re st il l re as on bl y in ta ct. Unless thes e 

si te s a re pr es er ve d an d in te rp re te d, th ey will be lo st to post er ity. F or th es e 

re as on s th e G ra ng ev ille Ja yce es fa vor es ta bl is hm en t of th e Nez l ’erce N at io na l 

H is to ri cal P ark .

Statem ent of Gertrude H. Reavis, President, Pullman, Wash ., Chamber of

Commerce

My na m e is G er tr ude II . Rea vis, I am pre si dent of th e Pul lm an , W as h., Cha mbe r of Co mm erc e.

I wou ld like to en do rs e th e pr op os ed Nez Per ce N at io nal P ark in Id ah o. T his 

p ark wou ld pr es er ve m an y his to ri c si te s w ithin it s bou ndar ie s and m ain ta in fo r 

th e fu tu re t he w on de rful a nd c olo rf ul s to ry o f th is r egion.

The prop os ed park are as are w ithin re as on ab le dri vin g dis ta nce s of se ve ra l 

co lle ge s and u niv ers it ie s; su ch as, W as hi ng to n S ta te U ni ve rs ity , U ni ve rs ity of 

Id ah o, Id ah o S ta te U ni ve rs ity , Lew is and C la rk Nor m al Sch ool, an d W hi tm an 

Colleg e. S tu den ts of th es e scho ols co uld be ne fit gre at ly by vis itin g th e par k an d 

le ar nin g th e hi st or y of th is are a th ro ugh ex hib its and th e le ct ure s of qu ali fie d 

st af f pe rson ne l.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 113

Th e presen t (lay school en rollm en t inc lud es stud en ts from alm ost every St ate 

and many forei gn coun tri es as well. Th ese vis ito rs could le arn much an d take 

bac k to th ei r St ates an d co un tri es a be tter un de rstand ing of th is are a’s cu ltu re 

an d his tor y.

The uniqu e con cep t of th is pa rk , it seem s to me, is a major fa ct or in approv ­

ing its form ati on. It is a cooperative approa ch which will ena ble ma ny State , 

Fe deral, local, an d pr iv at e gro ups to work tog eth er. It wou ld cr ea te a na tio na l 

pa rk with a minim um am ou nt of tr an sf er of lan d from one age ncy to an other. 

Th is pla n of un ify ing widely sc attered sit es int o one con tiguous na tio na l pa rk 

could serve as an exa mp le fo r f ut ur e pa rk areas.

The abo ve-men tion ed reason s fo r endo rsing the proposed Nez Perce Nati on al 

Hist or ical Par k ar e ju st a few of m any; bu t to me, thes e seem ed of pa rtic ul ar 

importance .

Statement of Cleo H. Patterson, President, Salmon River Chamber of

Commerce

My nam e is Cleo II. Pa tte rson . I am pr es iden t of th e Salmon River Chamber 

of Co mm erc e; cha irman of th e v illa ge hoard of truste es, R iggins.

I wh ole he arted ly endo rse the crea tio n of th e Nez Perce Na tio na l Hist or ical 

Pa rk.

Cottonwood Chamber of Commerce,

Cottonw ood, Ida ho, October 3, 1964.

Hon . Alan Bible,

Cha irman, Se na te P ublic L an ds Subcom mitte e,

Se na te In terior In su la r Affa irs Committee,

Wa shington , D.C.

Dear Senator Bib le : We ar e w ritin g as a com mittee fo r the Cottonw ood 

Ch am ber of Com merce to call yo ur at tent io n to the na tio na l historical sit es in 

ou r imme dia te area.

Re cent exca va tio ns a few miles sou th of Cottonwood in th e Grave s Creek area 

by th e Id ah o Sta te College Archeological Dep artm en t hav e un ea rth ed evidences 

of civil iza tio n in this p art o f t he cou ntry a s long as 7,500 yea rs ago. Th is finding 

alo ne is in ou r opinion of na tio na l in te re st an d importance .

Th e Nez Pe rce In di an w ar sit es with in a mile or two of tow n mark th e na ­

tio na lly fam ous inc ide nt— th e re tr ea t of Chief Joseph . Th e people in ou r area 

ar e most de sir ou s of the se sit es being maintaine d and ke pt in tact fo r the fu tu re 

gen era tions.

It is ou r hop e th at yo ur comm itte e favo rably conside rs this develop me nt at 

yo ur congres sional hearing.

Respe ctfully subm itte d.

Cletus A. Uhlorn,

Secreta ry, Histo ric al Pa rks Comm itte e.

Resolution of th e Spokane (W as h.) Chamber of Commerce

Whe reas th e Nez Pe rce region of no rth -cen tra l Id ah o ex ten din g from Rig gins 

to Lolo Pa ss a nd occupying the ent ire width of th e Sta te is an ar ea of m agn ificent 

sce nery and sig nif ica nt histor ic im po rtan ce ; a nd

Wh ere the I’.S. Na tio nal Par k Service ha s com plet ed de tail stu dies o f th e area 

and has found th e desig natio n of th e area as a na tio na l historical par k to be 

fe as ible; and

Wherea s th e pla n prop osed by th e Nati on al Par k Service fo r th e supervisio n 

of the area as a na tio na l histor ical park, propos es th at specific histor ical sit es 

only b e administ ered as tr ue pa rk ar ea s ; and

Whe reas th e gr ea t lan d ar ea of the reg ion will not be locked up as one contig uo us na tio na l pa rk bu t the no rm al resource use s will be co nt in ue d; and

Whe reas th e desig nat ion of th e ar ea as a na tio na l historical pa rk will call 

na tio na l at tent io n to this ar ea in which much of the ea rly history of the N or th ­

west was w ri tt en : Now, the refore, be it
114 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Reitolvt'd, That the SjHikane Chamber of Commerce endorse and supp ort the 

proposal found feasible by the National Park Service to designate the area as 

the “Nez Perce Historical National Park.”

Adopted by the board of trustees of the Si»okaue Chamber of Commerce on 

October 12, 1964.

Atte st:

L. W. Markham, General Manager.

Sta tem ent of Wayne A. Adams, Secretary, K am iah J unior Cha mb er of

Commerce

My name is Wayne A. Adams. I am Secretary of the Kamiah Jay-Cees. It 

has been brought to our atte ntio n that certain groups are trying to establish a 

national park in e ast Kamiah.

We would like to go on record at this time as being in favor of such a program. 

The are a has much to offer toward establishing such a park and the park itself 

would be an asset to this community.

Resolution of th e Grangeville Chamber of Commerce

The Grangeville Chamber of Commerce, in regular session the 25th day of 

June 1963, approved the following resolution and memorandum i>ertaining to 

proposed establishment of a national historic park within the State of Idaho to 

memorialize, preserve, and protect historically valuable sites, all reflecting incidents of the Nez Perce Indinn War of 1877, the Lewis-Clark Expedition and 

early gold mining centers of the cen tral Idaho country :

“Whereas the Secretary of the Inte rior, through his Assistant Secretary, 

representatives of the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service representing the Secretary of Agriculture, natio nally known historians, intereste d members of th e Nez Perce Tribe, local author itie s on the early history of Idaho, and 

Interested citizens of the area have given cred ibility to the establish ment of 

natio nal historical par k;

“Whereas the National Park Service has preliminary studies and reviewed 

the historical content of such sites and tested and learned the veracity of the 

legends involved;

“The refore the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce recommends the pur sui t 

at the earliest practicable date of necessary actio ns by the Congress to implement furth er histo rical study, commence the development at an app ropriate 

l>olnt from which the park would lx1

 eventually facilitated ;

“Re it known that the purpose of such action would be to preserve for Idaho 

and the United States of America historical incidents and structure s and landmarks which had a profound and moving effect on the early settlement of the 

West, and to record permanently the colorful cha pters alre ady etched in our 

natio nal history of the heroic adventures and struggles of Americans;

