Folsom expedition

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David E. Folsom
Charles W. Cook and William Peterson

The Folsom Expedition of 1869 was the first successful expedition to what is now Yellowstone National Park . It was conducted by David E. Folsom , Charles W. Cook, and William Peterson .

The official expedition report on the volcanism found and in particular the geysers was widely classified as implausible and could not appear in recognized media, but was initially only printed in the Western Monthly Magazine in Chicago . Nevertheless, a second expedition to the Yellowstone area followed in 1870 , the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition , which confirmed the descriptions of Folsom and Cook.

history

Folsom, Cook and Peterson had signed up for an expedition advertised by Governor Thomas Francis Meagher . After his unexpected death and after the army did not want to assign an escort force, they were the only ones who decided to carry out the expedition without military protection.

They entered today's park area on September 13, 1869 in the north and partly followed the Yellowstone River to Yellowstone Lake . They continued along the northwestern shore to Shoshone Lake . There they turned to the northwest and penetrated into the main area of ​​the geysers . Following the Madison River , they left what is now Yellowstone National Park on October 3rd to the west.

In addition to three riding horses and two pack horses, they carried firearms with ammunition, blankets, knives, pickaxes and shovels, an ax, fishing tackle, a small kettle, a coffee pot, two frying pans, crockery and food supplies. Cook also had binoculars, Folsom a pocket compass and a thermometer, and Peterson two balls of string.

Upon returning, Folsom gave General Henry Dana Washburn detailed information on the Yellowstone region. In the following year he put together a second expedition to the area.

literature