Yellowstone National Park has a rich and diverse history spanning over 11,000 years. From the Paleoindian and Archaic periods to modern management and conservation efforts, the park has witnessed significant events that have shaped its evolution. This comprehensive timeline explores the key milestones in the history of Yellowstone National Park.
Paleoindian & Archaic Period (11,000 – 1,500 years ago)
- 11,000 years ago: Paleoindian artifacts, including Clovis points, have been found across the park.
- 10,000 years ago: Folsom projectile points were discovered.
- 9,350 years ago: A site on the shore of Yellowstone Lake was dated to this period.
- 1,500 – 8,000 years ago: The area around the lake continued to be used as a camp during the Archaic period.
European Exploration and Settlement (500 – 1800s CE)
- 500 – 1800s CE: The Kiowa, Crow, and Lakota Sioux people are believed to have entered the area.
- Late 1700s: Fur traders arrived via rivers.
- 1800s: Expeditions, including the Lewis and Clark Expedition, mapped the park and shared its wonders with the world.
Establishment and Early Management (1870s – 1890s)
- March 1, 1872: President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, establishing the world’s first national park.
- Late 1870s: The U.S. Congress approved measures to protect, preserve, and improve the park. Superintendent Philetus W. Norris oversaw the construction of roads and park headquarters at Mammoth Hot Springs.
- 1883: The Northern Pacific Railroad arrived near Gardiner, Montana, making it easier for visitors to access the park.
- 1885: The first hotel at Old Faithful, known as the Shack Hotel, opened.
- 1886: The U.S. Army took over the supervision of Yellowstone due to issues with poaching, vandalism, and other crimes.
- 1891: The first Lake Hotel was built.
- 1894: The First National Park Protection Act (Lacey Act) made it illegal to kill wildlife in the park.
Development and Conservation Efforts (1900s – 1950s)
- 1901 – 1917: President Theodore Roosevelt dedicated the arch at the North Entrance, and the Old Faithful Inn opened.
- 1906: The Antiquities Act provided for the protection of historic, prehistoric, and scientific features on federal lands.
- 1908: Union Pacific train service began at West Yellowstone.
- 1915: Private automobiles were officially admitted to the park.
- 1916: The National Park Service Organic Act established the National Park Service.
- 1917: Private and commercial horse-drawn conveyances were banned on park roads.
- 1918: The National Park Service took over management of Yellowstone, and the Army left.
- 1919: Horace Albright became the first NPS superintendent.
- 1929: President Hoover signed the first law changing the park’s boundary.
- 1930s: The Civilian Conservation Corps and other government-funded work crews completed projects in Yellowstone.
- 1934: The National Park Service Director’s Order prohibited killing predators.
- 1935: The Historic Sites Act set a national policy to preserve historic sites, buildings, and objects.
- 1943 – 1944: Much of the park closed during World War II.
- 1948: Yellowstone received one million visitors.
- 1949: The first motorized oversnow vehicles were allowed in the park.
- 1955: Mission 66 began to revitalize lodging, dining, education, and infrastructure in the park.
Modern Management and Conservation (1960s – Present)
- 1963: The Leopold Report led to the closure of bear-feeding dumps over the following years.
- 1965: The park saw 2,000,000 visitors for the first time.
- 1970: A new bear management plan began, including the closure of open-pit dumps in the park.
- 1971: Overnight winter lodging opened in the park and continued yearly.
- 1975: The grizzly bear was listed as a threatened species in the lower 48 states.
- 1988: Wildfires burned approximately 36% of the park.
- 1991: The Clean Air Act Amendments required air-quality monitoring at sites including Yellowstone.
- 1992: The park saw 3,000,000 visitors for the first time.
- 1994: Congress enacted a law allowing a percentage of park entrance fees to be kept in the parks.
- 1995: Wolves were restored to the park.
- 1996: The New World Mine, near the park’s northern boundary, was halted.
- 1998: The National Parks Omnibus Management Act was passed.
- 2000: The Interagency Bison Management Plan was adopted by federal, state, and tribal partners.
- 2002: The National Academy of Sciences confirmed the effectiveness of Ecological Process Management.
- 2007: Yellowstone’s grizzly bears were removed from the federal threatened species list.
- 2008: A scientific review panel recommended an increase in lake trout removal operations on Yellowstone Lake.
- 2009: Grizzly bears were returned to the threatened species list.
- 2011: Grey wolves were removed from the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
- 2015: The park saw 4,000,000 visitors for the first time.
- 2016: The National Park Service celebrated its centennial.
This comprehensive timeline highlights the significant events and milestones in the history of Yellowstone National Park, from its early human occupation to its modern management and conservation efforts.
References:
- Yellowstone.org. (2019). A Modern Timeline of Yellowstone National Park. Retrieved from https://www.yellowstone.org/timeline/
- National Park Service. (2023). Timeline of Human History in Yellowstone. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/timeline.htm
- National Park Service. (2023). Park History – Yellowstone National Park. Retrieved from https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/historyculture/park-history.htm
- Yellowstone National Park Lodges. (2022). Timeline: 150 Years of Yellowstone. Retrieved from https://www.yellowstonenationalparklodges.com/connect/yellowstone-hot-spot/timeline-150-years-of-yellowstone/
- Montana State University Library. (n.d.). Yellowstone Vertical Timeline. Retrieved from https://arc.lib.montana.edu/yellowstone-accounts/timeline.