“Whereas in concert with the folk of the Nez Perce Indinn Tribe, and historians of repute who have patiently and tirele ssly recorded factual evidence 

of historic events, represen tatives of the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture and the Gov ernor of the State of Idaho, the Grangeville Chamber of 

Commerce recognizes as the duty of Americans of this day to perpetu ate our 

national heritage, to strengthen the moral fiber and patriotic cha rac ter of succeeding gen era tions;

“Whereas such estab lishm ent of a national historic park would be administered by the various agencies involved, with’ the monuments in a serie s 

thro ughout the park area, with no vast area of land to be subscribed for such, 

and without competition to existing multiple-use practices on the land involved;

“Whereas in this center of Idaho, histo ry and scenic values blend for supreme 

inte rest to all who partake;

“Re it known, the Grangeville Chamber of Commerce extends a resolution 

of appreciation to the Nez Perce Tribal Council, the Secretaries of the Interior and 

Agriculture, the Governor of the State of Idaho, and contributing historians, for 

the ir coordination of advancing such a project as establish ment of a national 

historic park : Therefore, be it
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 115

"Resolved, That the Congress be advised of the interest of the Grangeville 

Chamber of Commerce, reflecting areawide requests for national recognition 

of these historic lands, and tha t the Congress be urged, at its convenience, to 

enact further measures to j>erpetuate as a national historic park the landmarks 

of the Nez Perce Indian War of 1877, the Lewis-Clark Expedition, and early 

gold mining centers of the central Idaho country.

“Read and i>assed by the chamber membership this 25th day of June 1963.

“Floyd Swanson, President,

“Donald Long. Secretary."

Statement of J. L. Driscoll, Chairman of the Board, First Security Bank

of Idaho, National Association, Boise, Idaho

My name is J. L. Driscoll. I am chairman of the board of the Fir st Security 

Bank of Idaho, National Association, a statewide banking organization operating 

throughout Idaho.

I should, I presume, first of all qualify the witness. I have lived in the State 

of Idaho practically all of my adult life and have traveled by foot, horseback, 

team and wagon, car, boat, or plane to all sections of the State. I am quite 

familiar with the various historical points that would be included in the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park.

I have read extensively the available lite rature on the history of Idaho, the 

Indian wars, including the Nez Perce War, the Blackfoot War, and so forth. 

Many of these works were written by the children of pioneers who lived through 

the Nez Perce War.

Idaho probably has more undeveloped, unspoiled natural primitive area s than 

most any State in the Union yet there is only one national monument and no 

national parks within the boundary of Idaho. Contained within the area of 

this proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park is not only some of the most 

beautiful scenery in the West but many places and areas of tremendous historical 

significance to both the State and Nation. Except for the battlefields of the 

Revolution and the Civil War, and possibly the Alamo in Texas, no part of the 

country embraces areas tha t are of greater historical interest and significance 

to the United States than does tha t included in this proposal. It includes a 

large par t of and the most hazardous section of the route traveled by Lewis and 

Clark in their expedition to the Pacific Ocean in search of a waterway across 

the United States. It includes the locations of the early day missionaries, the 

Spalding Place on the Clearwater, and oth ers ; much of the territory covered by 

the early day fur trade rs such as the Hudson Bay Co.; the locations of 

the early day gold rushes at Pierce, Florence, an d other p lace s; the sites of the 

Sheepeater Indian War; and last, but not least, the terr itor y embracing the Nez 

Perce Indian War and Chief Joseph’s line of ret rea t with his entire tribe which 

extended from the Salmon River across Camas Prairie, over Lolo Pass, and clear 

through Yellowstone Park—a retreat of such magnificent generalship that it lias 

been studied over the years in our war colleges.

A large proportion of these points of historical interest are still unspoiled by 

civilization but, as time marches on and good roads and airports are constructed, 

these spots are rapidly being destroyed or commercial developments are encroaching upon them. They should be preserved without furthe r delay for the 

present-day public and posterity. The longer this action is delayed, the more 

expensive such a program will be and the more of these points of interest will 

have been destroyed by the passing of time or by commercial development for 

other uses.

Statement of John L. Olmsted, Copublisher, I daho County Free Press, 

Grangeville, Idaho

I am John L. Olmsted, copublisher of the Idaho County Free Press, founded 

at Grangeville, Idaho, June 18, 1886, and in control of the Olmsted family for 

over 40 years.

Throughout these 78 years the Idaho County Free Press has been recording 

the past and present as they took place, the events and sites of history in this 

vast area, the county of Idaho alone, larger in area than the State of Massachusetts.
116 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Hence, I am well aw are of the events and sites relative to the Nez P erce In ­

dians, Lewis and Clark Expedition, the early day mining activities, and the 

places where all took place.

Realizing the importance of these things to fut ure generations, especially, I, 

therefore, urge that you do w hat you can with in y our ju risdiction to preserve all 

of the historical sites remaining in the form of a national historical park, for the 

people of the present, the fu ture, a nd the vistors who are increasing in large numbers each year to this land where much of the histo ry was born.

Statement of Floyd I. Swanson, Executive Vice President, B ank of Central

Idaho, Grangeville, Idaho

My name is Floyd I. Swanson and I am the executive vice preside nt and 

managing officer of the Bank of Central Idaho, Grangeville, Idaho.

Big-game hun ters from all over the United States invade our hunting grounds 

every yea r during the annual deer and elk hunting season. Many of these people 

pass throu gh areas where our early history was made; such as, the early mining 

around Elk City, Dixie, Florence, Burgdorf, etc., as well as the battlegrounds 

of the Nez Perce Indian wars, and the ground covered by the Lewis and Clark 

Expedition. These places properly identified would be of gre ate r intere st to 

these people.

To have such places set up in our national park system would create and 

stim ulate furth er intere st in our country and, in addition to the hun ters ca rry ­

ing rifles in the fall of the year, we would have hunte rs carryin g cameras and 

traveling through these are as many more months of the year. They would 

tak e home, with them, pictu res of this bea utiful coun try and firsthand knowledge of thi s country that has such an inte resting and exciting background.

I believe the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk is an ideal way to preserve 

the key historical sites of this region. It will add tremendously to our national 

park program and, in so doing, does not take away from public ownership large 

tra cts of land.

Statement of Marshall N. Dana, Chairman, Recreation Subcommittee, 

Columbia Basin I nteragency Committee

My name is Marshall N. Dana. I am chairman of the Recreatio n Subcommittee of the Columbia Basin Interage ncy Committee, member and form er 

chairman of the recreation committee of the Por tlan d Chamber of Commerce, 

former editor of the Oregon Jou rna l, editorial page, and chairman of a special 

committee appointed to aid in bringing about the completion and opening of 

the Lolo Pass Highway in north-central Idaho.

The Lolo Pass Highway, via the Lochsa River, is rapidly becoming one of 

the major routes of recreational, tourist, and ind ustrial travel in the Nation. 

This highway will become an important segment of the proposed Lewis and 

Clark Memorial Trail extending from St. Louis, Mo., to Seaside, Oreg. The 

trail is to be distinguished by historical recreational, scenic, and economic 

areas along its route.

The Lolo Pass Highw ay also leads through a section of Idaho made famous 

by the attem pt of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Ind ian s to escape from 

easte rn Washington into Canada.

The wr ite r strongly recommends the establishm ent, by actio n of the U.S. 

Congress, of the Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk as a recognition of the 

historic and scenic qua lity within its proposed boundary. The authorization of 

the Nez Perce National Historical Park is a logical and desirable step as a 

featu re of a gre at composition including the Lolo Pas s Highw ay and the 

wilderne ss ar ea which it traverses.

Our own generation, and many th at are to come, will find continuing and 

larg e benefit from the establishment of the Nez Perce National Historical 

Park, and will acclaim the lead ersh ip of the Senate Inter ior Subcommittee, 

which finds and completes with unanswerab le force and logic the recommendation for the park and carrie s on its efforts until necessary authorization, appropriatio n, and establishment are obtained.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 117

Statement of H arold C. Lynch, President, Center Star Gold Mine, Elk City, 

Idaho

My name is Harold C. Lynch. I ain president and manager of the Center 

Star Gold Mine near Elk City, Idaho.

