User talk:Mike Cline/Articles Under Contemplation/The Discovery of Yellowstone Park (1870)

The Discovery of Yellowstone Park (1870) - Diary of the Washburn Expedition to the Yellowstone and Firehole Rivers in the Year 1870 is a documentary work of history of the first official expedition to the area known today as Yellowstone National Park written by western historian Nathaniel P. Langford, a member of the expedition, and first published in St. Paul, Minnesota by Frank Jay Haynes in 1905. Langford was the first superintendent of Yellowstone (1872-1877).

Synopsis
Langford's account of the Discovery of Yellowstone Park is organized into two parts--Introduction and Dairy

Other Editions
From Antiquarian Book Exchange



Route and chronology of the expedition
Summarized from Langford (1871), Doane (1871) and Chittenden (1895)


 * August 16, 1870 - Nine civilians, headed by Henry Washburn depart Helena, Montana enroute to Fort Ellis just east of Bozeman, Montana (125 miles)
 * August 22, 1870 - The Washburn party departs Fort Ellis with a cavalry escorts commanded by Lt Gustavus C. Doane enroute to the Yellowstone River via Bozeman Pass and Trail Creek. Camped just west of the river near Trail Creek.
 * August 26, 1870 - After four days travel up the western shore and foothills of the Yellowstone River, the party arrived and camped near the mouth of the Gardiner river. The party traveled up the west side of the Yellowstone along the ridges above the river for several days to Tower Creek near Tower Fall.
 * August 29, 1870 - After several days of local exploration, the party leaves Tower Creek and ascends what they later name Mount Washburn. From Mount Washburn the party can see south into the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, the Hayden Valley and Yellowstone Lake.
 * August 30, 1870 - The party reached the Yellowstone Falls and spent several days exploring the canyon and thermal features near the river.
 * September 3, 1870 - After crossing the Yellowstone river, the party proceeded up the valley to Yellowstone Lake, camping just east of the rivers outlet.
 * September 7, 1870 - By this date, the party had traveled south along the eastern shore of Yellowstone Lakes to its headwaters. During this time, Langford and Doane ascended peaks in the Absaroka range that were ultimately named for them: Mount Langford and Mount Doane.
 * September 9, 1870 - The party reached Two Ocean Pass, the very headwaters of both the Snake River and Yellowstone River. It was in camp the evening of September 9 that the party discovered that T.C. Everts was missing.
 * September 16, 1870 - After extensive unsuccessful searches for Mr. Everts, the party eventually traveled along the southern reaches of the lake to the West Thumb area.
 * September 18, 1870 - Most of the party departed the lake, traveling west over what is now called Craig's Pass into the Firehole basin. Mr. Gillette, privates Moore and Williamson remained behind to continue the search for Mr. Everts.  About noon on the 18th, the party after having traveled down the upper Firehole River emerged upon Old Faithful and the upper geyser basin.
 * September 19, 1870 - The party, having explored the upper geyser basin and named seven geysers, traveled down the Firehole to the Madison River camping at what is now know as Madison Junction.
 * September 23, 1870 - After the party travels several days down the Madison, Lt Doane and his soldiers left the party on the Madison River near Virginia City and traveled back to Fort Ellis, arriving on the afternoon of the 24th. Washburn, Langford and the other civilian traveled back to Helena.
 * October 2, 1870 - Gillette, Private Moore and Williamson arrive at Fort Ellis having been un-successful in their search for Mr. Everts.
 * October 10, 1870 - Mr. Everts is found alive on the benches above the Gardner river by a three man search party organized in Helena.