Scotts Bluff: National Monument Nebraska

Scotts Bluff: National Monument Nebraska by Merrill J. Mattes


US Government Printing Office, 1961Paperback
5.9 x 9.1 inches, 64 pages

Merrill J. Mattes Born Congress Park, IL Died 1996-08-04 Englewood, COEducation Master of Arts in History, 1933, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Occupation: Historian, Park Superintendent, Historic Preservationist, Consultant for documentary film The American Experience: The Donner Party, 1992Mattes joined the National Park Service in 1935 as a Park Superintendent (Scottsbluff National Monument, 1935-1946). During his time in Scottsbluff he was also acting custodian and historian for the Fort Laramie site. From 1946 to 1966 he was regional historian at the Midwest Region NPS Center in Omaha. He later worked for the NPS in San Francisco, CA and Denver, CO.
Mattes is best known for his books The Great Platte River Road, 1987 and Platte River Road Narratives, 1988. Taken together the two works are a foundation of modern historical research on the trails. He helped found the Oregon-California Trails Association in 1982.Honors: Nebraska 150 Books honor for The Great Platte River Road, 2017, Nebraska Centennial research grant from Woods Foundation, 1962, Nebraska Civil Servant of the Year, 1958, U.S. Dept. of the Interior Distinguished Service Award, 1959.