In the ma tter of the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Pa rk in northcentral Idaho, I would like to state th e followin g:

I am definitely in favor of this bill. I can see a wonderful opportu nity for 

the counties involved, the State, and the Nation to preserve, commemorate, and 

restore the history and culture of the Nez Perce country. The idea of a national park administered by the Dep artm ent of the Interio r and the State, community, and private intere sts combined witho ut a big laud area run by the 

Department of Inter ior is commendable. The national significance of this park 

of bringing out the Nez Perce coun try story from the time of our for efa thers 

to the present day and preserving these items for our gran dchildren to enjoy 

is indeed a w orthwhile in vestment.

Statement of William E. Irvin, President, Idaho First National Bank, 

Boi se, I daho

My name is William E. Irvin, presiden t of the Idaho Fi rs t National Bank of 

Boise, Idaho.

We are wholehe artedly in accord with the proposal to establish in northcen tral Idaho a Nez Perce National Historical Par k. It is our feeling that all 

of these historical spots, which are several in this area, should be prese rved for 

present younger ge nerations, as well as those to come hereafter.

This would benefit not only the people of the immediate area, but in view of 

the fac t the Lewis-Clark Highway, also known as U.S. Highway 12, and in 

addition to U.S. Highway 95, crosses through this historical area . It will afford 

an opportunity for an ever-increasin g number of people from other are as of the 

entire United Sta tes and North American Continent to learn of the story at ­

tache d to these historical sites. This region involves the story of the Nez Perce 

Indian Tribe from earlie st history, the pioneer, the missionary, the goldfields, 

battlefields of the fabled Nez Perce Indian war.

We feel that a program such as has been outlined, which includes the cooperation for this common purpose of the National Park Service, Forest Services, 

Sta te highway departm ent, Sta te historical society, and departm ent of commerce and development, could not prove anythin g else than most successful.

Therefore, to benefit a greater number of the American people and other tou rists to our country, we feel th at it is imperative that these historical landmarks 

and sites should be preserved withou t furth er delay so as to perpetuate these 

things for the generations to come.

Your favorable consideratio n to legislation providing for this national park 

will be much a ppreciated.

Statement of J oseph Bianco, President, Bank of Idaho

My name is Joseph Bianco. I am president of the Bank of Idaho.

The merits of the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park on the basis 

of its value in preserving a nd exhibiting to more of o ur people a most significant 

phase of our co lorful Northwest history is unquestioned by all.

Its collateral benefits as a much needed boost to the local economy in terms 

of a sub stan tial addition to Idaho’s inventory of tou rist attrac tio ns a re also most 

important. Idaho’s economy needs diversification. With nearly 70 percent of 

our land are a in Governm ent ownership, and a s ubstantial portion of the Sta te in 

forest and mountain s and with our outstan ding lakes and river systems, we in 

Idah o must look more and more to our rec reation al industry for diversification 

and stabilization of our economy. This proposed park will fill a need for more 

formally developed monuments and facilities of tourist intere st and will be a 

significant value to all Americans in years to come.
118 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Statement of G. D. Shearer, President, Shearer Lumber Products, I nc., Elk

City, I daho

My nam e is G. D. Sh earer. 1 am presiden t of Sh ea rer Lu mb er Products, Inc. 

I live at E lk City , I dah o.

Th e c reation of t he prop osed Nez Perce Nati on al Histo rica l P ar k is im perative . 

The preserva tio n and ide ntification of histo ric all y sig nif ica nt sit es with in this 

ar ea would be a di stinct service to the people of the Na tio n and pa rticul ar ly to 

the people o f th e St ate of Ida ho.

Statement of William C. Beh re ns, Lieutenant Colonel. U.S. Air Force

(R etired) , Manager, Port of Clarkston, Clarkston. Wash .

My name is Wi lliam C. Behrens. I am man ag er of the po rt of Clark ston, 

Asotin County Po rt Di str ict , Clark sto n, Wash. It is a perso nal privilege to 

ap pe ar bef ore this sub com mittee an d testi fy in supp ort of th e estab lishm en t of 

th e Nez P erc e N ati on al Hi sto ric al Pa rk.

Th e Asotin County Por t D istric t is pro ud to su pp ort th is uniqu e concept in 

historical parks. Ou r di st rict is als o a pa rt of the an cie nt trib al grounds of 

th e Nez Perce people. Th e remna nts of th ei r tri ba l his tory, toge ther with tho se 

relics of o ur foreb ears who pio nee red this gr ea t lan d ar e fa st vanis hin g from the 

conte mp orary scene. T ha t the se histo ric fra gm en ts should van ish from th is 

majes tic land is truly incomprehensible. The works of ou r ancesto rs, who vied 

with th e proud and mighty Nez Perce for living room in these ca thed raled hills, 

deser ve rem em bra nce a nd prese rvation for f ut ur e generation s.

In the se uneasy times, we who ar e conti nuall y bes et by the savage ry of in te rna tio na l com mun ism an d in tran sige nt allies, need qu iet places wh ere we may 

view ou r pa st and conte mp lat e ou r fu ture. In the se tim es when em phasi s on 

rig hts , privile ges, and secu rity ar e rep lac ing duty, honor, country , an d respon ­

sib ility, in ou r natio na l conscience, th is na tio na l pa rk sys tem will help us to 

reor ient ou r val ues and rede dica te ou r pur pos e toward tho se goa ls of our 

ances tors.

Statement of Robert D. Crum p, Riggins, Idaho

My name is Ro be rt Do uglas Crump. I am an op erator of a Che vron sta tio n in 

Riggins, Ida ho.

On the propos al of a Nez Perce Nati on al Hi sto ric al Pa rk in no rth -cen tra l 

Ida ho, being brought, up in th e fu tu re bef ore Congress, here ar e my op in io ns :

I am in favo r of a histor ical pa rk in Id ah o fo r many rea sons, here ar e a few 

of th e im po rta nt ones. We need this pa rk to build up our to ur ists at trac tion 

fo r th e economic val ue of Idaho. Th e he rit ag e of th is S tate shou ld be know n and 

th e pa st no t forgo tte n. I t is th is typ e of bill which will save our la st wild ernes s area , for the fu tu re gene ratio ns to enjoy and so it won 't be destroyed by 

pr iv at e develop men t. If th is pro posal is not brought befor e Con gress and consid ered upon quickly it will be too la te fo r this area . I am confide nt th at the 

cit ize ns of Rig gins as well as all of Idaho will be benefited by th is bill.

Statement of Mrs. R us se ix B urrows, Slate Creek, I daho

My name is Mrs. Russe ll Burro ws. My husba nd and I op erate a small serv ice 

sta tio n, store, and cabin busin ess a t Slate Creek in the Salmon R iver area.

I am v ery much intereste d in th e Nez Perce Na tio nal Hi sto ric al Par k proposal. 

Th e com bin ation of a rich historical he rit ag e an d some of th e most magnifice nt 

sce nery on th e No rth Am erican Co ntine nt ma ke no rth -cen tra l Id ah o a “n at ura l” 

fo r such a park. In my work I come in co ntact with a con sid era ble numb er of 

to ur ists, and I find th at many of the m ar e much intereste d in the his tory of th is 

p art of th e No rth we st. I feel str on gly th at resid en ts of ot he r pa rts of the cou ntr y often know fa r too little wha t th is ar ea ha s to offer th e tour ist. Some y ea rs 

ago a wom an to ur is t told me th at she h ad come through Id ah o ag ai ns t the a dvice 

of the a uto club w hich h elped pla n he r tri p. They had told he r there wa s n othing 

to be seen here. Th e proposed pa rk would cause many people to come to Id ah o 

an d p erha ps lead th em to stay a while.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 119

It is regrettable th at more has not been done in the pas t to preserve the hi sto rical site s a nd to c all the trav elin g public’s attention to them. However, much c an 

still be done, and as the owners (or better, perhaps, tem porary cus todians) of a 

site intimately associated with the Nez Perce Ind ian War era, my husband and I 

wish to offer any support we can give to th e project.

