This permit grants permission for the use of five acres of land in the Inyo forest for the purpose of conducting a summer school. (2 pages)

Covers the period from 1 July 1930 to 31 December 1930. Stamped “Paid” in the amount of $12.50 on 22 July 1930. (2 pages)

Sherifa’s words for laying of foundation stone of the ashram. (1 page)

O. of A. Report of the Service on the laying of the foundation stone on 3 August 1930. (4 pages)

These two letters, the first written by Sherifa (as Head Secretary of the Assembly of Man) and the second from Lillian Reid (as National Secretary of the Assembly of Man) chronicle the early 1937 summer work taking place on the Ashrama. It is noted in the second letter that the Convention for this year will be open only for those willing to work on the Ashrama. (5 pages)

Addressed to “Forest Service Permittee,” this letter includes a set of standard clauses that are to become part of special use permit. (2 pages)

O. of A. Report of the Service designed as a children’s story, in which Peggy Selsor reminences about the building of the ashrama. (2 pages)

These articles describe the Wildnerness Expansion Act that was thought to endanger the ashrama. (3 pages)

In this letter, Wolff gives a brief description of the ashrama and requests that the land tract on which it sits be excluded from the Wilderness Area expansion, so as to save it from destruction. (1 page)

In this letter, Wolff gives a brief description of the ashrama and requests help to save it from destruction. (2 pages)

Notification that the annual fee for the Tuttle Creek land use permit has been increased to $100. (1 page)

Response to Wolff’s 31 August 1963 letter with an offer of help in getting a formal opinion as to how the Wildnerness Area expansion will effect the ashrama. (1 page)

Public Notice of the proposed establishment of the High Sierra Wilderness Area (1 page)

In this letter, Wolff requests that the land tract on which the ashrama is located be excluded from Wilderness Area expansion so that the building may be saved from destruction. Given the composition style of this letter and the fact that the Wolff’s name in the signature block is stated as ‘(Dr.) Wolff’, it is clear that this letter was composed by Wolff himself. (1 page)

Written at the request of Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman, this document states that Wolff's request for action on his special land use permit will be addressed by Charles Connaughton of San Francisco. (1 page)

The letter informs Wolff that the expansion of the Wilderness Area will cover the land tract on which the ashrama sits; moreover, it notes that since this building has not been used since 1950 (over ten years), the land use permit for the tract has been cancelled and concludes that “Anything remaining on the site after 1964 will become the property of the government.” (1 page)

This letter is a response to Mr. Connaughton’s letter dated 18 December 1963, which states that anything on the land tract after 31 August 1964 will become government property. Wolff replies that “I accept this decision, but only with the understanding that the building itself not be destroyed.” Furthermore, he “relinquishes any claim to exclusive use of the building or premises and agrees to maintain it in presentable condition as stated in Mr. Perella's accompanying letter.” In a handwritten note at the bottom of the letter, Mr. Perella  reports that he signed this letter for Wolff, which would lead one to believe that Wolf either dictated this letter or that it was written for him by Mr. Perella. (1 page)

In this letter, which accompanied Wolff’s letter dated 11 December 1963, Mr. Perella states that he and his associates will remove any “wooden or other loose material” from the site and he pledges that the building will be cleaned and maintained on a biannual basis. (1 page)

In this letter, Mrs. Young expresses concern about a plan that the Forest Service intends to destroy the buidling known as “The Ashrama.” (1 page)

n response to Mrs. Young's letter dated 19 April 1980 letter, Mr. Hackett states we have no plans to destroy the main building [the ashrama], and states that “we are also in the process of collecting materials and information necessary to analyze and, if appropriate, nominate the main structure as a National Historic site.” (1 page)

In response to Mr. Hackett's letter dated 9 May 1980, Mrs. Young agrees to provide any information she can on the history of the structure. (1 page)

This letter is a response to Mr, Hackett's letter dated 19 May 1980, and attached is a “History of the Ashrama.” (3 pages)

This letter, which is addressed to Ron Leonard, concerns the Forest Service’s “current efforts to prepare a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for the Tuttle Creek Ashram.” Enclosed with the letter are a number of items related to this nomination: 1.) a copy of the standard criteria which all properties must meet; 2.) a copy of the exceptional criteria that properties under 50 years of age must meet (applicable in this case because of the Ashram’s age); and 3.) a draft copy of the actual nomination, including a rough draft of the ‘Significance’ section. In addition, there is a list of questions and topics for which the Service requests additional information.

This article, from the 13 June 1998 issue of Inyo Register, chronciles the fate of the Ashrama in the U.S. Forest Service’s wildnerness management plan. A letter to the editor follows. (2 pages)