Truly, Yellowstone National Park is a wonderland of nature. Poets have
written about it, and artists have painted it, but to believe that such
a scenic region is possible, you must see with your own eyes the
spouting geysers, bubbling cauldrons, giant canyons and other
spectacular phenomena, all of which present a flashing brilliance of
motion and color which you will never forget.
[Illustration: Morning Glory Pool]
Yellowstone is the largest, the oldest and, perhaps, the best known of
America’s many national parks. It is at once weird, incredible and
magnificent in its rugged, wild beauty. It is one of the greatest
wild-life sanctuaries in the world.
Frontiersman John Colter discovered the fabulous area by chance in the
winter of 1807-08. Colter had been sent by the celebrated trader, Manuel
Lisa, to Pierre’s Hole in eastern Idaho to make friends with the Crow
Indians. Coming home Colter sought a short cut and stumbled upon the
mystery of Yellowstone. When he told his friends of the fantastic land
he had seen, they refused to believe him.
[Illustration: John Colter discovers Yellowstone]
Twenty years later Jim Bridger brought back a report similar to
Colter’s, but he, too, was greeted with winks and smiles. Finally,
however, the Washburn-Doane Expedition, headed by H. D. Washburn,
Surveyor-General of Montana, was organized in August 1870, and
accompanied by an army detail, officially investigated the phenomena in
the Park.
They encountered innumerable fascinating wonders that even Colter,
Bridger and other explorers had missed. They were determined that
Yellowstone should be preserved in all its primeval beauty for the
enjoyment of all Americans. Their enthusiasm was boundless. Largely
because of their efforts a bill was passed through Congress on March 1,
1872, and the rugged wilderness was set aside as Yellowstone National
Park.
Since that time millions of travelers have seen the glory that is
Yellowstone’s. Thousands return year after year. Still others come only
once, but they consider it the trip of a lifetime.