A Trip West in Photographs, 1935 Including Yellowstone National Park, the Badlands, Custer State Park, Zion National Park, the city of Los Angeles, Petrified Forest, and New Mexico

IN AUGUST 1935, Rev. Franklin G. Markley and his wife Gertrude, along with their 9-year-old son Franklin G. Markley, Jr. took a trip west, starting from Marion, Ohio, and traveling to Los Angeles and back. With them were their friends Fred and Jessie Ellery and the Ellerys' son Charles. Along the way, they drove through the Black Hills of South Dakota, Custer State Park, saw Mount Rushmore under construction (the head of Washington was the only figure nearing completion), then drove through Cody and along the Cody Road into Yellowstone National Park. As planned, after Yellowstone the two families parted for several days. The Ellerys traveled to the Boulder Dam construction site, where Fred took photographs for the Marion Steam Shovel Co.  Meanwhile, the Markleys traveled on to Salt Lake City, Zion National Park, and to the city of Los Angeles, where they would again meet up with the Ellerys. From there, they followed old Route 66 through the southwest on their return. The photos on these pages are all from that 1935 trip.      A few years ago, several of these photos relating to Yellowstone were donated to the Yellowstone National Park photo archives.                      Except where noted, all photos on these pages © F.G. Markley              Click Images for Larger Views

On the back of this photograph is written "Our cars in 'Bad Lands' of S. Dakota.--1935". The Markleys drove a Buick (left) and the Ellerys drove a Pontiac. This was the first real glimse of the West the two families from Ohio would see on this trip.

Taking a break in the Badlands of South Dakota are (from left to right) Charles, Jessie, and Fred Ellery.

Young Charles and Franklin, Jr. climb atop a hill in the Badlands. The square box at lower left is a storage box attached to the back of the Markleys' Buick.

This photo and illustration are from a leaflet given to tourists in 1935 advertising a patriotic outdoor drama. As shown, Washington was the only recognizable figure on Mt. Rushmore that summer. Though no blasting was being done on the monument at the time they saw it, the face of another figure was emerging from the rock. The leaflet states "The figure of Washington and the head of Thomas Jefferson...will be finished by next summer."

Photo by Publisher's Photo Service

Along a dirt road, probably in South Dakota's Black Hills. At least once during this trip, one of their cars got "stuck in the gumbo," as Fred Ellery described it. On another occasion  Mrs. Ellery became concerned about their safety in a mountainous area of the Black Hills, resulting in an inpromptu prayer meeting. Standing by the car are Rev. and Mrs. Markley and their son Franklin, with Mrs. Ellery to the left.

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