The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) unites us. From Gateway Community residents to thru-travelers, and everyone in between, our diverse community is connected by our mission to protect the CDT. Starting today, we’ll be showcasing stories of the people and places that make up our community with our new series, Voices of the CDT. Each month, look out for new stories that highlight these diverse experiences, histories, and faces, against the backdrop of the awe-inspiring Continental Divide.
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Jane Marguerite “Peg” Lindsley
FIRST WOMAN TO BE A PERMANENT NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RANGER
Yellowstone National Park
Jane Marguerite “Peg” Lindsley became the first permanent female ranger in the National Park Service in 1925 after having worked as a part-time ranger beginning in 1921. She served as a seasonal ranger and ranger-naturalist in Yellowstone National Park from 1921-1925 and full time from 1925 -1928. Horace Albright, Yellowstone Park superintendent at the time, diverged from the norm of only hiring men and hired 8-10 women rangers, including Lindsley during his tenure. Working in Yellowstone was fitting for her as she grew up spending time in and around the park and went on to study bacteriology, working as a part-time ranger as she completed her degree. At a time when many thought women couldn’t handle the demands of a ranger role, such as extended time outdoors, fire fighting, and physical work, Lindsley pushed back against the sexism and proved them wrong. As Lindsley wrote,
…many still think that women’s work should be inside and it is a problem sometimes to satisfy everyone even tho [sic] I may be qualified for the work in the field.”
At the time, women weren’t allowed to wear the official park ranger uniform, so Lindsley designed her own, part of her paving the way for women after her. Even so, it wasn’t until 1978 that women were allowed to wear the official badge and uniform.
To get to her job in Yellowstone, Lindsley bought a motorcycle and rode 2,500 miles from Pennsylvania to Montana. She and a friend, who rode in the sidecar, disguised themselves as men for the journey. On this trip, Lindsley also encountered Peter Parsons, a Swede who is thought to be the first person of European descent to hike the Continental Divide Trail. Parsons recorded their meeting in Dailey, Montana in 1924:
Today a young lady came along driving a motorcycle. She was wearing boots, slicker coat and sou-wester. The rain had been beating her face till she was all flushed. She stopped to tie down her sidecar as it was bounding too much empty. I chatted with her after finishing my coffee. She had driven all the way from Philadelphia a few days before. She was the most self-sufficient young woman I had seen for a long time. She was one in a thousand, that I liked right away.
Jane Marguerite “Peg” Lindsley died in 1952 at the age of 51 due to health complications from a previous accident. Though it took years for more women to be hired in full time ranger positions by the National Park Service, Lindsley led the way for many women who came after her.
For more information about Jane Marguerite “Peg” Lindsley, check out these additional resources: National Park Service, Backpacker Magazine, and Missoula Bound blog.
Cheyenne & Apsaalooké (Crow) Lands. Photos provided by Mike Henrick and the National Park Service Archives.
