Very readable. While usually a fan of world history as opposed to American I found this an entertaining read full of historical facts.

The author picking a town to concentrate on gave me insight into every day life there while giving information on the development of Yellowstone ( )

Lee Whittlesey, a Yellowstone National Park historian, has created a work that will appeal to true lovers of Montana history, especially arcane history. Cinnabar, Montana, was a temporary town on the Yellowstone River just north of the entrance to Yellowstone Park. It was the brainchild of an entrepreneur who almost willed the town into existence with dreams of a railhead that would serve the expected numbers of visitors in the 1880s, but had that dream die when the railroad was extended south to Gardner at the exact entrance to the Park.

Whittlesey almost parallels this entrepreneur’s actions by himself willing into being a history of a place that barely existed. But he does it with enthusiasm, with remarkable dedication and truly with love. He has somehow cobbled together a fascinating history of the family and events of Cinnabar…a town that 99% of Montanans don’t even know existed. I loved the detail, the narrative and the tribute to a place that is gone….but while it lived had high hopes. ( )

This was a delightful history, both human and geological, of the development of Yellowstone. I have a friend who has lost count of how many times he's been there, so I've gifted this to him. Gateway to Yellowstone fills in the knowledge gaps about what we all thought we knew about this natural wonder and the rough necked pioneers who first arrived on the scene. ( )

An interesting piece of history but a slow read. I have become too used to historical books written as novels whereas this one was written more like my high school history book. There was a lot of repetition and jumping around in time. I also had a hard time keeping track of the myriad people who appeared for one or two pages and then never again. I did enjoy learning learning about the struggle to start towns in the middle of nowhere and the competition that existed.

This well documented and enthralling book explores the founding and demise of Cinnabar, Montana and the story of Hugo J. Hoppe and his vision. As the railroads and national parks developed, so did the dreams of entrepreneurs. Hoppe hoped to provide for his family by running a hotel for guests at the end of the railway line in Cinnabar. Land disputes prevented the railroad from developing close to the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. Tourists disembarked at Cinnabar and took stagecoaches into the park. Years of hard work by Hobbe and his four sons eventually resulted in accomplishing his goals. Unfortunately unforeseen circumstances led to the end of Cinnabar and Hoppe's hopes. ( )