Page 6 - 2007 DT 12 Issues

January John Muir, continued from p.1 fight to save the Hetch Hetchy Valley
from San Francisco's drive to dam the
D e s k S c h e d u l e ally, many countries of the world. In Tuolumne River in providing water and
1880, he married Louisa ("Louie") power to the city. “Let me assure you
Mon/1 Closed for New Year’s Day Wanda Strentzel, whose family owned a that we . . . are going to keep up the
Tues/2 M. Slagle C. Gilmore 2,600 acre ranch in the Alhambra Valley good fight without fear or favor, if it
Wed/3 V. Sperry C. McLaughlin at Martinez, Calif. Muir went into part- shall take until doomsday”—wrote Si-
--------- P. Kepner nership with his father-in-law and spent erra Club Secretary William Colby in a
most of the next ten years successfully 1909 letter to Gifford Pinchot, a leading
Thurs/4 G. Wojchiechowski J. Barrett cultivating a variety of fruit. Although supporter of the project who saw this as
---------- F. Davis he became quite affluent, pressures of common-sense managing of the nation's
Fri/5 E. Zachar R. Kinn running the business left him "all nerve- resources. Muir saw it as destruction
Sat/6 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck shaken and lean as a of a natural wonder that
Sun/7 E. Rothfuss P. Gertis crow." Fortunately, belonged to the nation.
Louisa supported
He approached Teddy
Mon/8 R. Linsmeier S. Stenzel her husband's retire- Roosevelt for help, but
Tues/9 I./W. Baumann C. Gilmore ment from active the matter got delayed
Wed/10 L. Mills M./R. Augulis management of the until, finally, President
Thurs/11 C. McLaughlin J. Barrett ranch to pursue his Woodrow Wilson signed
G. Wojchiechowski F. Davis conservation proj- the project into law on
ects. Muir returned
December 19, 1913. It
Fri/12 P. Olsen J. Kisosondi to Yosemite again was a crushing blow for
Sat/13 I./W. Baumann J. Sacks and again, where John Muir to see even
P. VanDooremal ---------- the human peril to a part of his beloved
Sun/14 E. Rothfuss L./M. Utah its unique beauty Yosemite Valley des-
Mon/15 R. Linsmeier J. McManus disturbed him. His ecrated. He died just a
writings helped him
year later, shortly after
Tues/16 B. Wolin V. Sperry to become friends visiting one of his two
---------- Illana Hyman with Robert Under- John Muir daughters. Today, the
Wed/17 R. Kinn P. Kepner wood Johnson, editor Sierra Club is actively
Thurs/18 G. Wojchiechowski J. Barrett of Century, a well-known magazine of seeking to restore the Hetch Hetchy Val-
---------- F. Davis the time. After the two of them took a ley by storing water somewhere down
camping trip to Tuolumne Meadows slope from Yosemite.
Fri/19 D./V. Wray D./V. Wray in 1889, they decided that Yosemite Trails, monuments, schools, parks,
Sat/20 D. Harand C. McLaughlin needed the protection that would come and even part of the University of Cali-
J. Kisosondi ---------- with being a national park. Muir wrote fornia are named after this naturalist,
Sun/21 E. Rothfuss L./M. Utah articles and Underwood published them botanist, writer and pre-eminent conser-
Mon/22 S. Stenzel J. Geier in a concerted drive to get congressional vationist. John Muir also lived on in the
action. They were successful in 1890. memories of people who were privileged
Tues/23 C. Camburn J. Geier Yosemite National Park was established to know him—from the woman who
Wed/24 D./V. Wray D./V. Wray and modeled after the nation's first na- accompanied Muir on a Sierra Club
Thurs/25 G. Wojchiechowski J. Barrett tional park, created at Yellowstone in hike and recalled, “. . . the prince of
--------- F. Davis 1872. John Muir also had a key role in mountain lovers . . . his gentle, kindly
Fri/26 P. Olsen D. Powers establishing other national parks—Se- face, genial blue eyes and quaint, quiet
quoia, Kings Canyon, Grand Canyon observations on present and past Sierra
Sat/27 D. Harand L. Eaton and Mt. Rainier. conditions. . .” to Teddy Roosevelt, who
L. Eaton --------- In some ways, John Muir's great- wrote, “Our generation owes much to
Sun/28 B. Saperstein L./M. Utah est legacy lies with the organization John Muir.” So does this generation; he
Mon/29 P. Gertis D. Powers he founded in 1892 and which today reminded us a century ago of a reality
Tues/30 M. Slagle B. Wolin plays a leading role in conservation of true today—"The battle we have fought,
the environment . . . the Sierra Club. It and are still fighting, for the forests is
Wed/31 C. Camburn P. Kepner grew slowly until a momentous event part of the eternal conflict between right

Changes? Call Kate at 515-5350 thrust it, along with Muir, into a bitter and wrong . . . .” 
Page 6 FORRC/January/2007