Yellowstone History

Ancestors of the Kiowa People live in what will be Yellowstone Park

Shoshone ventured into the park for obsidian

Fur traders move into the region

Gold found near northwestern Yellowstone

Yellowstone Park Founded

Yellowstone is established as the first national park by president Grant

Railroad built to north entrance of Park

Keyes expedition in Park

In the Summer of 1899, Henry Keyes and twelve other Harvard students went on an expedition sponsored by the Harvard Summer School of Geology to visit and explore Yellowstone Park. Setting out from Buffalo New York on July 4, they traveled across the country, entering the park almost a month later, on August 2. They entered the park from the west, following the Madison into the Upper Geyser Basin. From there, they turned south and hiked through the basin admiring the various thermal features along the way. On August 5, Keyes burnt his foot somewhere near Old Faithful and was unable to continue for some time. After recovering well enough to travel, He began his return journey riding coaches through the rest of the park, stopping at the Lake Hotel and Canyon Hotel on his way out. He left through the north entrance of the park on August 13 to begin his long trip back to the east coast.

Hoff is in the Park

In 1908 Charles Hoff set off on a wagon trip with some friends and family from Boulder Wyoming. They rode north following several rivers through Wyoming, making it to the southern entrance of the Park on September 4, 1908. They continued north through the park, making their way past Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone river almost all the way to the northern border of the park. Along the way Hoff describes the landmarks and sights, some in great detail. From Tower falls, they turned towards mammoth springs. During a layover in Mammoth Henry, Charles’ brother, took their horses to Gardner to get them shod before moving south. The group made it all the way to Old Faithful, often traveling though rain and snow, before backtracking to modern day Madison junction and leaving through the western entrance of the park.

Railroad built to western entrance

Park's first boundary change

Park expanded again

Civilian Conservation Corp works in Park

Yellowstone has its millionth visitor

Thermophiles discovered in park

wolves reintroduced to the park