Follow the yellow-painted stones

RIVERTON - A 20-ton lump of stone covered in faded yellow paint sits in the heart of Riverton City Park, unlabeled and unnoticed. Over 100 years ago, when automobiles were new and novel, a cutting-edge roadway was developed to funnel eager travelers directly through Fremont County on the way to America's best idea, Yellowstone National Park. The behemoth boulder pays homage to the days before numbered interstates and Google Maps, when a trip from Denver to Yellowstone involved an engaging Wizard of Oz-like game of "follow the yellow-painted stones."

These days, many Americans have a closer rel...