William Gladstone Steel

William Gladstone Steel (1854 – 1934) is considered by many to be the father of Crater Lake National Park in the U.S. state of Oregon.

Remembering his first visit to the deepest lake in the United States, Will Steel said, "An overmastering conviction came to me that this wonderful spot must be saved, wild and beautiful, just as it was, for all future generations, and that it was up to me to do something." He made good on his words and became a preservationist and lobbyist, actively campaigning for 17 years for Congress to designate Crater Lake a national park. Though he worked as a postal worker by day, Steel found the time and energy to give public lectures to raise awareness, circulated petitions and wrote letters to newspapers and politicians for support. He finally succeeded in 1902 when Crater Lake was designated the seventh national park in the United States

Steel's first visit to Crater Lake

Originally from Kansas, Steel claims he first heard of Crater Lake from a newspaper story printed in 1870. Though this is unlikely because of the little publicity Crater Lake received even in its home state, Steel did finally visit Crater Lake 15 years later in 1885. Why the delay? Nestled in the Cascade Mountain Range, Crater Lake wasn't exactly a convenient vacation destination. Will Steel, for one, travelled to Portland by railroad and then rode a stagecoach to Fort Klamath. After that, he walked another 22 miles to glimpse the deep blue water of Crater Lake. Many of his efforts revolved around making Crater Lake more accessible so others could appreciate it much as he did.

Steel as publicist

Steel not only spent time guiding influential people around the area and leading nature hikes, but he also gave campfire lectures about Crater Lake's flora, fauna and geography, much like a contemporary interpretive park ranger. Steel more than anyone else shaped the early public perception of Crater Lake. For example, he garnered a great deal of publicity for Crater Lake by hosting The Mazamas' convention and mountain climbing tour in 1896. Hundreds of people, including politicians, scientists and climbers, spent three weeks in the area. At the close of the convention, fireworks were lit on Wizard Island and the group ceremoniously christened the volcano that once stood where the lake is, calling it Mount Mazama.

Steel and Native Americans

Steel's dismissive attitude toward Native Americans in the area were characteristic of the times but strike a chord with modern-day audiences. As Crater Lake's unofficial publicist, Steel distorted the relationship between American Indians and Crater Lake and presented an overly simplified version to the larger public. Klamath, Takelma and Molala Indians used Crater Lake as a spiritual retreat and the surrounding area for hunting and gathering. Despite speaking with Klamath leaders, Steel perpetuated the crude idea of childlike and naive natives who simply feared a body a water and the gods that lived within the lake. He essentially helped transform a sacred place for local tribes into a summer vacation spot for white people.

Despite Steel's many accomplishments, some of his policies ran contrary to the conservation aspect of the National Park Service's (NPS) mission.

Steel as developer

Steel had extensive development proposals for the Rim area that many today would criticize as being too invasive and unnecessarily changing the natural landscape. By implementing these plans, Steel hoped to draw as many visitors to the park as possible, but he neglected to consider how humans could detrimentally impact the area's ecology. Steel successfully sold the idea of a lodge and encircling road at the crater's rim, but he also envisioned an elevator to take people to the lake's surface, and roads around the lake itself and to Wizard Island for cars. Though his intentions were to draw visitors with comfortable accommodations, improved access and travel convenience, the changes to the landscape and the increased noise and pollution would undoubtedly have changed a visitor's experience of Crater Lake. Steel also stocked the lake with fish to give visitors more recreational activities, but introducing non-native animals to the lake probably threw a wrench in the ecosystem, changing lake food chains and water chemistry. The NPS attempts to strike a balance between accessibility and preservation, and grapples with many of the same issues Steel did back in the 19th century.

Were it not for the efforts of Will Steel, Crater Lake could very well not be the national park it is today. Steel's contribution is undeniable, but he's actually a far more complex, controversial and human character than most imagine. He had a reputation for being a bit wacky, pretty obsessive, and reportedly felt unappreciated. Being passed over as the park's first superintendent certainly didn't help palliate his bitterness. Still, Will Steel's connection to Crater Lake and his works demonstrate how even everyday people, not just larger-than-life heroes, may wield huge influence in the area of conservation and nature appreciation.

References

* Harmon, Rick. "Crater Lake National Park: A History". Oregon State University Press, 2002.
* Mark, Stephen R. [http://www.nps.gov/crla/steel.htm "Seventeen Years to Success: John Muir, William Gladstone Steel, and the Creation of Yosemite and Crater Lake National Parks"]