Topics in Chronicling America - Yosemite National Park: Path to Conservation

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Important Dates:

• 1855: James Mason Hutchings leads tourists to Yosemite’s Inspiration Point June 30.
• 1864: President Abraham Lincoln signs federal legislation which establishes the “Yosemite Grant,” the first time the US Federal Government sets aside land for use as a park.
• 1865: Frederick Law Olmsted, as a commissioner managing the Yosemite Grant, writes a report on Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove which the commission suppresses.
• 1869: John Muir arrives in Yosemite October.
• 1880: President Hayes visits Yosemite.
• 1889 Muir returns to Yosemite and discovers it has deteriorated and is in need of restoration and protection.
• October 1, 1890: Yosemite becomes a national park.
• May 28, 1892: Establishment of the Sierra Club May.
• 1903: John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt camp at Yosemite.
• 1905: Yosemite National Park is expanded by adding Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley October.
• 1909: President Taft visits Yosemite.
• 1909-1910: Attempts made to develop water resources in Hetch Hetchy Valley for use by the city of San Francisco.
• 1913: Raker Act passes US Congress which allows the flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley.
• 1916: National Park Service established.

Suggested Search Terms:

• [Try the following terms in combination, proximity, or as phrases using Search Pages in Chronicling America.]
• Use Muir and Yosemite in “All the Words” search
• Names of sites within Yosemite can be used to find articles about those locations (eg., Half-Dome; Hetch Hetchy Valley; Mariposa Grove; Mirror Lake; El Capitan)
• Other names & terms to use in combination with Yosemite: Joseph Le Conte; Sierra Club; Theodore Roosevelt; Galen Clark

Sample Articles from Chronicling America:

• "A Picture of Our Situation," Morning Call (San Francisco, CA), June 6, 1890, Page 4, Image 4, col. 1.
• "Saved From Vandals," Sacramento Daily Record-Union (Sacramento, CA), November 28, 1890, Page 2, Image 2, col. 4.
• "The Sierra Club," Morning Call (San Francisco, CA), June 18, 1892, Page 3, Image 3, col. 4.
• "A Mountain Climbers Outing," Sunday Call (San Francisco, CA), August 24, 1902, Page 14, Image 14, col. 1-7.
• "It's Spoliation, So Says Muir of the Yosemite," Morning Call (San Francisco, CA), January 12, 1893, Page 7, Image 7, col. 1.
• "John Muir on Yosemite," Morning Call (San Francisco, CA), November 20, 1895, Page 10, Image 10, col. 4.
• "Professor Joseph Le Conte of State University Dies in Yosemite Valley," The Call (San Francisco, CA), July 7, 1901, Page 13, Image 13, col. 1-7.
• "President Eludes Crowds and Rides in Snowstorm to Enjoy Yosemite Beauty," The Call (San Francisco, CA), May 17, 1903, Page 17, Image 17, col. 5-7.
• "President Makes Camp at Bridal Veil Falls," The Call (San Francisco, CA), May 18, 1903, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5-7.
• "Play Time is Over and Mr. Taft Goes to Work," Salt Lake Herald-Republican (Salt Lake City, UT), October 10, 1909, Page 1, Image 1, col. 5.
• "Makes Strong Plea for Keeping Hetch Hetchy Valley Safe from Hands of Possible Despoilers," Los Angeles Herald (Los Angeles, CA), October 31, 1909, Part II, Page 11, Image 23, col. 1.
• "City Throws Off Spring Valley Yoke," The Call (San Francisco, CA), January 15, 1910, Page 10, Image 10, col. 1.