Little slower day at the museum. Bright sun in the morning, but that didn’t last long. Little warmer overall; snow is going away each day. Little yellow and little white flowers have popped out on the grass around the museum; got a picture of some of the yellow ones yesterday ... they look like violets.
I’ve been reading a report written by Dick Sellars on the creation of the National Park Service. He credits Iowas Republican Congressman Lacey with having had a lot to do with the writing and passage of the NPS Organic Act, as well as a later wildlife act that also bears his name. Dick doesn’t mention that a Judge Lacey from Oskaloosa, Iowa, was one of the people riding on a stage in Yellowstone on July 4, 1887, when it was held up by two bandits. Judge Lacey was relieved of a valuable Napoleon coin minted in 1811. At that point, the park had been in existence 15 years, but there was no NPS. Civilians had tried to run the park, with no money and no laws to support them; the Army had been called in in 1886 but, obviously, matters were still out of control. Judge Lacey became Congressman Lacey and, in 1894, began to craft legislation to get the situation in hand. Funny how such a personal experience can have such long-range consequences! tv
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