The Corps of Discovery, which was a specially established unit of the U.S. Army led by captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, was the first unit of foreigners to explore the greater Yellowstone region.
Among them was one of the most celebrated hunters and woodsmen of that time, John Colter. It was during this time that Colter became the first known person of European descent to enter the region now known as Yellowstone National Park and see the Teton Mountain Range. When he returned with his many tales of the wilderness, people found his stories unbelievable and declined to publish them for fear of scrutiny among their peers.
Many fur traders traveled to the Yellowstone region in search of great finds. Most of the mountain men of that era were experienced trappers and able to survive some of the most treacherous conditions. Many were illiterate, but, fortunately, Osborne Russell was not. He knew how to survive, trap, read and write. His journals consist of the earliest accounts of the Yellowstone region.
Toward the end of 1840, the fur trade was dwindling. The trappers who remained in the region adapted, and among them was the renowned Jim Bridger. Bridger, a natural born topographer, decided to become a guide, scout and legendary storyteller. His vast knowledge of what is now Yellowstone National Park allowed him to be-come first “geographer” of the region.
In 1869, D.E. Folsom, William Peterson and C. W. Cook completed the first successful, privately organized Yellowstone expedition. Eventually their exploits were published by the Western Monthly Magazine of Chicago.
In 1885, President Grover Cleveland appointed Mississippian L.Q.C. Lamar to be Secretary of the Interior. During this time, Secretary Lamar fought to bring order and distinction to Yellowstone National Park. Though many tried to limit Lamar’s influence in the governance of Yellowstone, he called upon his political prowess to ensure the preservation of this national treasure by suggesting “control of the park be transferred to the War Department.” This restored original appropriations to the park providing compensation for protection of the park. Lamar Valley in the northeast portion of the park is named in his honor. It is one of my personal favorite places and I have seen more wildlife in this valley than any other place in the park.
The 1891 Timberland Reserve Bill, which initially enlarged Yellowstone, set aside 13 million acres of America’s first timber reserves from which the national forest system was born. To secure passage of the Timberland Reserve Bill, Lamar, along with Boone and Crockett Club members, joined together to create forest reserves, the forerunner to our National Forest System.
Lamar is one of only eight leaders featured in Profiles of Courage, the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by President John F. Kennedy. Kennedy cited Lamar for his courage in healing wounds that had been festering between the North and South.
James L. Cummins is executive director of Wildlife Mississippi, a nonprofit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi. The website is www.wildlifemiss.org.
