Cars stopped on the road to allow the horses and wagons to pass. Though wagons were a common sight in Yellowstone National Park, this particular procession was different. I don’t know if there were any banners flying that read “Just Married”, or tin cans trailing from the back of the wagons, but I can almost guarantee that onlookers soon learned that this procession was part of a special celebration.
It was the summer of 1905. Wedding bells rang for the second son of Stanton and Guadalupe Brannin.
The bride & groom
The bride and groom stood before the Justice of the Peace. The groom’s sister and brother-in-law attended them while several family members witnessed the event.
Family was important, so important that they were part of the wedding party – the after-wedding party. After the “I do’s” were exchanged, the family made their way back to their camp set up along the river. It didn’t end there. The honeymoon became a family affair. Their destination? Yellowstone National Park.
The wedding entourage must have been quite a sight. The bride and groom were on horseback. Some of the family rode in the top buggy, some in the spring wagon, some on horseback, and some on the lumber wagon loaded with their camping gear.
Their first night in the Park was at Mammoth Hot Springs. They visited Old Faithful, Yellowstone Lake, the stinky paint pots, Tower Falls, and other sights. Among other wildlife viewing, they watched grizzlies feast on scraps of food tossed in garbage cans.
With this group came their own entertainment. There was always good-natured bantering and teasing going on along with lots of laughter.
One day, the groom caught a mess of fish for supper. He cleaned them for the cook and managed to hide the fish heads. When no one was looking, he took the heads and hid them under the bedding of his sister and brother-in-law. In the middle of the night, the campers awakened to a low grumbling sound and sniffling near the tent. The fish head bait worked. A resident bear showed up for an evening meal. The campsite buzzed with the family trying to drive the bear away.
After about two weeks, the newlyweds and the family returned to their first camp along the river for one last night together. The next day, they went their separate ways. There would be other opportunities for them to gather again. That’s the way it is when it’s a Family Affair.
The groom’s sister, brother-in-law, and niece
who were visited by the bear.