Sta tem en t of D on Crane, E lk C it y , I da ho

My name is Don Crane. I am the operato r of the Phillips 60 service station 

and bulk plant at Elk City, Idaho.

1 am in favor of the proposed Nez Perc e National Historical Park. I believe 

th at it is a good idea to preserve and promote the historic site s th at had such 

gre at significance to ou r forefathers. Without some sort of action we’re in danger 

of losing track of these sites. I feel th at the traveling public is inte rested and 

should have a chan ce to sha re in this h istory. It will also help promote the tou rist industry, which is an important f actor in th is area.

Sta tem ent of J o sia h R ed W ol f, L a pw a i, I da ho

My name is Jo siah Red Wolf. I live in Lapwai, Idaho, on th e Nez Perce Indian 

Reservation.

I have seen 93 winters come an d go since I was born across the Snake River, 

5 or 6 miles from here, at Alpowa Creek, in wh at is now Washington State. The 

Lewis and Clark party camped there going and coming from the great ocean. 

My g ran dfa the r, Chief Red Wolf, was chief of the Alpowa Band of Nez Perces. 

He is buried on a high cliff at Alpowa. He was one of the Nez Perc e chiefs who 

signed the Nez Perce Treaty of 1855 at the Walla Walla Campgrounds. Th at 

nex t 1863 tre aty, draw n by th e white man, forced us to leave our na tive homeland 

and live on a reservation only a few miles eas t of where you now sit.

Chief Looking Glass was one of the gre atest of all American Ind ian warrio rs. 

He headed the Looking Glass Band which was larger, so the Alpowa Band was 

taken into his b and and he became our chief.

I speak up for the Nez Perce National Historical Park. The American Indians’ 

story should be told. If you c rea te this gre at historical park, before it is too late, 

tiie schoolchildren of America c an come here a nd see this g reat Nez Perce land as 

God made it—th e way it was my boyhood home—the way Lewis and Cla rk found 

it and went back to tell the Great White Fa ther in Wash ington th at this was a 

good place to live.

1 am one of the last four living survivors of the Nez Perce W ar of 1877. We will 

ad soon go to the ‘ Ilapp y Hunting Ground.” We will go happy if we can know 

the Government will make a fine national p ark here where tourists can learn why 

the Nez Perces were the la st g rea t tribe of native Americans to fight against giving 

up our home.

If the white man won over the Indians, it was a battle. If the Ind ians won, it 

was a massacre. I have no hatre d in my he ar t to the white man even if your 

ance stors did n ot practic e the golden rule of C hris tian ity, “Do unto others as you 

would have others do unto you.” Let me tell you ju st one experience in the 

war.

The Battle of Big Hole in M ontana was ea rly in the morning. We came to this 

place to make camp, arriving the day before. Chief White Bird said, “We will 

take a res t 3 or 4 d ays.” Rig ht af te r the shooting began, my father was in our 

tent. He got up to go o ut and fight. He covered me up with blankets and told 

me to stay there. I had no inte ntion of leaving. Bu t my mother sta rte d out of 

the teepee with my sis ter on her back. She was shot and my little sis ter shot, 

right the re in the tent, and both were killed w ith one bullet. Babies cried, mothers 

foug ht along with the ir men, women were hollering, men shouting, youn gsters 

crying.

If some foreigners, by mass of numbers and more powerful weapons of fight, 

suddenly landed on our shores and told us to withd raw into “concentration 

camps,” or they would tak e our lives, wh at would all of us do? Fight, of course, 

to the last ounce of blood, because we love our homeland. And we learned by 

bitte r experience not to surre nder on the promise that we could return to our 

homes and reu nite our broken families. Tha t is wh at General Miles told Chief
120 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Joseph would happen If we quit sniping at the U.S. Army boys in 1877—“Surrender and you can go back to Idaho” is what he said.

That was a lie. They herded us off to die in gre at numbers in Kansas and 

Oklahoma, and it is only fuir to us Indians that the story be told in this Nez 

Perce National Historical Park.

The Nez Perce Indians are not looking for sympathy, just a fa ir break in te lling future generations the true “Ind ian ’s role” in the making of America. So 

many things are happening in this modern age, that our history books are n’t 

big enough to tell th e full story. Only by preserving unspoiled the places where 

the great events of American history took place in the white man’s winning of 

the West can the boys and girls of tomorrow come to know the native American 

Indians, the tirst Americans, in the ir tru e ligh t and we hope, come to respect 

them for their bravery in fighting for “their God—expressed in the gre at out 

of doors—the ir homes, the ir country.”

Sta tem ent of David P eterson, Chair m an , Development Advisory

Com mitte e, Nez 1’erce E xecutiv e T riba l Com mittee

My name is David Peterson. I am chairman of the development advisory 

committee to the Nez Perce Executive Tribal Committee.

The development advisory committee serves the Nez Perce Indian Tribe through 

the trib al executive committee which appointed this committee in December 1961. 

The committee is composed of five business and professional men from this area. 

We meet once a month or oftener by special call to evaluate possibilities that 

would aid the tribe in bette ring and furthering the ir economic status.

We are composed of several subcommittees w orking in in dustrial, fo restry, a rts 

and crafts, educational, communications, and periodically such are as as mining, 

community buildings, and others. All of these ac tivities and many more ar e the 

areas in which the tribe is involved. After care ful investigation we recommend 

a function or activity to the executive committee, which makes furth er studies 

ami arrives at a decision. To d ate we have been helpful in securing a tourism 

study made by the Armour Insti tute of Chicago, a timber evaluation by our 

subcommittee in cooperation with the University of Idaho. We have aided in 

building two community buildings, one at Lapwai and at Kamiah, at a cost of 

more t han $300,000.

You have been presented with voluminous documents and studies tha t explain 

the advantages of the proposal to establish a Nez Perce National Historical Park. 

We positively endorse such an action, particularly because of the benefits this 

project would bring to the Nez Perce people.

The proposed park project will forever protect a gainst the ravages of commercial expansion of historic sites in an unusu ally frag ile area. Tourists travel to 

genuine historic sites and will, of course, enjoy the almost virgin country from 

Missoula, Mont., through Lewiston via the Lewis and Clark Highway, preserved 

in almost the same condition as when it was first traveled by those famous 

explorers. Most of this country is country of the Nez Perce. With in the are a 

lie many tra cts of lands that belong to the Nez Perce people.

It is reasonable to presume that the Nez Perce people can furth er develop, as 

one phase to their economic betterment, the facilities to take care of the needs 

of the tourists through motels, trailer parks, campgrounds, restauran ts, and 

other facilities. It would be a uthentic atmosphere that would greet our American public.

To create for the Nez Perce people an economic climate that makes possible 

the success of such recommendations is the desire of our committee. The longrange opportunities for the young especially is of utmost importance. Their 

future welfare, and the fut ure of the entire Nez Perce jieople, if they are to 

eventually become self-sufficient, would seem in itself sufficiently significant to 

justify the Nez Perce National Historical P ark.

By establishm ent of a Nez Perce Historica l Park site, we would protect a 

fragile area and retain its histo rical value, would offer the trav eling public the 

opportunity forever to view a major primitive fro ntier within the United States, 

and would help the Nez Perce Tribe assu re the ir eventual self-sufficiency.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 121

November 3, 1904.

Re Nez Perce National Historical Park, 

lion. Ai.an Bible,

Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands,

Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Dear Senator Bible : I am writing to you in behalf of the park being planned 

for north-central Idaho.

I am a fullblooded Nez Perce Indian. I live at Lapwai, Idaho. I was born 

in November 1801, where Asotin, Wash., is now located. My name is Albert Moore. 

