In 1864 work began on the Northern Pacific Railway across the northern United States. Rail access brought homesteaders to the area in the 1870s. In 1875 J.H Smyser, who'd served as a captain in the Union Army during the American Civil War, purchased much of the future park property for a horse and cattle ranch. His impressive 1875 manor stood on the grounds for many years but burned down in 1959. Most of the land was used for pasture and hayfields rather than crop farming, which had the effect of preserving more of the native species.