Philetus Walter Norris (August 17, 1821 – January 14, 1885) was an American pioneer, businessman, Union Army officer and politician who was the second superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and was the first person to be paid for that position. He fought in the Civil War, served as a spy behind Confederate lines, and rose to the rank of colonel. He was elected to the Ohio Legislature and founded the town of Norris in Wayne County (now within Detroit), where he ran a real estate business. Mount Norris in Yellowstone is named after him.
Early life
Philetus Walter Norris was born in Palmyra, New York on August 17, 1821, the son of John Norris, Jr. and Azubah Phelps. His father was a pioneer mill-builder, and had fought in the War of 1812. In the early 1820s, the family moved to Allegheny County in New York. In 1826, they bought in Michigan, moving there soon thereafter. He traveled all around the midwest to trap and trade. In 1838, Norris settled in northwest Ohio near the home of a good friend.
Yellowstone
In 1877, Norris became the second superintendent of Yellowstone National Park, a position he held until 1882. Norris hired Harry Yount to control poaching and vandalism in the park, leading Yount to be considered the first National Park ranger.
When Norris arrived in 1877 there were approximately 32 miles (51 km) of roads and 108 miles (173 km) of trails. By the time he left in 1882, there were five times as many roads and twice as many trails. The roads were crude and many described them as only "fair" wagon trails. Still, they provided access to "the land of wonders." and one pass in Yellowstone are named after Norris.
Afterward, he worked in ethnological research for the Smithsonian Institution. In 1885, Norris fell ill in Rocky Hill, Kentucky, while working for the Smithsonian. After a brief illness, he died in Rocky Hill, on January 14, 1885.