From the Ipswich Tribune August 21, 1930 edition
Movement to Establish Yellowstone
Highway Association is Advacated
At the Lions Club luncheon Monday a resolution was passed unanimously in favor of Ipswich citizens sponsoring an organization to promote travel over the highway known as the Yellowstone Trail to improve it as a transcontinental highway and to advertise it to the public as a direct and practical route for tourist or interstate traveler.
Action along this line has been long delayed. The Yellowstone Trail was organized as an association to promote the building of a good road from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound. The first meetings were later held at Mobridge, Aberdeen, Lemmon, Miles City and Minneapolis. Among those who were active and ardent supporters who since have taken the long, long trail were Judge J. E. Prindle of Ismay, Montana, Michael J. Dowling of Olivia Minnesota and Marcus P. Beebe of Ipswich each of whom acted as president of the association in time and were outstanding men in their states. As these and many others gave way to those who had less vision and willingness to serve for the public good without pay, the organization gradually lost the confidence of the public and last spring when funds failed to flow into the headquarters at Minneapolis H. O. Cooley, the manager, closed the office with debts of over $7,000.00.
Public spirited citizens and towns benefited by the road immediately looked to Ipswich to take the initiative in a new organization, one connected in no way with that defunct and in no way responsible for its mismanagement, debts or odium.
It is proper to state that this city and others withdrew their support of the organization when J. W. Parmley known as “the father of the Yellowstone Trail” demanded an audit of the books on the association and certain reforms and was voted down at the Aberdeen meeting. When the delegates present at that meeting gave Mr. Cooley a vote of confidence, though they knew nothing personally of the situation, Mr. Parmley severed all connections with the association and told the assembly that it was only a question of time when the association would go on the rocks and would in no way be connected therewith. The predicted occurred. The road and towns served by it have suffered loss of patronage, but the highway itself is and will remain one of the great transcontinental highways of America and occupies a place in the history of early trails and development factors second to none.
During the past three years little of nothing was done toward publicity, publishing maps, marking, promoting construction and maintenance, directing travel and serving the public. As a result the tourist and the long distance traveler have been directed to other routes and the cities and men have lost patronage that was their due. Some will say travel has fallen off by reason of the times. Such is not the case as is shown by a statement just issued at Washington as follows:
Despite depressed prices American tourists at home and abroad have shattered all records. Reports from the national parks show that for the week ending July 5th the number of visitors reached a total of 1,142,171, an increase of 250,000 over the same period last year. During the following week visitors numbered 1,313,933 as against 1,162,243 in 1929. Automobiles are the favorite method of transportation. The number of private cars entering the parks has risen five fold in the past few years. In travel abroad, May is always the banner month. Last May more than 40,000 passports were issued to American tourists which is 6,000 more than in any one month since 1926. On July 15th of this year nine Atlantic liners sailed with more than 13,000 passengers.
We understand that acting on the suggestion of the Lions Club some of our business men sill soon incorporate an organization probably under the name of “Yellowstone Highway Association” and that in its directorate will be prominent men from other states who are willing to give their time and talent to bring back the prestige held by the old association ten and fifteen years ago. Those who are sponsoring the plan are confident that with half of the amount of funds heretofore collected by the old association they can accomplish more than was done by it. That all of its workings will be open and above board and that service will be watchword.
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