YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
Over 150 streams of clear mountain spring water flow through the park, the principal ones being the Yellowstone, Lamar, Gardiner, Madison, Gallatin, Snake, Gibbon and Firehole rivers. Obsidian, Soda Butte, Boundary-, Slough and Clear creeks. Along the courses of these streams are numerous cascades and waterfalls, the best known of which are the Upper and Lower Falls of the Yellowstone, Tower Falls, Osprey Falls, Kepler Cascade, Fairy Falls, Gibbon Falls and the Virginia Cascade. These vary in height from 310 feet at the Lower Yellowstone Falls to 60 feet at the Virginia Cascade.
Mr. Hague found evidence of glacial action in a huge granite bowlder— 24 feet long, 20 feet wide and 18 feet high above the ground. This bowlder he found in a forest on the brink of the Grand Canyon, and the nearest stone of similar formation, so far as known to geologists, is some forty miles distant. Think of the mighty force that must have been exerted by the great sheet of ice that covered the northwestern part of the United States at the close of the Pleistocene period!
There are several well defined geyser basins, the most important of which are the Upper and Lower basins on the Firehole River, which takes its name from these wonderful phenomena of nature; the Norris Basin, near the source of Obsidian Creek; and the Heart Lake Basin, at the north end of that lake in the southern part of the park. Of the large geysers there are sixty-seven. The action of these geysers is far from uniform. The one called "Old Faithful," because of the regularity of its eruptions, throws a column of hot water 150 feet into the air every sixty-five minutes, the eruption lasting about 4>4 minutes. Excelsior Geyser, the greatest in the park, throws water to a height of 300 feet and spouts at intervals varying from one to four hours. Mr. Hague estimated the discharge of this geyser at "forty-four hundred gallons of boiling water per minute."
The following spring Colter passed through the Pryor Gap of the Big Horn Mountains and wandered about on Clark's Fork, the Stinking Water (now the Shoshone River), and it is believed he reached the headwaters of the Green River. On his return he struck the headwaters of the Wind River, which he mistook for the Big Horn, but finally found his way back to the camp of the previous winter. He then decided to return to St. Louis and set out alone in a log canoe. Near the mouth of the Platte River he met Manuel Lisa, who persuaded him to return to the Upper Missouri country. Lisa established a trading post at the mouth of the Big Horn River and Colter again struck into the wilderness to the southward in pursuit of fur-bearing animals. Somewhere on this expedition he came in contact with a band of hostile Indians and wandered many miles out of his way in his efforts to reach the trading post. It was on this occasion that he passed through what is now the Yellowstone National Park. In the spring of 1810 he returned to St. Louis, where he met his old commander. Captain Clark, who outlined the course described in the map of the Lewis and Clark expedition, marking it "Colter's Route in 1807." By this means Colter's wanderings were given official recognition and made a matter of public record.
From the map mentioned (Colter's description was not accurate in many particulars) the course of this first discoverer can be traced to the west of Yellowstone Lake and into the geyser district. That he saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Tower Falls and Mount Washburn is almost certain. He no doubt followed the Indian trail leading from Yellowstone River to the Big Horn, finally arriving at Lisa's trading post, after he had long been given up as lost.
Colter's account of the wonders he had seen in the Rocky Mountains was not accepted by the public. Even his friends are said to have tapped their foreheads significantly when referring to the subject, as much as to say: "Poor Colter! He has told that story so often that he probably believes it himself, but his mind is evidently wandering." Others, in a spirit of derision, gave the name of "Colter's Hell" to the region that later explorers were to prove he had graphically and truthfully described.
The story was quite likely suggested to Bridger's imagination by his discovery of the obsidian cliff of black volcanic glass, about half way between the Norris Geyser Basin and the Mammoth Hot Springs, though the obsidian is opaque and it would be impossible to see an elk, or any other object through it at any distance. This volcanic glass was used by the aborigines for lance and arrow heads and other weapons, large numbers of which have been found in the vicinity of the park.
