The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1884-07-04
FRONTIER HISTORY.
DISCOVERY OF THE YELLOWSTONE
NATIONAL PARK
A CHAPTER OF EARLY EXPLORATIONS
IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
Peter Koch (Bozemaa) in Magazine Of Amer {.
lean History.

tcdh ust0Fp.I
From the summit of Mount Washburn, fif.
teen years ago, the view embraced practi'
cally unknown country, bounded by masse:
OF mountains without any apparent break
To The east appeared the Sierra Shoshone,
with It's weather worn basaltlc crags and
strange "IIoodoo" region difficult TO pene-
trate, now the best hunting ground left in
the West, Astounding In elk and mountain
bison-and especially the haunt Of numer-
Gus grizzly and black beaIs aud large tiOcks
Of big horn and black-tail deer. The water
shed of this range Is through the Bighorn
and Yellowstone rivers TO the Gulf OF Mex
leo. Southwark the eye ranges up the Yel-
lowstone, across the beautiful, mountain girt
lake, into a wilderness Of peaks that have
often bafled explorers and trappers; and
from which the waters flow through Green
River and the Colorado 10 the Gulf of Cali
fornia. To the southwest the view extends
even farther across the continental divide,
here a low forest clad ridge without peak
or precipice, TO the vast Teton range with
It's all but inaccessible peaks In the noun
tans are the sources of the Great Snake
River one Of the principal branches OF the
Columbia. Due west rises the picturesque
GallatIn range with the lofty limestone dome
OF Mount Gallatin and the sharp, volcanic
peak Of Electric Mountain; here are the
headw aters Of the Gsllatin and Madison forks
Of the Missouri. la the north are seen only
spurs Of the Shoshone, Snowy and Ga!laLin
ranges, which in past ages damned back the
Yellowstone; but through which the river
has now cut deep gorges In It's way to the
plains and its junction with the Missouri.
This domain is therefore really the culmina-
ting point Of the continent (although not the
highest) sending its waters north, south, east
and west, and IL has been aptly termed by
an English writer, "the great divide"
Not only was this enchanted Park un-
known TO the whites until comparatively
recent date, but the Indians seem to have
Stunned the greater portion of the area just
described. TO the north were the homes of
the fierce Blackfeet, the Isamaelites Of the
Northwest, whose hands were against every
man aad the hands of every one against
them. To the east was the country OF the
Absarakas or Crows, the most skillful horse
thieves In the West, not a mean distinction
In the eye of an Indian; TO the south lived
the Sheepeaters In the mountain Businesses,
and on the plains the great Shosbone tribe,
ever friendly TO the whites after they had
once been won by the British fur companies.
On the great lava plains 10 the west roamed
the Bannacks and Nez Perces, always treach-
erous and ready TO take advantage OF de-
fenseless strangers. No Indian tribe ever
made It's home In what is now the National
Park; and although the forest Inhabitants
knew of the existence Of the geysers and hot
springs. their superstitious dread Of such vol
canic phenomena was so great that few visit
ed the vicinity of them. The Crows bad only
vague idea of an unknown something on
the upper Yellowstone to be feared and
shunned and when the Nez Perces led How
ard his long chase from Oregon to the Bear
Paw, their route took them through the
Lower Geyser basin aud across the Yellow
stone, but not one of them knew the country,
aud they compelled a white hunter whom
they had taken captive to act as their guide.
Every nation that took part In the discov-
cry OF the West skirted the boundaries OF
the Park; but ID all, Its wonders remained
oblIvious. The Spanisrd Coronado came
near It's southern boundary in his famous
search for the seven cities Of Cibcla. The
Frenchman, de Yerendrye, discovered the
Rocky Mountains, and assembled them Janu-
ary ~, l743, near where the Northern Pa
cldc Railroad has now pierced them with the
Mullan Tunnel; and the next spring he
crossed the Yellowstone, leaving the wonder
land undiscovered. Lewis and Clarke
passed north Of IL. The British and Ameri-
can fur-traders travelled all around 1t, set
their traps on every little stream, climbed
every mountain, and traversed every valley
north, south, east and west oft; but II they
ever penetrated 1t, II was by the nearest ac-
cident, and, as we shall see, only the most
meager record was left Of such visits. The
knowledge of It's wonders was confined to the
yaguest rumor, and to the stories told around
the camp fire, credited by few, and usually
regarded as among the Inventions OF the
trapper's fertile brain.
The first map Of the Northern ROCKY
Mountains is that published In the narrative
of Lewis and Clarke, 1914. Considering the
sources of information at command, the
map, as originally published, Is remarkably
accurate In Its chief features. The three
branches of the Mssouri-the Jefferson,
Madison, and Gallatin-are laid down about
rs they are, and the Yellowstone Is repre-
scented with It's source In the large body OF
water, Lake Eustis. Even Jacksons lake Is
represented, although 1t Is made the source
of the Bighorn instead Of branch OF Snake
River. 1t gives also the first indication OF
volcanic phenomena In this locality. A dot
ted line, running from the Bighorn to and
around Lake Eustis and back across the ell
lowstone to Emmanuel Lisa's fort at the con-
Guence of the Bighorn and Yellowstone riv-
ers, Is marked, "Colter's route ir lso7."
Where It crosses the Yellowstone, apparent
Iy In the vicinity Of what Is now called Sui
phur Mountain, Is the legend, "Hot Springs
Birthstone" To the trapping expedition
of Golfer must undoubtedly be ascribed the
first intima alton of the existence OF the now
famous volcanic region at the head waters oil
the Yellowstone and Madison.
Few later maps convey this correct infor-
nation, although It Is common to find the
sulphur springs on the Sinking Water branch
OF Wind River put down under the name OF
of "Colter's HILL" These latter springs
were we'll know and often visited by trappers
as they were easily accessible Ind the sur
rounding country favorite trapping ground
But the upper Yellowstone was rarely visit
ed; and Lake Eustis and other points-from
the information furnished by Colter-came
In time to be considered myths, aud were
often omitted from later maps.
Golfer was one Of Lewis and Clarkes men
who had obtained his discharge below the
mouth OF the Yellowstone on the return trip
Of those explorers, and had gone back to the
mountains the following year Is happer,
accompanied by Potts, another member OF
the same party. IL was on this expedition