Diary of the Washburn Expedition to the Yellowstone and Firehole Rivers in the Year 1870 (INSCRIBED)
St. Paul, MN: Published by the author, 1905. First edition. INSCRIBED Presentation copy to "Hon. Samuel Lord, Compliments of the author. Nathaniel P. Langford. St. Paul, Sept 27, 1909." Lord was a lawyer, Minnesota State Senator, and Director of the National Bank of Kasson, MN. 8vo. (xxxi), 122 pp. 22 plates; maps. Dark blue cloth with red stamped pictorial cover and gilt lettering to cover and spine in uncommon grey printed dustjacket (Publisher noted as J. E. Haynes & dated June 1919 on the front). A fine copy in about fine dustjacket. An uncommon first printing, made more so INSCRIBED and in the dustjacket. Item #21076
The complete story of the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition of 1870 exploring the region of northwestern Wyoming that a couple years later became Yellowstone National Park in 1872. Led by Henry Washburn, Nathaniel P. Langford and under U.S. Army escort led by Lt. Gustavus C. Doane, the expedition followed the general course of the Cook–Folsom–Peterson Expedition made the previous year. During the explorations, members of the party made detailed maps and observations of the Yellowstone region, exploring numerous lakes, climbing several mountains and observing wildlife. The expedition visited both the Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, and after observing the regularity of eruptions of one geyser, decided to name it Old Faithful, since it would erupt about once every hour. Mount Langford, in the Absaroka Range, just east of Yellowstone Lake, was scaled by Langford during the expedition and named after him. He subsequently became first superintendent of Yellowstone Park.
Price: $1,200.00