John Muir's Trail in History
John Muir was a man of great importance in the history of the United States and in the
preservation of it's beauty. His tireless efforts to protect natural wonders such as
Yosemite Valley demonstrated his undying love for the outdoors. Muir took a stand
against the destructive side of civilization in a dauntless battle to save America's
forest lands. The trail of preservation that Muir left behind has given countless
numbers of people the opportunity to experience nature's magnificence.
John Muir was born on April 21, 1838 in the small rural town of Dunbar, Scotland. As a
boy, Muir was "fond of everything that was wild"(My Boyhood and Youth 30) and took great
pleasure in the outdoors. In 1849, Muir and his family emigrated to Wisconsin to
homestead. The great forests of Northern United States capti-vated him and fueled his
desire to learn more. Muir later enrolled in courses in chemistry, geology, and botany
at the University of Wisconsin. After his education, Muir began working in a factory
inventing small machines and contraptions. However, a serious working accident in the
factory left Muir temporarily blind. When he finally regained his vision, he vowed to
live life to the fullest and devote everything he had to nature.
At the age of 29, Muir made a thousand-mile walk from Indianapolis to Florida for the
sheer pleasure of being outdoors. This experience enlightened Muir and compelled him to
extend his travels. With his family's blessings (his wife and two daughters), he began
to wander America's forests, mountains, valleys, and meadows extensively. Alone and on
foot, he filled his notebooks with sketches and descriptions of the plants, animals, and
trees that he loved. He later took trips around the world, including des-tinations such
as Europe and South America. There he explored the Amazon basin and noted many new
plant species. In Alaska, he became the first white man to see Glacier Bay. He
definitely made an impact in Alaska's history: Mount Muir, Muir Glacier, Muir Point, and
Muir Inlet all carry his name.
However, it was California's Sierra Nevada and Yosemite Valley that truly claimed him.
In 1868, he walked across the San Joaquin Valley through waist-high wildflowers and into
the high country for the first time. Later he would write: "Then it seemed to me the
Sierra should be called not the Nevada, or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light...the most
divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen"(Wolfe, 230).
By 1871, Muir had found living glaciers in the Sierra and had conceived his
controversial theory of the glaciation of Yosemite Valley. Muir's reputation for
exploration, glaciation, and environ-mental studies began to be well known throughout the
country. Famous men of the time - Joseph LeConte, Asa Gray and Ralph Waldo Emerson -
made their way to the door of his pine cabin.
In later years he turned seriously to writing; publishing 300 articles and 10 major
books composed of his travel journals. They recounted his travels, expounded his
naturalist philosophy, and beckoned everyone to "climb the mountains and get their good
tidings"(Muir, Life and Letters, 34). Muir's love of the high country gave his writings
a spiritual quality. His readers, whether they be presidents, congressmen, or plain
folks, were inspired and often moved to action by the enthusiasm of Muir's own unbounded
love of nature.
Through a series of articles appearing in Century magazine, Muir drew attention to the
devastation of mountain meadows and forests by sheep and cattle. With the help of
Century's associate editor, Robert Underwood Johnson, Muir worked to remedy this
destruction. In 1890, due in large part to the efforts of Muir and Johnson, an act of
Congress created Yosemite National Park. Muir was also personally involved in the
creation of Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon National Parks.
Muir
deservedly is often called the "Father of Our National Park System."
Johnson and others suggested to Muir that an association be formed to protect the newly
created Yosemite National Park from the assaults of stockmen and others who would
diminish its boundaries. In 1892, Muir and a number of his supporters founded the Sierra
Club to, in Muir's words, "do something for wildness and make the mountains glad"(Muir,
Summer, 47). It was established specifically to rally citizens who believed in the
preservation of the High Sierra and who understood the need for eternal vigilance in its
protection. Muir served as the Club's first president.
In 1901, Muir published Our National Parks. The book brought him national attention,
influencing President Theodore Roosevelt. In May of 1903, Roosevelt and Muir traveled to
Yosemite. Roosevelt was awestruck by the captivating scenery and beauty of the valley.
