"Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America"

It was almost exactly 150 years ago -- early March of 1872 -- when the first-ever national park in this country, or for that matter in the world, Yellowstone National Park, was established by the U.S. Congress and then signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant. On this edition ST, we look into the historical as well as the socio-cultural and political contexts in which this majestic park was ordained. Our guest, Megan Kate Nelson, is a noted writer and historian who's written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, Preservation Magazine, and other publications. She joins us to talk about her new book, "Saving Yellowstone: Exploration and Preservation in Reconstruction America." Per the writer Steven Hahn, author of "A Nation Without Borders," Nelson "has a remarkable ability to take an unfamiliar event and not only bring it to light, but also use it as a lens for viewing much larger and more familiar events in new ways."