LETTER TO THE SECRETARY. 



Office of the United States Geological and 



Geographical Survey of the Territories, 



Washington, B. (7., February 1, 1883. 



Sir : In presenting what may be regarded as a very comj)lete report 

 on the Yellowstone !N"ational Park it may be proper to preface it with a 

 brief history of its inception, at least so far as it relates to this Survey. 



The first exploration of the region in which the Park is now located, 

 by the Survey under my charge, was made during the season of 1871. 

 It was continued under more favorable auspices in 1872. Prior to that 

 time no regular scientific examination had been made, but several pri- 

 vate x>arties had visited it. In the Annual Eeport for 1871 I gave a 

 brief sketch of their explorations. 



In 1869 Messrs. Cook and Folsom, of Montana, ascended the Yalley 

 of the Yellowstone Eiver to the lake, and thence over the divide into 

 the geyser basin of the Madison Eiver. They made no special report 

 of this trip. A second party, under General Washburn, surveyor-gen- 

 eral of Montana, penetrated to this region in the summer of 1870. He 

 was accompanied by ]N". P. Langford and Lieut. G. C. Doaue of the 

 United States Army. Both these gentlemen gave to the world most 

 interesting accounts of the wonders of this region, which excited much 

 attention. 



A rapid reconnaissance of the Yellowstone district was made by Col. 

 J. W. Barlow, United States Engineers, during the summer of 1871, and 

 an interesting report was published the following spring. 



The results of the surveys under my charge during the years 1871 and 

 1872 were published in the form of two annual reports with illustrations 

 and maps. Though the maps were not based upon a careful triangulation, 

 and were not, therefore, entirely accurate, tliey were a great advance 

 upon any work which had been performed previously in this region. 



The exploration of the Yellowstone region, in 1871, together with the 

 reports upon it, excited so much attention throughout the country that 

 Congress, during the session of 1871 and 1872, became very much in- 

 terested in its preservation. I^umerous articles which were published 

 by the periodical press, aided very much to increase this interest among 

 the people. So far as is now known, the idea of setting apart a large 

 tract about the sources of the Yellowstone Eiver as a national park, 

 originated with the writer. 



On the 18th of December, 1871, a bill was introduced into the Sen- 