For the duration of the three-day camping excursion, Muir preached the importance of
preventing "the de-structive work of the lumbermen and other spoilers of the
for-est"(Wadsworth, 112). There, together, beneath the trees, they laid the foundation
of Roosevelt's innovative and notable conservation programs.
However, the trail of John Muir was not always a smooth one. He fought syndicates,
congress, and lobbyists. "The battle we have fought, and are still fighting... is a part
of the eternal con-flict between right and wrong, and we cannot expect to see the end of
it"(Browning 53).
The growing city of San Francisco was in need of a constantly expanding water supply.
Hetch Hetchy Valley, north of Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park, was a prime
location for a dam that would create a lake where the Tuolumne River was. Because it was
completely within the National Park, there would be no pri-vate property to buy the land
from. Muir was strongly opposed of the proposition right from the beginning. He argued
that "This valley... is one of the sublime and beautiful and important features of the
Park, and to dam and submerge it would be contradictive [to what] they were intended for
when the Park was estab-lished"(Silverberg, 233).
To Muir's dismay, he found the Sierra Club was divided: a strong minority of members,
living in San Francisco, were ready to sacrifice Hetch Hetchy to the city's needs. Muir
and his Sierra Club associate William Colby then set up a new organization, the Society
for the Preservation of National Parks. At first the new or-ganization was a success and
it seemed that Hetch Hetchy would be safe. However, when Woodrow Wilson took office in
1913, the new Secretary of the Interior, a San Franciscan lobbyist of Hetch Hetchy,
pushed a bill through congress that allowed the construc-tion of the dam. Muir set forth
a flood of appeals, letters, articles, and statements, but to no avail. Hetch Hetchy was
lost. Muir later said: "Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the peo-ple's
cathedral's and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of
man"(Browning, 65-6).
During this unpleasant affair, Muir's health had been failing dramatically and the
defeat was a devastating blow to his already weakened condition. On December 24, 1914,
Muir died at the age of 76 in Los Angeles. In acknowledgment of his achievements,
California has greatly recognized Muir as an important man to honor in the state's
history. The Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County, Calif., and The John Muir
Trail extending from Yosemite Valley to the summit of Mt. Whitney were established. Mount
Muir, Muir Gorge, Muir Grove, Muir Lake, Muir Mountain, Muir Pass, and Muir's Peak were
also named after him. 1976 the California Historical Society voted John Muir the
greatest Californian in the state's history. California's governor proclaimed every
April 21 John Muir Day in honor of his birthday.
John Muir was perhaps this country's most famous and influ-ential naturalist and
conservationist. He taught the people of his time and ours the importance of experiencing
and protecting our natural heritage. His words have heightened our perception of na-ture.
His personal and determined involvement in the great conser-vation questions of his time
was and remains an inspiration and stepping stone for today's environmental activists.
Richard Hawley, an active environmentalist and executive director and co-founder of
Greenspace, a local environmentalist group in Cambria, commented on the achievements of
Muir. "John Muir was a dedicated man that had a vision... and a passion for natural
beauty. He is a guiding light for a lot of people. The legacy of John Muir lives on
through The John Muir Trail and Yosemite National Park." Hawley went on further to say
that "conservation is critical... and Muir set [the environmental movement] in mo-tion."
Many people today follow the path of John Muir's conserva-tion. His teachings of nature
and life live on through his writings. He possessed the foresight to know that the
forests needed to be protected. He knew that they wouldn't have lasted forever. The
Sierra Club that he founded has helped save millions of acres of forest lands, and other
national monuments that otherwise would have been destroyed. He truly took a stand for
nature, and in doing so, took a stand for mankind.
"The whole wilderness seems to be alive and familiar, full of humanity. The very
stones seem talkative, sympathetic, brotherly. No wonder when we consider that we all
have the same Father and Mother."
-John Muir, April 1911
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