The tales of explorers, trappers, and prospectors sparked curiosity in the Yellowstone area. What was fact and what was fiction? Legends told of trees made of stone, mountains made of glass and boiling pools on the shore of a dazzling lake where you could catch a fish and cook it while it was still on the line! Interesting stories, even if they were pretty difficult to swallow! Eventually scientific expeditions set forth to learn the truth. Their reports were equally amazing-and they were backed by hard proof in the form of maps, photographs and paintings! Yellowstone had succeeded in capturing the imagination and heart of a nation and a movement began to preserve it for the people of the United States!