Yellowstone and Other Names

By Mark Stockton

The primary function of a name is identification; however, names serve another purpose – they provide an historical log.

When I first  moved to Wyoming, I became fascinated with the names which complimented this majestic landscape. The names added a new dimension to every mountain and valley, and spurred my interest in man's relatively short, yet romantic, involvement in this rugged region of the Rocky Mountains.

I guess that was the first time I became aware of the significance of names.

 

Names do tell a story, and it is the story of a truly remarkable area that I relate to you here – the story of our country's first and largest National Park – Yellowstone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mark Stockton
• Release date: May 14, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201133429

Book preview

Yellowstone

and other Names

An Historical Guidebook

By Mark L. Stockton

Cover Painting Illustrations & Maps by

M.C. Poulsen

Cody, Wyoming

––––––––

Copyright 1980

By Mark L. Stockton

(Copyright includes all illustrations, maps, and paintings by M.C. Poulsen)

2nd Edition

Dedication

To John Colter –

A man of remarkable strength and accomplishment  - the discoverer of the area we now call Yellowstone National Park – who has never received the acclaim he deserved.

Introduction

The primary function of a name is identification; however, names serve another purpose – they provide an historical log.

When I first  moved to Wyoming, I became fascinated with the names which complimented this majestic landscape. The names added a new dimension to every mountain and valley, and spurred my interest in man’s relatively short, yet romantic, involvement in this rugged region of the Rocky Mountains.

I guess that was the first time I became aware of the significance of names.

Names do tell a story, and it is the story of a truly remarkable area that I relate to you here – the story of our country’s first and largest National Park – Yellowstone.

This book has been designed to be your companion as you tour the Park. I hope you’ll keep it open while driving through Yellowstone, and refer to it as you pass features and places. It is my wish that it will help make your trip more enjoyable, and that you’ll learn something about the people who contributed to the establishment of this majestic National Park.

Early Explorations

Most of the names discussed in this book stem from numerous explorations which occurred in the 1870s and 1880s. Several of these expeditions are noteworthy for yet another reason – they provided the information and impetus necessary for the very creation of the Park.

John Colter is the man credited with the discovery of the Yellowstone region. Colter was born near Staunton, Virginia about 1775, and in the year 1803 joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition. He spent three very creditworthy years with the expedition, and in 1806 when the party was headed back home to civilization and some good home cooking, Colter did the unbelievable – he turned around and headed back toward the mountains. It is lucky for us that he had not yet had his fill of the Rockies, for during the next four years he discovered many previously unexplored areas of what is now the State of Wyoming and the Yellowstone region.

The true extent of Colter’s findings will never be known, for he was a trapper, intent on finding beaver and staying alive. Unfortunately, he had no time (nor the inclination) to maintain accurate records of his travels, so we’re not even certain where he travelled in the region now designated as Yellowstone. The stories he told did, however, create an interest in this uncharted wilderness, and in the years to come, many trappers followed his lead.

Colter finally returned to St. Louis in 1810 and soon afterward settled on a Missouri River farm. He died in November of 1813, a victim of jaundice. As is often true, his accomplishments were not fully appreciated until years after his passing.

Interest in beaver hats soon diminished, and consequently, so did interest in trapping and the exploration of the Yellowstone region.

Productive, profitable gold fields in the Montana Territory in 1861 and 1862 brought a new breed of men into the Yellowstone region during the 1860s – prospectors. Although the area that would become the Park proved unproductive for gold seekers, renewed interest in the area developed. By the end of the decade, the Park had been pretty thoroughly explored, but not scientifically. Rumors of this wonderland abounded, yet little accurate knowledge of the region existed.

The wonders of Yellowstone were finally exposed to the general public as a result of three expeditions which occurred in 1869, 1870, and 1871.

Folsom, Cook, Peterson Expedition

The expedition of 1869 was composed of David E. Folsom, C.W. Cook, and William Peterson.

The