Manges Cabin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Manges Cabin
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 Location in Wyoming
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Moose, Wyoming |
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| Architect | James Manges |
| MPS | Grand Teton National Park MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001035 |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1998 |
The Manges Cabin is a historic building found in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. It's also known by other names like the Old Elbo Ranch Homestead Cabin. This special cabin was built in 1911 by a man named James Manges.
James Manges was one of the first settlers to build a home on the west side of the Snake River. He created his homestead, which is like a small farm and home, near Taggart Creek. James Manges arrived in the Jackson Hole area in 1910. He worked cutting wood before building his own place.
His cabin was quite unique for its time. It was said to be the first two-story building in the northern part of the valley. It had a special underground room called a root cellar. The cabin was made of logs and wood, with wide roof edges to keep heavy winter snow away from the walls. It was kept warm by just one stove, with one room on each floor.
Over time, Manges's property grew into a ranch. It even became a dude ranch, which is a place where guests can stay and experience ranch life. In 1926, James Manges sold part of his ranch to a neighbor, Frank Williams. This land helped expand another famous place, the Double Diamond Dude Ranch.
The Elbo Ranch Story
In 1926, a person from California named Chester Goss bought the Manges property. He also bought two nearby ranches, owned by Frank and Albert Bessette. Goss gathered a total of 423 acres (about 171 hectares) of land.
Growing the Ranch
Chester Goss made the ranch much bigger. He added more places for guests to stay. He also built fun areas like a rodeo ground, a racetrack, and a baseball field. There was even a store on the property. Goss renamed the whole place the Elbo Ranch.
The Elbo Ranch became famous for its advertising, which called it "The Home of the Hollywood Cowboy." This made it sound like a cool place where movie stars might visit.
Becoming Part of the Park
In 1929, the Snake River Land Company bought the Elbo Ranch. This company was working to buy lands in Jackson Hole. Their goal was to help create a larger national park to protect the beautiful area.
The Snake River Land Company allowed the National Park Service to use some of the Elbo Ranch cabins. These cabins became homes for park employees. Different people operated the ranch over the years. Harry Epenscheid ran it in 1942. Later, Katie Starratt leased the Elbo from the late 1940s until 1958. After that, her ranch operation and the Elbo name moved to the Ramshorn.
The National Park Service officially took over the ranch in 1956. They continued to use the cabins for employee housing. By 1973, most of the old buildings had been removed. The Manges Cabin was then used as a barn for a while. The Manges Cabin was officially recognized as a historic place in 1998. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
