Tukudika Culture and Early Yellowstone Explorations

Tukudika Culture

• The Tukudika used dogs to pull travois for hunting and transporting belongings.
• Evidence of the Tukudika burying their dogs has been found throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
• The Tukudika crafted bowls and containers from steatite (soapstone) for cooking and storage.

Early Explorations

• John Colter, a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, explored the Yellowstone area after the war of 1812.
• Colter’s travels took him to Yellowstone Lake and the Yellowstone River, where he observed hot springs and noted the presence of "Hot Spring Brimstone."
• Exploration of the Yellowstone area increased in the 1820s as the demand for furs rebounded.
• Daniel Potts published the first account of Yellowstone’s wonders, appearing in a Philadelphia newspaper.
• Osborne Russell published an account of his fur trapping in and around Yellowstone during the 1830s and early 1840s.

Mountain Men

• Mountain man Jim Bridger explored Yellowstone during the 1830s and 1840s.
• Bridger’s tall tales about Yellowstone inspired future explorers to visit the area.

Folsom Cook Peterson Expedition (1869)

• The expedition traveled down the divide between the Gallatin and Yellowstone rivers, crossed the mountains to the Yellowstone River, and continued into now present-day Yellowstone National Park.
• The expedition observed Tower Fall, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Mud Volcano, Yellowstone Lake, West Thumb, Shoshone Lake, and the geyser basins of the Firehole River.

Yellowstone National Park

• The first “hotel” in Yellowstone opened at Mammoth.
• Mammoth Hot Springs was used as a temporary Camp Sheridan by the US Army.
• The Nez Perce fled the US Army through Yellowstone.

The National Park Service

• The National Park Service mission includes preserving the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System.
• The mission emphasizes making national parks accessible for public use and enjoyment while managing natural resources to maintain their integrity.
• The National Park Service reintroduces native species and eliminates non-native species.
• The National Park Service is committed to reflecting the diversity of the nation in its workforce.

World War II & Yellowstone

• World War II led to a decline in employees, visitors, and funding for Yellowstone and other national parks.
• Many projects, including the road from Old Faithful to Craig Pass, remained unfinished.

Post World War II

• Visitation to Yellowstone increased dramatically after World War II.
• The neglect of the park during the war led to a deterioration of infrastructure.

Mission 66 (1955)

• The National Park Service, under Conrad Wirth's leadership, launched Mission 66 to improve infrastructure and visitor experience in national parks, a response to the decline in park condition after World War II.

1965-1975

• Yellowstone saw 2,000,000 visitors for the first time in 1965.
• The thermophile Thermus aquaticus was discovered in a Yellowstone hot spring in 1966.
• A new bear management plan was implemented in 1970, including the closure of open-pit dumps in the park.
• Overnight winter lodging opened in Yellowstone in 1971.
• The grizzly bear was listed as a threatened species in the contiguous United States (lower 48 states) in 1975.

Explore the fascinating Tukudika culture and the early explorations of the Yellowstone area. Discover how the Tukudika used dogs for hunting and the significance of their artifacts. Learn about key figures like John Colter and Jim Bridger, who contributed to the exploration and documentation of Yellowstone's natural wonders.