T H E FATHER OF OUR
NAT I O N A L PARKS
A look into the life of John Muir, who made Contra Costa County his home
By Matt Larson
Living in California we either see or hear the name John
Muir quite a bit. Be it the John Muir National Historic Site
in Martinez, John Muir Health, one of many John Muir
elementary or high schools, not to mention the Muir Woods
National Monument in Marin, or the fact that John Muir
is immortalized on the back of the official California State
Quarter.
John Muir lived from 1838-1914, and is a prime example
of how one individual can have a lasting impact on the world.
A naturalist, conservationist, and a self-proclaimed “poeticotrampo
geologist-botanist and ornithologist-naturalist etc., etc.”
He’s most renowned for his adventures in California’s Sierra
Nevada. He was a prolific writer who taught people about the
importance of experiencing the natural beauty of our earthly
heritage. His writings helped contribute to the creation of the
Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand
Canyon national parks.
Born in Dunbar, Scotland, Muir first came to the United
States when he was 11 years old. In 1849 his family emigrated
from Glasgow, Scotland to New York; it was a six-week trip
via sailing ship. They then went straight to Wisconsin where
Muir spent most of his 20s. He enrolled at the University of
Wisconsin and it was here that he first learned about geology
and developed his love for botany—this is where he also met
his future mentor, Jeanne Carr. At 30 years old in 1868, Muir
sailed to California. He arrived in San Francisco and soon made
his first visit to Yosemite, where he’d spend much of his time in
the coming years.
He would always find his way back to the Bay Area though,
where he did much of his writings over the years. His first
published writing was in the Boston Recorder in 1866 when
he was 28-years old. It was called The Calypso Borealis, written
about a rare orchid he discovered while botanizing in Ontario.
Then in 1871 the New York Tribune published Muir’s first
article from California titled Yosemite Glaciers. San Francisco’s
The Overland Monthly publishes several of his writings in
1872, and by 1874 began publishing Muir’s series, Studies in the
Sierra. Ultimately he wrote more than 300 magazine articles
and 10 major books.
The same year his series was being published in the The