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During the 1850's,pioneers in the Great Plains reported that the land was good for ranching and farming, despite low rainfalls. Soon after the Civil war, ex-soldiers headed for the West looking for a living in mining, farming, or ranching. The development of the transcontinental railroad, in 1869, aided in a faster transportation of people and supplies. The one week long trip lured in many more aspiring settlers. With more white settlers coming to the West, …

…Not only was there gold to make a living on, but furs, fish, coal, copper, and timber. Ultimately, like all things the frontier came to an end, but the West lived on in dime novels that portrayed it as romantic. Finally Americans realized they had been wasteful during their digs and chopping for money at the nature's expense. Yellowstone was the world's first national park in 1872, and later the National Park Service was established in 1916.