Reviews
Through Early Yellowstone: Adventuring by Bicycle, Covered Wagon, Foot, Horseback, and Skis
“Just as captivating as the descriptions of geothermal features in Through Early Yellowstone: Adventuring by Bicycle, Covered Wagon, Foot, Horseback, and Skis is the portrayal of those who called the area home. The accounts of how it changed travelers who ventured into it are particularly enjoyable. A scholar and lover of Yellowstone history, Chapple worked on the project for nearly 15 years. The artwork that accompanies the text — a gallery of watercolors from 1884 by T.H. Thomas, never before seen outside of Wales — is also stunning, and provides for another captivating window into the area. In June 2017, Through Early Yellowstone won honorable mention in the travel category of the 19th annual Foreword Indies Book of the Year awards.” —Amanda Eggert, “New Book Recounts Old Stories of Yellowstone,” Explore Big Sky (Montana), August 4, 2017, and Explore Yellowstone, June 8, 2018
“If your thirst for the literature of Yellowstone remains yet unslaked, pick up your copy of Through Early Yellowstone. . . . The volume begins with Nathaniel P. Langford, leader of the 1870 Washburn-Langford-Doane expedition and historian of the vigilante period in Montana (Vigilante Days and Ways, 1890), whose 1871 “Wonders of the Yellowstone” ranks among the best prose he ever put to paper. Other highlights here include Margaret Andrews Allen’s ‘A Family Camp in Yellowstone Park’ (1885); Frank D. Lenz’s ‘Lenz’s World Tour Awheel’ (1893), his chronicle of bicycling through the park; and the journalist Ray Stannard Baker’s ‘A Place of Marvels: Yellowstone Park As It Now Is’ (1903).”
— Aaron Parrett, “Montana Book Roundup,” Montana: The Magazine of Western History, Winter 2016
“Now, after setting the gold standard for a book on Yellowstone, Chapple has released another winner: Through Early Yellowstone: Adventuring by Bicycle, Covered Wagon, Foot, Horseback, and Skis. While Yellowstone Treasures has practical value for any traveler of Yellowstone, Through Early Yellowstone has particular value for more scholarly types—be they Yellowstone history fanatics or historians in their own right. In fact, in terms of value, I would put Mrs. Chapple’s volume on par with Paul Schullery’s Old Yellowstone Days . . . It’s evident great care went into the selection of these pieces, which are augmented by Chapple’s commentary, which precedes each story. As mentioned, while some of the stories may be of more interest to scholars than lay readers, Through Early Yellowstone is nonetheless an enjoyable, enlightening book.”
—Sean Reichard, Yellowstone Insider, 1200-word book review, August 8, 2016
“Greene is my favorite among the writers for her sense of humor, her whole-hearted embrace of the Yellowstone experience, and her use of language that is both imaginative and intimate. Chapple’s inclusion of full-color reproductions of watercolors by Welshman Thomas H. Thomas is an important publishing event. . . . The quickly painted scenes capture the look and feel of Yellowstone remarkably well. . . . This publishing coup in itself makes the book a notable addition to the history of Yellowstone tourism.”
—Steve Gryc, The Geyser Gazer Sput, Vol. 30, No. 3, July 2016
“‘Through Early Yellowstone’ is a delightful trip through travelers’ tales about one of the most remarkable places on Earth. Not only was Yellowstone the United States’ first national park, filled with an incredible number of natural wonders, it quickly captured the imagination of Americans and others. Janet Chapple has selected nearly 2 dozen examples of these recollections. Each is rich with description and offers a different perspective, whether from when or by whom it was written.
The writing styles and experiences are widely varied and every reader will find something that appeals. My favorites were Elwood Hofer’s travels through the parks on skis and the crusty C. Hanford Henderson’s walking tour. . . .”
—David Whelan, Book Review: Through Early Yellowstone, June 16, 2016
“Stories and graphics combine to make Through Early Yellowstone a beautiful, informative, and highly entertaining read. Those who enjoy nature writing or armchair traveling will find this book to be a unique opportunity to experience Yellowstone Park through the eyes of those who saw it first. Their awe and jubilance, expressed in the parlance of the day, charms and delights.” —Diane Prokop, Foreword Reviews, Summer 2016
“As informed and informative as it is inherently fascinating and consistently compelling, Through Early Yellowstone: Adventuring by Bicycle, Covered Wagon, Foot, Horseback, and Skis offers a unique ‘window in time’ history of America’s most famous national park. Enhanced with the inclusion of a Bibliography and an Index, Through Early Yellowstone is very highly recommended for the personal reading lists for anyone that has visited and appreciated the Yellowstone country, and will prove to be an enduringly popular addition to community and academic library Travel History and American History reference collections in general, and Yellowstone National Park supplemental studies reading lists in particular.” —Helen Dumont, Midwest Book Review, June 2016
“With such an independent background, it’s no wonder Chapple was attracted to the story of another strong woman, schoolteacher and one-time secretary of the Wyoming Press Association, Eleanor Quackenbush Corthell. . . . Another of Chapple’s favorite stories was Elwood ‘Billy’ Hofer’s 1887 account of skiing into Yellowstone — with his descriptions of the frosty, enchanted land he explored — and artist Anne Bosworth Greene’s colorful 1928 tale, which in part recounted a 1906 nighttime excursion with a cowboy to what he called Devil Valley to watch elk in the moonlight.” —Brett French, “Wagon, skis, biking: New book explores historic ways of visiting Yellowstone,” Billings Gazette, April 14, 2016
“A fresh and exciting Yellowstone anthology featuring remarkable, untold stories, some astounding, newly discovered nineteenth-century art, insightful perspectives and a welcome, original voice in the park’s expansive literary saga.”
