Yellowstone Becomes the First National Park (1872)

Hello there. My name is Ulysses S. Grant, and a very long time ago, I was the president. I lived in a big white house and helped take care of our country. One day, my friends came to visit me. They had been on a big adventure to a faraway place, and they told me the most amazing stories. They said there was a place where the mud bubbled and popped, like a warm soup. They saw water shoot right out of the ground, high into the sky like a giant fountain. Whoosh. They brought back beautiful paintings and pictures of tall mountains and shiny blue rivers to show me. It looked like a magical land.

I looked at the pictures of the big, fuzzy bison and the sleepy bears. I saw the tall green trees and the colorful hot springs. I thought about this special place and decided it was too wonderful for just one person to own. It should be for everyone. I had a big idea to make it a giant park, a special place for all families and all children to visit and enjoy forever. So, I asked for a very important piece of paper to be brought to my desk. On that paper were the words that would make my idea real. On a very important day, March 1st, 1872, I picked up my special pen and signed my name. It was a promise to everyone.

Because I signed that paper, this wonderful land was named Yellowstone. It became a safe home where all the animals could live happily. The big fuzzy bison could roam free, and the sleepy bears could find cozy places for their long naps. My signature was a promise to protect the bubbling mud, the tall fountains of water, and all the beautiful nature there. I made this promise so that one day, children just like you could come and see the wonders for yourselves. It is so important to take care of our special places, and Yellowstone was the very first promise of its kind.