My Nez Perce Indian name is Took-tah-mal-way-une, meaning “he who carries 

the pipe (peace pipe).” I am a member of Chief Looking Glass’ band. We 

were known as the Montana Nez Perce because our band used to winter in 

Montana in the old days before the Nez Perce War.

I am well acquainted with all of the places of interest tha t are being thought 

about as important for this park th at is being planned.

The long history of the Nez Perce Indians is centered right here in this very 

country. In our traditions and legends tha t have come down to us by word 

of mouth from our remotest ancestors, we have nothing to show tha t we ever 

lived in any other part of this country. We have always been here in this Clearwater and Salmon River country and the parts of Washington and Oregon 

nearest to us.

The friendliness of our people with the white people (except for the Nez 

Perce War trouble which was not all our fault) has been such and we have 

so grown and maintained ourselves that I think it would be fitting for this park 

to be established. It would be meaningful to the people of this country and 

show the world the sta tur e and true worth of the Nez Perce people as a part 

of American life.

I hope you will do all you can to make this park a reality.

Sincerely,

Albert Moore.

Statement of Marian A. Mager

My husband and I have been residents of this State for 7 years. However, 

we were both born and raised in New York State, and have lived in five other 

States, including the State of Washington. We have found the Northwest by 

far the most interesting in many ways, but especially so, historically. I believe 

this is due to the fact tha t the history is so relatively recent—especially here 

in this particular area, and we feel strongly tha t these areas should lie preserved in a national park.

The many sites of the Lewis and Clark encampments, the Spalding Mission, 

the interesting history of the Nez Perce Indians, the gold discovery, and related 

events such as the Magruder incident; all these are only a par t of Idaho’s rich 

historical heritage, and all took place “only yesterday” compared to the founding and settling of most of the rest of the United States.

Now is the time to see to it tha t these historical sites are preserved for the 

residents of Idaho to cherish, the many tourists who visit annually to enjoy, 

and the future generations to inherit. We strongly urge a bill authorizing a 

Nez Perce National Historical Park in north-central Idaho.

Statement of J ohn M. Pfeifer, Culdesac, Idaho

My name is John M. Pfeifer. I live at Culdesac, Idaho, on the Nez Perce 

Indian Reservation.

Pages 105 to 109, inclusive, in the National Park Service’s feasibility report are 

devoted to St. Joseph’s Mission, Slickpoo, which was dedicated in 1874, with 

Father Joseph M. Cataldo its first priest.

My wife and I bought the property on which this historic church stand s in 

I960 and in 1961 started its rehabilitation from our own funds. All but one of 

the original religious statues are still in the church, including the Sacred Heart 

above the altar , the station s of the cross, the Blessed Virgin’s ascension—all over 

90 years old and perfectly preserved. We rescued a large 5- by 7-foot oil po rtra it 

of Father Cataldo, his only known painting, from a fire in the old rectory last 

year.
122 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

We have just received perm ission to move th e log cab in of Chief Pa ul Slickpoo, 

one of the ea rliest converts to Catholicism, to th e mission grounds and we will 

re stor e it like wise as a st ru ct ur e typ ica l of the early day arch ite ctur e.

We ha ve derive d gr ea t sa tis faction from the re stor at io n of the se land marks 

an d will be pleased to have t he m vis ite d by to ur ists if a na tio na l pa rk is es tablish ed.

State m ent of Ben L arge, W iu t e B ird, I da ho

My nam e is Ben Large. I am a lan down er an d raise ca ttle ne ar Whit e Bi rd, 

Idaho.

I am v ery m uch in favo r of dev eloping the places of h isto ric al int er es t proposed 

in this bill bec ause I believe many fact s and places of va lue have alread y been 

lost b eca use th er e was no estab lished agency to preserve them. By havin g tho se 

sites wh ere his tory was really ma de se t aside for pa rk s will me an muc h to the 

pr es en t and fu tu re ge nerat ion s.

I know people ar e very intereste d in the histor y of th is ar ea fo r ma ny come 

to me seeking inf ormati on becau se my fa th er cam e he re in 1862 and se ttled on 

th e lan d wh ere I sti ll live.

Sta tem ent of J oe W il so n, W h it e B ird, I daho

My n ame is J oe Wilson . I am a c at tle ranc he r r esidi ng nea r White Bird, Ida ho.

I am wh ole heart edly in favo r of th e pro pos al to cr ea te the pa rk fo r th e follow ing reas on s:

1. An im po rta nt seg ment of ea rly Am eric an history will be lost if an attem pt 

to preserve the se sit es is not ma de soon. Cu rio see kers ar e digging up In di an 

graves a ll alon g the Salmon R ive r. Ancient In di an pa intin gs on the canyon wa lls 

ar e being defa ced.

2. Th e ar ea involved is ric h in historical lore, contain ed at such ar ea s as the 

W hite Bird battlegrou nd. Sl ate Creek, Jo hn Day. Florence, and Cam p Ho ward.

3. Th e propos al includ es sites on land s of va rio us ownerships.

4. Th e sma ll am ou nt of land nee ded for the pa rk will have very little impact 

on ind ivi du als or local indu str y.

5. It will aid ou r very im po rtan t to ur is t ind ustry .

Sta tem en t of Ma m ie C. R ob ie, W h it e B ird, I da ho

My nam e is Mamie C. Robie. I am a lan do wn er and ra nc he r and res ide ne ar 

W hite Bird at Sl ate Creek.

I am in favo r of the pro posal to cr ea te th e Nez Perce Na tio na l Hist or ical Pa rk. 

For m any yea rs, we have reco gnized the histor ical significance of the White Bi rd 

bat tlefield, bu t tim e is rap idl y ru nn ing out.. Sourv enior hu nt er s and the nat ura l 

wea thering processes ar e slowly destr oy ing the sit e wh ere this fa te fu l ba ttle was 

fou ght.

Other sites sho uld be con sidered. Sl ate Creek norm all y kno wn as Fre edo m 

sti ll co ntains trac es of th e old fo rt—a ra th er fam ous walnu t tree sta nd s beside 

my h ous e an d a local cemetery which d ates bac k to the 1860’s is ne arby.

Sta tem ent of H arr y R obin so n, W h it e Bir d, I da ho

My nam e is H ar ry Rob inson. I am a ranc he r resid ing ne ar Whit e Bird, 

Idaho.

I am in favo r of th e p roposal to crea te th e Nez Perce Na tio na l Hist or ical Pa rk. 

The re wa s a gr ea t ba ttl e foug ht on th is gro und , which sho uld be prese rve d and 

rec ogniz ed by th e public. Th ere ar e sev eral In dian graves and relics which 

would be destroyed by relic hu nt er s and road s and so fo rth if this gro und is 

no t pres erv ed.

I have lived 10 mil es fro m th is h isto ric al s ite for 40 ye ar s and I can see this is 

being d estroyed fro m ye ar to year.

Th e mineral im pa cts of th is type of pa rk or othe r phases of com munity ind ustry : uch as lumb ering and live stock is commendable.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTO RICAL PARK, IDAHO 123

Statement of Gertrude Maxwell, Elk City , I daho

I, Gertrude Maxwell, residing at Elk City, Idaho, a teacher, rancher, and 

packer, am very much in fav or of the proposed Nez Perce National Historical 

Park.

I would pre fer it to rem ain under present ownership and th at limited land 

are as be set aside to preserve historical sites and their significance.

Statement of Daniel E. Mulc ahy, Orogrande, I daho

My name is D aniel E. Mulcahy. I am a m iner having lived a t Orogrande, Idaho, 

since 1930.

I have rea d over the proposal to make a Nez Perc e National Historical Pa rk 

and am in favor of it.

Statem ent of Donald R. Lee

My name of Donald R. Lee. I have resid ed in Idaho County altern ately for a 

period of 31 years and having worked for the Forest Service and lived in the 

Idah o I’rimitive Area, am in favo r of the proposed Nez Perce Histo rica l Park and 

prefer it remain under presen t ownership and th at the Fed eral lands involved be 

under the jurisd icti on of the National Park Service.

