When asked to imagine what Yellowstone looked like before it became a national park, many likely picture untouched, towering forests and a silence broken only by the gasp of a geyser or howl of wolves. It is a landscape barren of humanity.

But that image couldn’t be further from the truth.

Last week, Montana State University historians Quincy Balius and Justine Garcia, in collaboration with the Extreme History Project, worked to dismantle that myth during their talk, “The American Promise: Legacies of Division in Yellowstone and Beyond,” at the Bozeman Public Library.

“The national parks are seen as a very uniquely American idea, a very uniquely American enterprise,” Garcia said. “The national parks are part of the pursuit of happiness. But as I'm sure we all know, they haven't always i

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