Gustavus Cheyney Doane

The Folsom-Cook Group penetrated the Yellowstone country in 1869, followed by the Washburn-Langford-Doane Expedition in 1870.

Lieutenant Gustavus C. Doane, who served as the leader of the military escort for this latter expedition, as well as for the later Hayden Survey, filed a detailed report which was published as a congressional document and became a landmark of the Yellowstone story.

The following is taken from his report.

Quote, "We kept the Yellowstone to our left, and finding the canyon impassable, passed over several high spurs coming down from the mountains, over which the way was much obstructed by fallen timber, and reached at an elevation of 7,331 feet an immense rolling plateau extending as far as the eye could reach.