Statement of Mrs. Wayn e Nitz, E lk City, I daho

My n ame is Mrs. Wayne Nitz. I am a resident of Elk City, Idaho, where I 

am engaged in the ge neral store and commercial packing enterprises.

I am very much in fav or of the proposed Nez Perce National Historical Park. 

I think it is a good idea for the following r ea so ns :

1. The a rea involved is rich in historical lore.

2. It will aid our tou ris t industry.

3. It will help preserve a portion of our early history which may otherwise 

be lost.

4. The proposal includes sites und er many differen t ownerships, and will 

not tie up a grea t amount of Federal land.

I believe th at this park would be of gre at intere st to the people who trav el 

thro ugh out this area. I urge t ha t th e park be established.

Statement of Don Nitz, Elk City, I daho

My name is Don Nitz, I am a businessman, landowner, and residen t of Elk 

City, Idaho.

I am in favor of the proposal to create the Nez Perce National Historical Park. 

The idea of a national park adm inistered by the Dep artm ent of the Interior, the 

State, communities, and private intere sts combined withou t a big land area run 

by the Departme nt of th e Inte rio r is very good.

The are a involved has much to offer in the way of historical intere st and 

scenic beauty. Based on my contact and discussions w ith the people who I have 

occasion to meet in our store and hunting camps, intere st in the Nez Perce country is genuine and widespread.

I believe th at every effort should be made to establish the Nez Perce National 

Historical Pa rk.

[From the Lewiston (Id ah o) Mo rning Tribun e, Oct. 9, 1964]

“E xciting Possib ilitie s” F ound in Park Proposal by Senator Bible

“From wh at I ’ve been told the Nez Perce National Historical Park has exc iting possibilities,” Senator Alan Bible, Democrat, of Nevada, said las t night ou 

the eve of a public he aring he will conduct on the park proposal.

Bible, head of a Senate public lands subcom mittee that includes Senator Len 

B. Jordan , Republican, of Idaho, and accompanied by Senator Frank Church,
124 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Democrat, of Idaho, spoke at a dinner sponsored las t night at the Hotel LewisClark by the Lewiston Chamber of Commerce. The hearing begins a t 9 :30 this 

morning at the hotel.

Earlier, Bible said afte r he hears what support the park receives from northcentral Idaho residents and from his own observations of the historical sites, 

“I’ll be able to express my feelings on the proposal much better.”

RECO MMEND ATIONS RESPECTED

In his speech, Bible told 58 State, civic, professional, business, and educational 

leaders the recommendations of his subcommittee are accepted by the whole 

committee of the Senate “about 90 percent of the time.”

Gov. Robert E. Smylie will be the leadoff witness at the hearing and more 

than 100 other Idahoans will speak or submit written testimony to the subcommittee.

Bible noted tha t at a hearing yesterday on a bill sponsored by Senator 

Church tha t would enlarge the boundaries of the Kaniksu National Forest to 

include privately owned land on Priest Lake there was almost unanimous 

support.

“I understand tha t there is even g reater support for the Nez Perce National 

Historical Park in this area of the State,” Bible said.

“I realize your timetable calls for urgency and tha t is why we are having 

the hearing before the next session of Congress. We want to preserve these historical areas that are rapidly going into short supply.”

LE WIST ON A HU B

Church said Lewiston has become a greater hub of activity than any city in 

Idaho because of the Lewis and Clark Highway, the coming of slackwater navigation, and the construction of Dworshak Dam on the North Fork of the Clearwater River. He cited the proposed park as another step in the right direction of 

area development.

Jordan, who calls himself a working conservationist, said the new concept of 

park development in which scattered historical sites are grouped and administered jointly could well set an example for the rest of the Nation.

Earlier, Jordan had explained that by not tying up vast areas of land, the new 

concept will bring people into the are a and protect industry. He said the concept 

is one tha t can find wide acceptance from all segments of society.

EARLY ACTION POSSIBLE

Because of this wide acceptance, Church noted that it is possible both the 

Senate and the House could act favorably on the bill early in the next session, 

which begins in Janua ry.

The subcommittee and nine aids and guides arived at Lewiston from Priest 

Lake, in an Air Force Convair from Fairchild Air Force Base at Spokane in 

the early evening. The plane was piloted by Capt. Carl Nelson and Capt. 

Bruce Baldwin was copilot.

Because of storms and low clouds, only the Spalding P ark site was inspected 

from the air and the subcommittee plans before the hearing to fly over the 

Clearwater River to Kamiah, then swing over the White,bird Battlefield and 

circle the Pierce area.

At 11 a.m., afte r the morning session, the subcommittee will make a ground 

inspection of Spalding Park, where a visitor’s center is proposed and have 

lunch a t the Lapwai Community Building. The hearing continues here a t 2 p.m.

Head table guests at the dinner included the Senators; Idaho Lt. Gov. William 

E. Drevlow of Craigmont; Neal Rahm of Missoula, regional forester of the U.S. 

Forest Service; Graham Holmes of Washington, D.C., Assistant Commissioner, 

Bureau of Indian Affairs; James Howell of Washington, D.C., Planning Director 

for the National Park Service; and Frank Sullivan, president of the Lewiston 

Chamber of Commerce.

CREDITED W IT H WORK

William F. Johnston, president of the Nez Perce National Historical Park 

Association, who was credited by the subcommittee with strenuous work toward 

the proposed park, introduced key supporters attending. They included; U.S. 

District Judge Ray McNichols of B oise; State Land Commissioner O. J. Buxton
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 125

of Bo ise; H. J . Swinney of Boise, d irec tor of the Idaho Sta te Historical Society; 

Daniel F. Burough s of Portla nd, chief of resource planning for the regional 

office of the National Pa rk S erv ice ; Dr. Earl Swanson of Pocatello, director of the 

Idaho Sta te University Mu seum; Kenneth Keeney of Missoula, assis tant to 

Rahm ; and three members of the paren t Senate Committee on Interio r and 

Insular Affairs, Staff Directo r Jerry T. Verkler, Professional Staff Member Roy 

Whitacre , and Reco rder Don Sturdevant.

The national historical park Church will intro duce would include a variety of 

scatter ed historical sites ranging from Lolo Pas s to the Whitebird Battlefield, 

the Pierce mining area, Weippe Prairie, and the Spalding-Lapwai district, 'lhe 

National Pa rk Service would adm inister the program in cooperation with State, 

Federal, community, and p rivate agencies a nd intere sts now owning the land.

The Interior and Insular Committee, headed by Senator Henry M. Jackson, 

Democrat, of Wash ington, alre ady has hea rd testim ony at Washington, D.C., 

from Federal agencies supp orting the proposal.

A pp endix B

U.S. Department of the I nterior

(Office of the Secretary , for release August 3, 1964)

Secretary Udall Maps Long-Range Goals for All Three Types of National

Park Areas

Separate management principles for the national park system’s thre e different 

types of are as—natural, historical, and rec reation al—have been approved by 

Secretary of the Inter ior Stewart L. Udall in a blueprint for the fu ture of the 

National Pa rk Service.

His directive to the National Park Service, made public today, also liste d six 

long-range objectives for the conservation, management, and development of the 

system, and included a summary of its legislative history.

Adm inistrative policy fo r th e natio nal pa rks was f irst outlined for the informa ­

tion of the public in 1918, Secretary Udall noted. The principles still apply 

today “and I reaffirm them ,” he added.

However, he said, the legislative history which has shaped the grow th of the 

park system over the yea rs markes it clear th at Congress has included three 

different categories, and each requires a sep ara te type of management. The 

wilderness values of a na tural are a must be p rotec ted ; whereas, outdoor recrea ­

tion is the prim ary consideratio n of a recreation area, his memorandum said. 

He listed differing requirem ents for a manm ade development in each category, 

stressin g the overriding need f or safe gua rds a gainst damaging the na tural areas.

