Yellowstone National Park, a global icon of conservation and natural beauty, was born at the most improbable of times: the American Gilded Age, when altruism seemed extinct and society's vision seemed focused solely on greed and growth. Perhaps that is why the park's "creation myth" recounted how a few saintlike pioneer conservationists labored to set aside this unique wilderness against all odds, when in fact, the establishment of Yellowstone was the result of complex social, scientific, economic, and aesthetic forces. Paul Schullery and Lee Whittlesey, both longtime students of Yellowstone's complex history, present the first full account of how the fairy-tale origins of the park found universal public acceptance, and of the long process by which the myth was reconsidered and replaced with a more realistic and ultimately more satisfying story.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. In Camp That Night2. A Rather Unusual Discussion3. On the Documentary Trail from Madison Junction4. Coming to Terms with Nathaniel Langford5. Altruists and Realists6. Spreading the Word7. The Debate8. It Came Out All Right!9. Leaving It All Behind10. Myth and ResponsibilityConclusion: Campfire LessonsAppendix: Known and Reported Accounts of the Washburn ExpeditionNotesIndex