Bridger told some of his wonderful stories to Captain Warner, Capt. W. F. Raynolds, Dr. F. V. Hayden and other early explorers, who received them with the proverbial "grain of salt," though they afterward found that the old scout's narrative contained a large percentage of truth. An editor of one of the leading western newspapers stated in 1879, after the reports of Colter and Bridger had been verified by official explorations, that more than thirty years before he had prepared an article for publication, based upon Bridger's account of the Yellowstone region, but did not publish it because one of his friends advised him that he would "be laughed out of town if he printed any of old Jim Bridger's lies." He afterward apologized to Bridger for lack of confidence in his veracity.
During the war parties of gold seekers penetrated into the mountain ranges in the neighborhood of the park and some accounts of their discoveries were published in the newspapers. In September, 1869, David E. Folsom, William Peterson and C. W. Cook left Diamond City on the Missouri River and spent about a month in the vicinity of the Yellowstone Lake. In the Western Monthly for July, 1871, was published an article from the pen of Mr. Folsom which wielded considerable influence toward the sending of other expeditions into the country about the sources of the Yellowstone.
What is generally known as the "Washburn-Doane Expedition" was organized in Montana in the summer of 1870 and was provided with a military escort from Fort Ellis by order of Gen. P. H. Sheridan. The leader of this expedition was Gen. Henry D. Washburn, then surveyor-general of Montana. Among those who accompanied him were Nathaniel P. Langford, who wrote an account of the explorations for Scribner's Magazine, and who was afterward the first superintendent of the park; Thomas C. Everts, ex-United States assessor for Montana; Samuel T. Hauser, later governor of Montana; Walter Trumbull, son of United States Senator TnmibuU, who also published an account of the expedition in the Overland Monthly for June, 1871; and Cornelius Hedges, who was the first man to propose setting apart the region as a national park. This party entered the park on August 21, 1870, under the escort of a small detachment of the Second United States Cavalry commanded by Lieut. Gustavus C. Doane, whose name is coupled with that of General Washburn.
From the heights of Mount Washburn (then unnamed) they saw at a distance the Canyon and Falls of the Yellowstone, the geyser basin on the Firehole River, which was pointed out to them by James Bridger, and then descended into the plateau for a more systematic examination of the natural wonders. On September 9, 1870, Thomas C. Everts became separated from the other members of the expedition and wandered about through the wild region for thirty-seven days before his comrades found him almost dead from hunger and exposure. Mr. Everts, after his recovery, wrote an account of his experiences for Scribner's Magazine, which was widely read and was afterward reproduced by General Chittenden in his "History of Yellowstone National Park." In this history General Chittenden gives the following account of the origin of the national park idea:
"The members of the party were sitting around the campfire after supper (September 19, 1870), conversing about what they had seen and picturing to themselves the important pleasure resort which so wonderful a region must soon become. The natural impulse to turn the fruits of discovery to their personal profit made its appearance, and it was suggested that it would be a 'profitable speculation' to take up lands around the various objects of interest. The conversation had not gone far in that direction, when one of the party—Cornelius Hedges—interposed and said that private ownership of that region, or any part of it, ought never to be sold by the government, but that it should be set apart and forever held to the unrestricted use of the people. This higher view of the subject found immediate acceptance with the other members of the party. It was agreed that the project should be at once set on foot and pushed vigorously to a finish."
In 1871 the United States sent two expeditions to the Upper Yellowstone–one under the leadership of Dr. F. V. Hayden and the other under Captains Heap and Barlow of the engineer corps. The reports of this joint expedition aided materially the project brought before Congress set on foot by the Washburn-Doane expedition. In the Helena Herald of November 9, 1870, appeared an article from the pen of Cornelius Hedges, giving reasons why the country about the Yellowstone Lake should be set apart as a national reservation. A little later Nathaniel P. Langford addressed a meeting in Washington, D. C, presided over by James G. Blaine, then speaker of the national house of representatives. In this way the subject was brought to the attention of Congress.
