Description |
There are many lots of furniture and Stephen N. Leek photographs in this auction that were originally in the famous Leek's Lodge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Items from Leek's Lodge are clearly identified in their descriptions.
Written provenance is available for all these items, which are from the Estates of Jim & Judy and Robert Sandison. The Sandison family owned Leek's Lodge in the late 1960s/early 1970s, and sold it to Signal Mountain Lodge in 1975.
Read on for the history of Stephen N. Leek & Leek's Lodge:
The efforts of Stephen N. Leek are widely credited with the establishment of the Elk Refuge in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, in 1912.
Leek set up a homestead in South Park in 1891 and married Etta Wilson. With few employment opportunities at that time, he became a hunting guide. One of his clients was George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak, who gave Leek a Kodak view camera during one of Eastman's many hunting trips in the valley.Leek took extensive glass-plate photos of starving and dead elk primarily in the South Park area. He incorporated these images into articles which he submitted to newspapers and magazines to publicize the plight of the valley's elk. He also embarked on a lecture series around the country to personally emphasize the need for action.
He was billed "The Father of the Elk" on the Orpheum Circuit, a chain of vaudeville and movie theaters where he lectured. Leek's writings, photographs and lectures depicting the demise of Jackson Hole elk attracted state and national sympathy and resulted in support from the State of Wyoming, the U.S. Congress and other conservation groups to feed the elk and establish the National Elk Refuge.
By 1924, Leek had established a successful guiding career, and decided to expand his business. He found a quiet cove on Jackson Lake, but the land fell under the jurisdiction of the Forest Service. Unlike his homestead, this federal land could not be purchased. Leek instead applied for a special use permit to build and manage a resort for the accommodation of tourists which would include a lodge, store and gas station. The Forest Service approved the application in 1925, and construction began on a central lodge and several smaller cabins. Although the property would mirror the appearance of a dude ranch, its use was much different. By 1927 the construction was complete and Leek would host his first clients.
During the summers, Leek's Lodge was a summer camp for boys called Teton Camp for Boys and in the fall, it served as a home base for guided hunting trips. Leek operated the lodge with the assistance of both his sons, Holly and Lester. Summer camp activities included hiking, hunting, boating, fishing, and pack trips. Mindful of his earlier conservation success in the valley, Leek also established a wildlife studies program for the boys. Rates were $5.00 a day for all meals, a bed, and a boat. The lodge could hold up to 25 boys aged 14 through 19, from June through August.
In 1934, Leek retired and suffered the loss of his son Lester. Holly kept up the operations as a hunting and fishing lodge, but ceased the boys camp activities. In 1943, the permit was renewed under the National Park Service with the establishment of the Jackson Hole National Monument. Shortly after World War II, Holly Leek sold the permit to Dr. N. E. Morad who kept Leek's Lodge operational. The permit would change hands several times until Signal Mountain Lodge acquired the rights in 1975. The National Park Service removed the smaller cabins and kept the main lodge intact.
Today, only the crumbling remains of the main lodge chimney exists. A fire in 1998 burned the lodge to the ground, and the once bustling hunting camp gave way to the popular Leek's Marina. Steven Leek's homestead still exists south of Jackson, but it is now a private residence. Despite these two hidden pieces of valley history, Leek's name lives on in his contributions to the welfare of the wildlife in the valley. The National Elk Refuge stands testament to his tireless efforts, and reminds us of the valley's most important resources.
(Source of the history of Leek's Lodge: Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum)
(Source of Photograph of Stephen N. Leek: www.wyomingtalesandtrails.com)
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