March 1st, 1872 – Creating Yellowstone National Park
Last year, March 1st 2022 was the 150th anniversary of the creation of Yellowstone National Park. There was obviously a lot of news about it, and lots of events and celebration.
Today is the 151st anniversary, so a bit less momentous for the park, but a lot more for me, as this is the first time I can write about this special day whilst also actually studying a PhD on Yellowstone National Park. It’s also St David’s Day, meaning Hall provided some nice Glamorgan sausages and Welsh cakes for lunch! I’m also giving a presentation on my work so far tomorrow, so all this is fresh in my mind.
Yellowstone was officially “discovered” in 1806, by John Colter. Colter had been part of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, but he broke away from Clark’s path on the journey back. I say “discovered” since Native Americans had been there for over 11,000 years, and French trappers had been in the area already and likely knew of Yellowstone from those they traded with. Colter joined a group of trappers and wandered over the winter in and around the area that is now Yellowstone National Park.
The next important expedition to Yellowstone was the Hayden Geological Survey of 1871 (there were other expeditions in the meantime, but this is the big one). No one in Congress had stepped foot in Yellowstone, and so they relied on the reports from the Hayden Expedition. Hayden reported the geological features, the hydrothermal vents, the beautiful landscape, and argued Yellowstone should be protected and not sold to private buyers. Importantly, on the Hayden expedition were Thomas Moran – an artist – and William Jackson – a photographer. The opinion of Congress, and the public, was not only shaped by words, but by images that are still incredibly moving today.
President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act on March 1st, 1872. This made the area “a public park or pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.”
However, and interesting from a biologist point of view, Yellowstone was not established to protect the wonderful and rare species found there at the time. The aim was to protect “all timber, mineral deposits, natural curiosities, or wonders within said park, and their retention in their natural condition.” The only mention of wildlife is to protect “against the wanton destruction of the fish and game found within said park, and against their capture or destruction for the purposes of merchandise or profit.”
The eradication of dangerous, large carnivores, such as wolves, bears, and mountain lions, makes sense in light of this. Historically, they were seen as creatures that ruined the parks main attractions; the game animals, the elk, the antelope, the bison. So to protect one, the other must be removed.
The focus of my research the last few weeks has been the history of the wolves and the history of the mountain lions. Now that I have done as much as I can from my computer desk, I am moving onto the next subjects; bison and beaver.
