Enos A. Mills Historical Marker, Estes Park, Colorado

Posted on by Misty
Enos A. Mills Historical Marker, Estes Park, Colorado

Born in 1870 and originally from Kansas, Enos A. Mills moved to Colorado during the early years of his life. He first ascended Longs Peak (14,255 feet tall) at 15. In 1887, Mills moved to Montana but would spend his summers traveling the West Coast.

After meeting naturalist John Muir in 1889 in California, Mills dedicated his life to conserving the natural world. Mills returned to Colorado in 1902 and bought a homestead in Estes Park. From here, he would take guests into the Rocky Mountain wilderness.

From 1902 to 1906, Mills worked as the Colorado State Snow Observer, where he measured snow depths. This helped predict spring and summer runoffs. From 1907 to 1909, he was also a government lecturer on forestry.

But Mills is best known for trying to protect the area around Longs Peak and turn it into a national park. Working with groups like the Sierra Club and the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mills finally got Congressional approval to create Rocky Mountain National Park in 1915.

Mills would summit Longs Peak 340 times both by himself and as a guide. He became known as the “Father of Rocky Mountain National Park”. Mills died in 1922 at the age of 52.

Historical Marker Inscription

Father of
the Rocky Mountain National Park
internationally known naturalist, author, lecturer and nature guide
Homesteaded on this site in 1885

Placed by NAMAQUA Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution
1952

Location

40° 16.795′ N, 105° 32.487′ W
Estes Park, Colorado

Roger Wolcott Toll Historical Marker, Estes Park, Colorado

Posted on by Misty
Roger Wolcott Toll Historical Marker, Estes Park, Colorado

Born on October 17, 1883, in Denver, Colorado, Roger Toll was an early employee of the National Park Service. He initially served as the superintendent of Mount Ranier National Park. Toll was appointed to the position by the first National Park Service director, Stephen Mather. He would also go on to serve in the same position at Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks.

Toll was instrumental in doing investigations and creating reports on potential new national parks, monuments and boundary extensions. Some of these recommendations included Joshua Tree, Death Valley, the Everglades and Big Bend. He also worked on a commission that included George Wright to investigate creating some protected areas along the Mexican-American border.

Wright and Toll were sadly killed in a car accident near Deming, New Mexico, on February 25, 1936. They were on their way to investigate the Ajo Mountains in Arizona.

Historical Marker Inscription

The mountain index on this rock is a memorial to
Roger Wolcott Toll
Superintendent of Mount Rainer National Park 1919-1921 *** of Rocky Mountain National Park 1921-1928 of Yellowstone National Park 1929-1935

Civil Engineer ** Naturalist Mountaineer *** Whose love of the high country was manifested by helping to make it more accessible for you and your friends

Location

40° 24.861′ N, 105° 43.44′

Near Estes Park, Colorado