Secretary Udall warned th at th e P ark Service can not accomplish its long-range 

mission alone, nor inside the boundaries of its own area s.

“It is obvious th at the staggering demand for outdoor recreation projected for 

this country will even tually inundate public park are as unless public and private 

agencies and individuals join in a common effort,” he wrote. “National Pa rk 

adm inistrato rs must seek methods to achieve close cooperation with all landmanaging agencies, considering broad regional needs, if lauds for public outdoor 

recreation, sufficient to the futur e needs of the Nation, are to be provided.”

The National Pa rk Service will celebrate its golden ann iversary in 1966, the 

tar ge t date of its 10-year “Mission 66” improvement program. Secretary Udall 

summed up the goals of the new "road to the future” project as : “Preserv ing 

the scenic and scientific gra ndeur of our Nation, presenting its history, providing 

healthful outdoor recreation for the enjoyment of our people, work ing with others 

to provide th e best possible relationship s of human beings to their total 

environment.”

The tex t of the memorandum is attached.

U.S. Department of the I nterior,

Office of the Secretary,

W as hinffto n, D.C., J u ly 10, 196}.

Memorandum.

T o: Director, National Pa rk Service.

Fr om : Secretary of the Interior.

Su bject: Management of th e National Park System.

As the golden ann iversary of the National Pa rk Service draws near, and we

approach the final years of the “Mission 66” program, it is appro priate to take 

stock of the even ts of th e past and to plan for the future. The accomplishments 

of the past are not only a source of pride—they are also a source of guidance for 

the future.

The acce lerating rate of change in our society today poses a major challenge 

to the National Park Service and its evolving responsibilities for the manage127
128 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

nieut of the national system. The response to such changes calls for cla rity of 

purpose, increasing knowledge, speedier action, and adaptability to chang ing 

needs and demands uj»on our dive rse resources.

In recognition of this need, a year ago I approved a comprehensive study of 

the long-range objectives, organization, and management of the National Park 

Service. Moreover. I was pleased to have had the opportu nity to iwirticipate in 

the conference of challenges, a t Yosemite National P ark, at which this study was 

discussed by the personnel of the Service.

In looking back at the legislative enac tments (summary attached) th at have 

shaped the national j>ark system, it is clear th at the Congress has included w ithin 

the growing system three different categories of are as—natural, historical, and 

recreational.

Na tur al areas are the oldest category, reaching back to the establishme nt of 

Yellowstone National Pa rk almost a century ago. A little later historical are as 

l>egan to be au thorized, culm inating in the broad ch arter for historical preservation set forth in the Historical Sites Act of 1935. In recent decades, with exploding population and diminishing open space, the urgent need for national 

recreation a rea s is receiving new em phasis and atten tion.

The long-range stud y has brought into sha rp focus the fact th at a single, 

broad management concept encomiiassing these three categ ories of are as with in 

the system is inad equate either for their proper preservation or for rea lization of the ir full potential for public use as embodied in the expressions of congressional policy. Each of these categories requ ires a sep ara te management 

concept and a sep ara te set of managem ent principles coordinated to form one 

organic management plan for the entire system.

Following the act of August 25, 1916, establishing the National Park Service, 

the then Secretary of the I nte rior. Franklin K. Lane, in a lette r of May 13, 1918, 

to the first Dire ctor of the National Pa rk Service, Stephen T. Mather, outlined 

the management principle s which were to guide the Service in its management 

of the are as then includ ed within the system. Th at letter, sometimes called the 

Magna Carta of the National Par ks, is quoted, in part, as follow s:

For the information of the public an outline of the administrative policy 

to which the new Service will adher e may now be announced. This policy is 

based on three broad princ iples: Fir st, th at the national parks must be maintain ed in absolutely unim paired form for the use of future generations as well 

as those of our own tim e; second, th at they are set ap art for the use, observation, health, and pleasure of the people; and, third, th at the national intere st 

must dic tate all decisions affecting public or private enterp rise in the parks.

The principles enunciated in this lette r have been fully supported over the 

yea rs by my predecessors. They are still applicable for us today and I reaffirm 

them.

Consistent with specific congressional enactmen ts, the following principles 

are approved for your guidance in the management of the three categories of 

are as now included within the system. Utilizing the results of the new broad 

program of resource studies, you should proceed promptly to develop such detail ed guidelines as may be needed for the operation of each of these categories 

of areas.

NATURAL AREAS

Reso urce management.—The managem ent and use of natur al are as shall be 

guided by the 1918 directive of Secretary Lane. Additionally, management 

shall be directed tow ard mainta inin g and. where necessary, reestablishing, 

indigenous pla nt and animal life, in keeping with the March 4, 1963, recommendations of the Advisory Board on Wildlife Management.

In those are as having significant historical resources, managem ent shall be 

pattern ed after th at of the historical are as category to the extent compatible 

with the primary purpose for which the ar ea was established.

Resource use.—Prov ide for all app rop riate use and enjoyment by the people, 

th at can be accommodated withou t impairm ent of the na tural values. Park 

management shall recognize and respect wilderness as a whole environment of 

living things whose use and enjoyment depend on their continuing interr ela tionship f ree of man’s spoliation.

Physical developments.—They shall be limited to those th at a re necessary and 

app ropriate, and provided only under carefully controlled safegu ards aga inst 

unre gulated and indiscriminate use, so th at the least damage to park values 

will be caused. Location, design, and material, to the highest practicable degree, 

shall be consistent w ith the preservation a nd conservation of the grandeu r of the 

na tural environment.
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 129

HISTORICAL AREAS

Resource management.—Management shall be directed toward maintaining 

and, where necessary, restoring the historical integrity of structures, sites, and 

objects significant to the commemoration or illustratio n of the historical story.

Resource use.—Visitor uses shall be those which seek fulfillment in authentic 

presentations of historic structures, objects, and sites, and the memorialization 

of historic individuals or events. Visitor use of significant natural resources 

should be encouraged when such use can be accommodated without detriment to 

historical values.

Physical developments.—Physical developments shall be those necessary for 

achieving the management and use objectives.

RECREATIONAL AREAS

Resource management.—Outdoor recreation shall be recognized as the dominant or primary resource management objective. Natural resources within the 

area may be utilized and managed for additional purposes where such additional 

uses are compatible with fulfilling the recreation mission of the area. Scenic, 

historical, scientific, scarce, or disappearing resources within recreational areas 

shall be managed compatible with the primary recreation mission of the area.

Resource use.—Primary emphasis shall be placed on active participation in 

outdoor recreation in a pleasing environment.

Physical developments.—Physical developments shall promote the realization 

of the management and use objectives. The scope and type of developments, as 

well as their design, materials, and construction, should enhance and promote 

the use and enjoyment of the recreational resources of the area.

LONG-RANGE OBJECTIVES

While the establishment of management principles to guide the operation of 

the three categories of areas within the system is vital, I believe it is of equal 

consequence tha t we now identify the long-range objectives of the National 

Park Service. The objectives developed by the Service have been recommended 

to me by my Advisory Board on National Parks, Historic Sites, Buildings, and 

Monuments. I am approving these objectives, as follows:

1. To provide for the highest quality of use and enjoyment of the national 

park system by increased millions of visitors in years to come.

2. To conserve and manage for their highest purpose the natural, historical, and recreational resources of the national park system.

3. To develop the national park system through inclusion of additional 

areas of scenic, scientific, historical, and recreational value to the Nation.

4. To participate actively with organizations of this and other nations in 

conserving, improving, and renewing the total environment.

5. To communicate the cultural, inspirational, and recreational significance of the American heritage as represented in the national park system.

6. To increase the effectiveness of the National Park Service as a peopleserving organization dedicated to park conservation, historical preservation, and outdoor recreation.

You should develop such goals and procedures as may be necessary to implement these objectives.

In the development of these goals and procedures, I think it is important to 

emphasize that effective management of the national park system will not be 

achieved by programs that look only within the parks without respect to the 

pressures, the influences, and the needs beyond park boundaries. The report of 

my Advisory Board on Wildlife Management emphasizes this observation.

