Badlands National Park
hall, and a planned Custodian’s Residence in the administration area. The 1950 Master Plan shows this building labeled as ‘Building #12.’ A memorandum regarding development at Cedar Pass noted that it should be kept relatively inconspicuous, with minimal tourist facilities, and lodging and food service kept at one location. It was considered especially desirable, soil conditions permitting, to keep all necessary utility lines underground. The Monument’s water supply was a constant source of concern. In 1942, the cement-asbestos water line from the pumping station at White River to the reservoir at Cedar Pass suffered breaks due either to improper laying of the pipe or to abnormal settling from excessive rainfall. In every case the pipe was found to have broken near the middle of the thirteenfoot section, where the dirt bedding under the pipe had been soaked away by surface water that had penetrated the dirt backfill of the ditch. In 1943, members of the 21st Service Group of the armed forces constructed a bridge at the White River crossing west of Kadoka with an approach road following the water line from a point near the pumping station to join State Highway 40 directly south of the Monument headquarters area. From
this junction it was expected that traffic would go west to the town of Interior to reach the Monument, but that some traffic would continue north along the Monument service road through the utility and residential areas, joining State Highway 40, sometimes also referred to as the Badlands Highway, near Cedar Pass lodge. Concern was expressed that, if this did not happen, the headquarters layout would be seriously affected. It was then decided to abandon the service road below the utility area, fencing it off at the pump house with the addition of a gate for employee use only. Thus public access via this route to the utility and residential areas was severed. In April 1944, the landscape architect for Wind Cave National Park provided design concepts for tree and shrub plantings in association with the residences within Cedar Pass. The proposed plantings provided the buildings with a visual buffer. Other proposals suggested removing trees and shrubbery from in front of the administration building to establish a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape. By the time CCC efforts at Badlands were terminated in 1942, a number of administrative changes had occurred in the program at the national level. Diminishing funds and staff at the regional office
1944 The landscape architect for Wind Cave National Park creates the first concept-level planting plan for Cedar Pass residences
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Badlands National Park | Design Guidelines