"Commencing at the junction of Gardiner's River with the Yellowstone River and running east to the meridian passing ten miles to the eastward of the most eastern point of the Yellowstone Lake; then south along said meridian to the parallel of latitude passing ten miles south of the most southern point of the Yellowstone Lake; thence west along said parallel to the meridian passing fifteen miles west of the most western point of Madison Lake; thence north along said meridian to the latitude of the junction of the Yellowstone and Gardiner's rivers; thence east to the place of beginning."
Under the boundaries as thus established, the park extends two miles north of the northern boundary of Wyoming, and two miles west of the western boundary, being sixty-two miles long and fifty-four miles wide. The act placed the park under the control of the secretary of the interior, who was given the authority to grant leases, at his discretion, for periods not exceeding ten years, and all buildings erected by the lessees to be located and erected under his direction, the proceeds of such leases to be expended by his authority in the construction of roads, etc.
Park headquarters are located at the Mammoth Hot Springs, five miles inside the park line at the northern entrance. Here are located the water and electric light systems, the telephone exchange, etc. The maintenance and construction of roads, bridges and general improvements in the park are carried on by special appropriation under the war department, an officer of the engineering department being in charge of the work. Automobiles were first admitted on August I, 1915, but did not come into general use as a method of transportation until 1917, when practically all of the transportation of tourists was consolidated under one company–"The Yellowstone Park Transportation Company." During the season from June 20 to September 15, 1917, a total of 13,283 tourists were taken through the park by this company, and 21,915 persons visited the park with their own transportation and camping outfits.
The Yellowstone Park Hotel Company operates all of the hotels in the park. There are four hotels—the Mammoth Hot Springs, the Upper Basin, the Lake House and the Canyon Hotel. At all of these hotels garages and supply houses are maintained and there are four free automobile camps and shelter houses in the park, placed on the main lines of travel, besides there are six other camping places, where oils and gasoline may be obtained by tourists.
There are four main entrances to the park—north, east, south and west. The northern entrance may be reached by the Northern Pacific Railway, the west entrance by the Union Pacific, the east entrance by stage from Cody, where it connects with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and the south entrance can be reached only by automobile or other means of private conveyance. Each year witnesses improvements for the accommodation and comfort of tourists, the number of which is constantly increasing.
Elk, antelope and both mule and white-tailed deer are numerous in the park. During the winter of 1916-17 more than two hundred tons of alfalfa were fed to these animals by the employees of the park service. Heavy snows drove large numbers of elk and antelope out of the park, in search of a lower altitude. They found shelter from the severe weather in the Jackson's Hole country in Wyoming and near Electric, Mont. It is in such cases that the protective laws of those states, mentioned by Mr. Albright, come into play. The animals were protected by the state game wardens from the thoughtless sportsman and when the weather conditions improved they returned to the park of their own accord. Since 1911 the total number of elk shipped from the park to other states or municipalities, "where their future protection is assured," was 2,263, and on June 9, 1917, there were nearly twenty thousand in the park. A few moose are frequently seen, the tame herd of buffalo numbered 330 in June, 1917, black and cinnamon bears are numerous, and there are 194 known varieties of birds to be found in the park. The United States Fish Commission maintains a branch fish hatchery in the park. It is located on the shore of Yellowstone Lake, near the Lake House. During the season of 1917 a total of 1,773,000 young fish were planted in the lakes and streams of the park. Fishing by visitors is permitted, and Mr. Lindsley says in his report for 1917: "The confining of fishing to the strict letter of the regulations has not been disappointing in its results, as its effects have already been noticed in the additional interest in fishing manifested by travelers; and it has not proven as much of a disappointment to the hotels and camps as was expected, for the reason that tourists have taken an unusual interest in fishing and have caught many fish that have found their way to the tables." The object in planting fish in the waters, for tourists to catch, is "to make the national parks more popular as playgrounds of the people, where amusements can be found in addition to the scenery." The lover of rod and line should therefore be attracted to the Yellowstone National Park, where he can "cast flies" to his heart's content, while at the same time enjoying the picturesque scenery and natural wonders of the park.