How much money did it cost to build Yellowstone?

Answer 1

When Yellowstone was created in 1872, many in Congress were skeptical of the entire idea of national parks. But, these skeptics were convinced to create the nation's first national park, in part, by the promise that no budget would be necessary to run it. Park proponents believed that enough funds would be generated by leasing land to concesssioners to provide all the money necessary for road construction and maintenance. Kaeding,1997