Yellowstone Jack

Jack Baronett (1829–1906) was an important figure in the history of Yellowstone National Park. In his early life he traveled the world, prospecting and mining in Australia, Africa, China, and Alaska. He traveled to the Yellowstone region in 1864—eight years before the Park was established—to join other early prospectors searching for gold and exploring the geyer basins. His first claim to fame came in 1869 when he and a partner rescued Truman Everts, a lost, near-death member of the Washburn Yellowstone expedition. After 1872 he served as early assistant superintendent in Yellowstone, a scout for the US Army, and one of the founders of Cooke City, MT. As a notable guide in the park, his patrons included Generals Sherman, Sheridan and Strong, President Chester Arthur, George Bird Grinnell, and Wiliam Henry Jackson. They all used Baronett’s Bridge, the first bridge built over the Yellowstone River in 1871. In 1875 Baronett was deputized as a US Marshall, making him the first federal law enforcement officer in the park. He chased horse thieves and protected the area from poachers and outlaws.

Historians have dubbed Baronett prospector miner, explorer, adventurer, soldier of fortune, scout, hunter, guide, and Indian fighter—all monikers befitting his adventurous wanderlust life. Despite all these wanderings, he eventually discovered what would be his true home—southwest Montana and Yellowstone National Park.