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The Folsom Expedition of 1869 was the first organized expedition to explore the region that became Yellowstone National Park. The privately financed expedition was carried out by David E. Folsom, Charles W. Cook and William Peterson. The party kept a journal of their findings which was later published by a Chicago, Illinois based magazine know as the "Western Monthly", after a subsequent expedition in 1870 confirmed their findings.

Following the Yellowstone River south from present-day Three Forks, Montana, they entered the park region on September 13, 1869, at what is today known as Mammoth Hot Springs. The party continued south along the course of the Yellowstone River, and reached the north shore of Yellowstone Lake. Turning northwest, members of the expedition passed through some of the geyser areas and followed the Madison River out of the park, exiting the current park boundary near what is now the town of West Yellowstone, Montana on October 3, 1869.

A report of their exploration was presented to the Historical Society of Montana and is considered to have been an inspirational force which led to better financed and more scientific explorations, beginning with the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870. In fact, less than a month after the Folsom party had returned from the Yellowstone region, their detailed reports of the geography of the area was used to produce a map which was used by later explorations into the region.

Reference

• Haines, Aubrey L. (2000). "The Folsom Party (1869)". Yellowstone National Park: Its Exploration and Establishment. U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2006-11-15.

• History of the American West