History of Yellowstone National Park
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Yellowstone National Park got its name from early trappers from France, but the name was actually in Indian language, but stood for 'yellow rock' or 'yellow stone'. Any mention of the history of Yellowstone National Park needs to start with the 600,000 years old Yellowstone Caldera Event, which was when the Yellowstone volcano erupted.
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The eruption completely devastated the central part of the park, and a caldera was created that stretched twenty-eight miles by forty-seven miles across, making it one of the biggest in the world. Up to six hundred cubic miles of ash, hot gases and other materials were ejected, making it 10,000 times more that what came out from Mount St. Helen. It was also 140 times more powerful that the Krakatoa eruption in 1883.
The impact of this eruption was far greater than anything the world had ever seen till then, and has also been held responsible for creating an impact on the weather in many parts of the world. The crater is still an important aspect of the park, although it is not clearly visible, thanks to all the lava, erosion and water from the Yellowstone Lake.
Historical evidence suggests that during the Stone Age, the Yellowstone region was frequented by hunters. People also visited the area to look for obsidian, which they used to make tools. Native Americans too made use of the resources found in the area.
Explorer John Cutler was the first Caucasian to visit the area of Yellowstone either in 1807 or 1808. Fur trappers and other explorers visited and explored this area much later.
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