The concern of the National Park Service is the wilderness, the wildlife, the 

history, the recreational opportunities, etc., within the areas of the system and 

the appropriate uses of these resources. The responsibilities of the Service, however, cannot be achieved solely within the boundaries of the areas it administers.

The Service has an equal obligation to stand as a vital, vigorous, effective 

force in the cause of preserving the total environment of our Nation. The 

concept of the total environment includes not only the land, but also the wate r 

and the air, the past as well as the present, the uesful as well as the beautiful, 

the wonders of man as well as the wonders of nature, the urban environment 

as well as the natural landscape. I am pleased tha t among its contributions, the
130 NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO

Service is identifying national historic and natu ral history landmarks throughout the country and is cooperating in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

It is obvious tha t the staggering demand for outdoor recreation projected for 

this country will eventually inundate public park areas unless public and private 

agencies and individuals join in common effort. National park administrators 

must seek methods to achieve close cooperation with all land-managing agencies, 

considering broad regional needs, if lands for public outdoor recreation sufficient 

to the future needs of the Nation are to be provided.

The national parklands have a major role in providing superlative opportunities for outdoor recreation, but they have other people-serving values. They 

can provide an experience in conservation education for the young people of the 

cou ntry; they can enrich our literary and artistic consciousness; they can help 

create social values ; contribute to our civic consciousness; remind us of our 

debt to the land of our fathers.

Preserving the scenic and scientific grandeur of our Nation, presenting its 

history, providing healthful outdoor recreation for the enjoyment of our people, 

working with others to provide the best possible relationships of human beings 

to their total environment; this is the theme which binds together the management principles and objectives of the National Park Service—this, for the National P ark Service, is the road to the future.

Stewart L. Udall, 

Secretary o f the Interior.

Summary of Legislative Landmarks Affecting th e National Park System

The Congress has assigned the National Park Service a vital mission in the 

total conservation effort. This mission is to manage the resources of the national park system for the continuing benefit and enjoyment of all of the people.

The National Park Service, therefore, is a people-serving agency.

It is also a resource-managing agency.

Among many legislative enactments and defining the national park system, the 

following have primary significance in its management:

The act of March 1, 1872, establishing Yellowstone National Park, the first of 

its kind, in which the Congress laid down a new public land policy; namely, that 

portions of the public lands were to be “* * * reserved and withdrawn from 

settlement, occupancy, or sale under the laws of the United States and dedicated 

and set apa rt as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people * * *. That * * * the Secretary of the Interior * * * shall 

provide for the preservation, from injury or spoliation, of all timber, mineral 

deposits, natu ral curiosities or wonders within said park, and their retention in 

their natural condition.”

The national park concept decreed in this and subsequent national park acts 

is concerned with the “retention in their natural condition” of natural features 

and scenic resources.

In the years afte r 1900, vandalism and indiscriminate looting of prehistoric 

Indian sites in the Southwest resulted in the passage of the Antiquities Act of 

1906. This act extended the earlier public land policy relating to natural parks 

to provide authority for the President, by proclamation, to set aside as national 

monuments “* * * historic landmarks, historic and prehistoric structures, and 

other objects of historic or scientific in terest th at are situated upon lands owned 

or controlled by the Government of the United States * *

By the act of August 25, 1916, the Congress established the National Park 

Service and assigned to it for administration all of the national parks and most 

of the national monuments theretofore established. In the 1916 act, the Congress 

also established a broad framework of policy for the administration of these 

areas; namely, th at:

“The Service * * * shall promote and regulate the use of * * * national parks 

[and] monuments * * * by such means and measures as conform to the fundamental purpose of the said parks [and] monuments * * * which purpose is to 

conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein 

and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means 

as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

The act of February 21, 1925, provided fo r “securing of lands in the southern 

Appalachian Mountains and Mammoth Cave regions of Kentucky for perpetual 

preservation as national parks.” This act led to the authorization by the Congress in 1926 of Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Cave, and Shenandoah 

National Parks, supplementing Acadia, the first national park in the East. All
NEZ PERCE NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK, IDAHO 131

of these par ks involved the acquisition of lands in private ownership. The 

acquisition of such lands, however, was to be accomplished through donations. 

These actions were significant in tha t prior thereto the national par ks and monuments had been set aside from the public lands.

The act of March 3, 1933, providing for reorganiza tion within the executive 

branch of the Government, resu lted in a n Executiv e o rder that transferre d to the 

Department of the Interio r for adm inistration by the N ational Pa rk Service the 

national memorials and parks of the Nation’s Capital, national monuments, his ­

torical and military parks adm inistered by other Federal agencies.

The Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935, established “* * * a nation al policy 

to preserve for public use historic sites, buildings, and objects of significance for 

the inspira tion and benefit of th e people of th e United Sta tes.”

The act also directed the Secretary of the Inter ior to carry out wide-ranging 

programs in the field of history and placed with the Secretary responsibility Tor 

national lead ersh ip in the field of histo ric preservation. Another provision of the 

act, which has had stro ng influence upon the development of the national park 

system, was the esta blishment of the Advisory Board on N ation al Parks, Historic 

Sites, Buildings, and Monuments.

The Park, Park way, and Recreation Area Study Act of Jun e 23. 1936, autho rized, among oth er things, studies looking toward the development of the national 

park system including are as having prim ary rec reation al significance.

The act of June 30, 1936, provided for the adm inistration and mainten ance of 

the Blue Ridge Parkw ay by the Secretary of the Interio r through the National 

Pa rk Service, thu s introducing the ru ral parkway concept into the system.

The act of August 17, 1937, establishing Cape Hatteras National Seashore, 

marked the first national sea shore to be established.

The act of August 7, 1946, provides au tho rity to the National Pa rk Service for 

adm inistration of recreation on are as under jurisdiction of other agencies of the 

Government. The significance of this autho rity is reflected in cooperativ e agreements with the B ureau of Reclam ation and othe rs for th e adm inistration of such 

are as as Lake Mead, Glen Canyon, and sim ilar national recreation area s.

The authorization of Cape Cod National Seashore by act of August 7, 1961, 

marked a new concept in the development of the national park sy ste m; namely, 

the use of appropriate d funds at the outset to purchase a larg e n atural area in its 

entire ty for public enjoyment as a park. Prior to this enactment, area s, for the 

most part, were establish ed either by setting aside portions of the public lands or 

from lands donated to the Fed eral Government initially by public or private 

inte rests.

On Janu ary 31, 1962, the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, 

estab lished pursu ant to a n act of June 28, 1958, submitted its repo rt to the Pre sident of the United States. The report contained far-rea ching recommendations 

affecting the future of outdoor recreation .

Many of the recom mendations of the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review 

Commission are now bearing fr ui t and their implementation has affected the 

national park system. For example, Policy Circular No. 1 of the Pre sid ent’s 

Recreatio n Advisory Council not only defines “national recreation area s” b ut also 

establish es broad guidelines regarding their management. Other pronouncements 

of the Council may be expected to have a continuing impact upon the national 

recreation a rea s of the n ational park system.

On April 2, 1962, the Secretary of the Interio r estab lished the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation an d assigned to it the nationwide recreation plann ing and rela ted 

functions of the Secreta ry then being performed by the National Pa rk Service, 

under the au tho rity of the Park, Parkway, and Recreation Area Studv Act of 

1936.

The act of May 23, 1963, charged the Secreta ry with the responsibility “ to promote the coordination and development of effective programs relating to outdoor 

recr eation.” The act sta tes “th at the Congress finds and declares it to be desirable that all American people of present and future g eneration s be assured adequa te outdoor recreation resources, and th at it is desirable for all levels of government and priva te intere sts to tak e prom pt and coordinated actio n to the extent 

prac ticable witho ut diminishing or affecting t he ir respective powers a nd functions 

to conserve, develop, and utilize such resources for the benefit and enjoyment of 

the American people.”