Note: Fires in Glacier National Park have destroyed or damaged a number of historic structures, including the Wheeler Camp. The fire started started Saturday and is still endangering structures.
In 1915, Butte attorney Burton K. Wheeler and his wife Lulu first visited Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park. The following year, the couple leased land and purchased a cabin.
According to the information sign:
“Montana’s dynamic Democratic Senator Burton K. Wheeler rose to prominence as a Butte attorney and was one of the leading progressives. He served in the Senate from 1923 to 1947. During his turbulent political career he championed labor unions and freedom of speech, shaped key New Deal legislation, and successfully opposed President Franklin Roosevelt’s scheme to expand the Supreme Court.”
Senator Wheeler used the Glacier Park cabin as a retreat and while relaxing here he put together some of the major legislation of his career.
In 1941, the Wheeler cabin burned down and the following year, Lulu supervised the construction of the new cabin. According to the Park Service:
“Her plans for the new cabin captured the spirit of the family’s lost landmark while following the rustic style of the National Park Service. Using local materials, she emphasized the importance of privacy, quality of view, and natural environment to reflect an unpretentious ‘democratic’ life style.”
The Wheelers had six children and over the years additional buildings were constructed and remodeled to meet the needs of the growing family. According to the Park Service:
“All the buildings retain aspects of the traditional forms used in rustic architecture on Lake McDonald, and they form a harmonious group retaining the integrity of design, workmanship, setting, feeling, and materials.”
The Wheeler Camp is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is an example of recreational camps which were a trend in vacationing in the early decades of the twentieth century.
While the Wheelers owned the buildings, the land belonged to Glacier National Park. In 1946, Lulu negotiated a life estate agreement with the National Park Service that would allow family members to use the property and buildings until the death of their last living child. With the death of Marion Wheeler Scott in 2014, the Wheeler Camp reverted to the National Park Service. At the present time, the buildings are closed waiting for structural evaluation and renovation.
The Sleep Cabin (John’s Cabin)
Build in 1930, this building provided separate and quiet sleeping quarters.
The Garage (Marion’s Cabin)
The south end of this cabin was built in 1940 and the north end in the 1960s.
The Boys’ Cabin (Edward’s Cabin)
This was the last structure built. Constructed about 1952 it was intended to be shared by Richard, John, and Edward.