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E. C. Waters and Development of a Turn-of-the-Century Tourist Economy in Yellowstone National Park

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Abstract

After designation as the world’s first national park in 1872, Yellowstone became a popular turn-of-the-century tourist destination. In response to increasing numbers of tourists, a unique maritime system developed on Yellowstone Lake, culminating with tour vessel E. C. Waters’ launch in 1905. The National Park Service’s Submerged Resources Center 1996 archaeological investigations in Yellowstone National Park focused on the 125 ft.-long wooden-hulled screw steamer E. C. Waters’ remains and other elements of Yellowstone Lake’s tourist infrastructure. Yellowstone National Park’s tourist development is examined in a world system framework, linking developments on Yellowstone Lake to late-19th-century western tourism and industrial capitalist expansion. The E. C. Waters site (48YE13) is interpreted as part of a regional maritime system.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Park Service, Submerged Resources Center, PO Box 728, Santa Fe, NM, 87504, USA

    Matthew A. Russell, James E. Bradford & Larry E. Murphy

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  1. Matthew A. Russell
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  2. James E. Bradford
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  3. Larry E. Murphy
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Russell, M.A., Bradford, J.E. & Murphy, L.E. E. C. Waters and Development of a Turn-of-the-Century Tourist Economy in Yellowstone National Park. Hist Arch 38, 96–113 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03376671

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