—Peter Hassrick, Director Emeritus, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, April 6, 2016
“My wife and I loved it. The many color art scenes were fascinating; we had not seen most of them. I found the early maps interesting as well. The stories by different early Yellowstone explorers were captivating. I especially enjoyed the story by Elwood “Billy” Hofer, and his insight regarding the Lt. Schwatka expedition. This collection of stories, maps and paintings/drawings by various artists will be an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of Yellowstone, but especially those of us who are Yellowstone aficionados!”
—Orville E. Bach, Jr., author of Reflections from Yellowstone and Beyond—43 Years as a Seasonal Ranger, March 31, 2016
“Through Early Yellowstone is a wondrous treat. These sumptuously illustrated and well-chosen vintage accounts of the park will entertain and inspire new generations of Yellowstone adventurers.”
—Paul Schullery, author of Mountain Time and Searching for Yellowstone, March 8, 2016
“My friend Janet Chapple, long a Yellowstone student and writer, has produced this important addition, which concentrates on collecting the original, old-days works that were responsible for Yellowstone’s being protected as the world’s first national park and that inaugurated the very long bibliography . . . of Yellowstone literature.”
—Park Historian Lee H. Whittlesey, foreword, 2016
Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park
“Yellowstone Treasures is one of the three essential books that I recommend to Yellowstone tourists. The other two books are The Geysers of Yellowstone by T. Scott Bryan and The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls by Rubinstein, Whittlesey, and Stevens.”
—Steve Gryc, “Big Splashes,” The Geyser Gazer Sput, vol. 33, no. 3, June 2017
“Yellowstone Treasures is not merely the most thorough, well researched, and comprehensive guide book available about the Park today. It is the most comprehensive guide book to Yellowstone National Park ever written. Whether you’re planning a visit of a few hours or a few weeks, the single best printed companion you can bring along is Janet Chapple’s Yellowstone Treasures.”
—Leslie J. Quinn, interpretive specialist, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc.
“This is a colorful, detailed, easy-to-navigate guide to Yellowstone,
complete with excellent maps, photographs, useful tips for navigating Yellowstone while staying safe and being able to see and experience beyond what most generic travel guides tell you about. . . . This is a wonderful book.”
—Anonymous judge, Writer’s Digest 17th Annual Self-Published Book Awards competition, 2010
“This color photograph-rich guide to everything you’d ever want to see in Yellowstone National Park contains detailed maps and milepost descriptions of Yellowstone and surrounding areas. Included are easy-to-understand explanations of the geological forces that created its unique character. Use this book to pre-plan the most effective use of your precious time in this complex and magnificent park with its 350 miles of park roads.”
—Escapees: Sharing the RV Lifestyle magazine, July/August 2009
“[A] magnificent catalogued resource to the full enjoyment of a huge national park and area known as Yellowstone. The author has extensive knowledge and experience in exploring the beauties of the area. . . . Altogether, Yellowstone Treasures fills an ongoing need for new generations of park explorers and appreciators. She has spent much of her life becoming better acquainted with the riches of the area and she is generously sharing her knowledge with this beautiful guidebook. It is not to be missed.”
—Nancy Lorraine, Midwest Book Review, May 2009
“Yellowstone guidebooks (the first one appeared in 1873) are legion. Janet Chapple’s Yellowstone Treasures . . . is my recent favorite in this category.”
—Park Historian Lee H. Whittlesey, “BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY: The Most Important Literature about Yellowstone National Park,” Storytelling in Yellowstone, 2007
“Another lone publisher of the range, Janet Chapple, has updated her acclaimed Yellowstone Treasures: The Traveler’s Companion to the National Park (Granite Peak Publications), first published in 2002, and a Gold Medal winner from this magazine at the time. Chapple writes better than most of her travel guide peers. Her new material on geysers, wolves, and other Yellowstone wonders helps keep this book at the head of the pack.”
—Seth Evoy, “Talking the Walk: Books for Foot Travelers”
ForeWord Magazine, Spring Announcements Issue (March/April 2006)
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