Wrecked in Yellowstone

On an island in the middle of Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park, there’s a wrecked ship—the last dashed hopes of a man determined to find his way in the early profiteering days of the nation’s first national park.

Ambitious, blustery, and paranoid, E. C. Waters arrived in Yellowstone in 1887 and stayed for more than 20 years. He became the most hated businessman in Yellowstone, frustrating park superintendents, irritating customers, and restlessly trying to build a small empire that could outlast his enemies.

Waters pinned his ultimate hopes on a grand steamboat that was assembled piece by piece on the shores of Yellowstone Lake. The boat, like Waters himself, was soon destined to founder.

Thoroughly researched and superbly written by journalist Mike Stark, Wrecked in Yellowstone is the first portrait of one of Yellowstone’s most infamous characters and his place in the tumultuous early years of the park. It is the story of folly, obsession, ruthless competition, and a man overcome by the storms of his own creation.