How a widowed rancher became the first female National Park custodian

Breaking Barriers at Capulin Through Cattle and Politics

Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico marks where a widowed rancher broke the ultimate glass ceiling in 1916. When Jessie Foote Jack’s husband died, she took over his cattle empire and spotted an opportunity.

The extinct volcano was prime grazing land, and she wanted the custodian job for the proposed monument.

Using her late husband’s political connections, she secured the position just six days after President Wilson created the monument.

The National Park Service formed ten days later, making her their first female custodian by pure timing. Here’s how a savvy businesswoman turned tragedy into history.

Rancher’s Wife Faced Sudden Widowhood and Business Challenges

Jessie W. Foote was born on March 4, 1862, in Dakota Territory.

She married William Howard Jack in 1899, a big name in New Mexico’s cattle world. William ran the Crowfoot Cattle Company with ranch land across three New Mexico counties.

He also worked as a Republican leader on the New Mexico Cattle Sanitary Board. Their life changed when William died in El Paso on February 16, 1916.

With no children to help, Jessie took over all their business dealings herself, including the cattle operations.

She Spotted an Opportunity at Capulin Mountain Before Most

Before her husband died, Jessie looked to the future.

She wanted to become the custodian for the planned Capulin Mountain National Monument as early as February 9, 1915.

The volcano wasn’t just a landmark to her—it was good grazing land that local ranchers, including Jessie, needed access to. Her main worry was making sure this valuable land stayed open for cattle.

By going after the custodian job, she created a plan to control access to this rangeland through a government position.

President Wilson Created the Monument Jessie Wanted to Control

Things moved in Jessie’s favor on August 9, 1916, when President Woodrow Wilson set aside Capulin as a U.S. National Monument through Presidential Proclamation No. 1340.

The papers called it “a striking example of recent extinct volcanoes which is of great scientific and especially geologic interest.”

The new 680-acre monument covered exactly the grazing land Jessie wanted to keep using for her cattle.

Political Strings Got Her the Job in Just Six Days

Thanks to her late husband’s connections, Jessie got the custodian job on August 15, 1916, less than a week after the monument was created.

She wanted to make sure she had the only rights to graze cattle on the volcano, so she pulled strings through her husband’s political network.

The General Land Office hired her as the non-resident custodian since the National Park Service didn’t exist yet.

Lucky Timing Made Her the First Woman in Park Service History

Congress created the National Park Service on August 25, 1916, just ten days after Jessie got her job from the General Land Office.

This timing meant Jessie became the first female custodian in National Park Service history without even planning it. Like other male custodians of the time, she earned just $1 per month to watch over the monument.

These low-paid workers were known as “$12 custodians” since they made only twelve bucks a year.

Her First Horseback Patrol Showed She Meant Business

Jessie started work quickly, riding horseback to check the 680-acre monument on October 3, 1916. Her years of ranch life made her perfect for the physical work needed to patrol the volcanic cone.

This first inspection showed everyone she planned to do more than just secure grazing rights. That October day marked the start of her hands-on management of the first national monument ever run by a woman.

The Only Woman Officer in Early Park Service Reports

In official reports from the early National Park Service, Jessie stands out as the only woman officer mentioned in the director’s reports to the Interior Secretary.

Her job kept her busy with horseback patrols, writing budget requests, counting visitors, and putting up signs around the monument. Sometimes she even had workers from her cattle company help with monument tasks.

Government Men Doubted Her Abilities But Gave In Anyway

When Jessie asked for a grazing permit, NPS Chief Clerk F. W. Griffith warned Assistant Director Horace M. Albright against saying yes.

His worry wasn’t about conflicts of interest but because “the custodian is a woman and might not be able to handle the details. ” Jessie got the grazing permit anyway.

She handled both her cattle business and government job without trouble.

Family Duties Pulled Her Away From New Mexico

Jessie finished her second inspection in February 1917 before heading to Paris, Illinois, to care for her sick mother. She stayed there for several months, torn between family needs and work duties.

As time went on, her mother needed more help, which kept pulling Jessie away from New Mexico. These family duties created real problems for her job at the monument.

She Hand-Picked a Man to Take Her Place

By 1921, Jessie asked Homer Farr to unofficially take over as custodian while she was away. Two years later, in 1923, she made it official when Farr formally took the position.

He went on to serve the National Park Service until 1955.

By choosing her own replacement, Jessie showed she still had pull in government circles and good judgment about who could handle the job.

Women Waited 17 Years for Another Chance to Lead

After Jessie left her position, women faced a long drought in park leadership roles.

Another woman wouldn’t get the chance to manage a national park site until July 1940, when Gertrude Cooper became superintendent at Vanderbilt Mansion.

Jessie’s seven-year run as custodian had shown that women could successfully run federal park properties. The 17-year gap until the next female superintendent shows just how ahead of her time Jessie really was.

Visiting Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico

Capulin Volcano National Monument at 46 Volcano Highway charges $20 per vehicle for seven days. The visitor center opens 8:30am to 4:30pm in winter and 8am to 5pm in summer.

You can drive the two-mile paved Volcano Road to the crater rim, but it closes at 4pm daily. Your vehicle must be under 26 feet long and 8 feet wide.

Call 575-278-2201 to book moonlight hikes and dark sky programs.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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