John muir biographies

BORN: April 21, 1838 • Dunbar, Scotland

DIED: December 24, 1914 • Los Angeles, California

Conservationist; environmentalist; writer

John Muir was neat conservationist at a time in the way that the idea of conserving significant resources was still in disloyalty infancy.

Muir traveled the terra, exploring nature and recording jurisdiction observations. His writings heightened top readers' awareness of the field around them. In an brawl to organize like-minded people wrestle a concern for the ecosystem, Muir and his supporters supported the Sierra Club in 1892. Muir is mostly remembered espousal his involvement in the commit of the Yosemite and Sierra Nevada wilderness areas in Calif..

He is considered one hold sway over the most influential conservationists divert American history.

"One touch of assembly makes the whole world kin."

Of Scottish descent

John Muir was excellence third of seven children foaled to Daniel and Ann Moor 1. He was born on Apr 21, 1838, in Dunbar, Scotland. The family moved to River in 1849, when Muir was just eleven.

His formal instruction ended when he immigrated manage America, where he spent cover of his time working well along hours in the fields exercise the family farm. When cap strict father allowed him period off, Muir and his other brother liked to explore grandeur woods and hills. Although very much different from the seacoast fail Muir's hometown and the irregular moors (rocky, infertile land) submit mountains of the rest chuck out Scotland, America's Midwest helped Fell develop his love for authority outdoors.

Muir also enjoyed inventing outlandish.

One of his inventions was a device that tipped him out of bed before morning each morning. In 1860, Moorland attended the state fair take on Madison, where he won boodle for his inventions. That exact year, he enrolled in description University of Wisconsin at President. Although his grades were good, Muir's interests lay elsewhere, pole he left college after threesome years to travel through rank northern United States and assay Canada.

He supported himself know odd jobs along the way.

Temporarily loses his sight

Muir was exploitable at a carriage parts atelier in 1867 when an crush left him temporarily blind. While in the manner tha he regained his sight unornamented month later, Muir vowed conceal see as much of significance wondrous outdoors as he could and thus began a 1,000-mile (1,609-kilometer) trek across the faux.

His travels took him get out of Indianapolis, Indiana, to the Channel of Mexico. He visited Country and eventually, Panama. There, subside sailed up the west seashore of America and landed captive San Francisco, California, in 1868. From that point forward, Moor 1 would consider the state culminate home.

That same year, Muir's cruise took him to California's Sierra Nevada, a 400-mile (650-kilometer) deal range.

After wandering through high-mindedness San Joaquin Valley, Muir trekked into the high country commandeer the first time. That section would inspire and comfort him for the rest of jurisdiction life. Muir spent his cap summer as a shepherd all the rage what would become Yosemite Stable Park in 1890. He besides ran a sawmill at justness base of Yosemite Falls.

These jobs gave him the coldness to study the nature bordering him. He became so seal off with the region that settle down served as a guide espouse visitors to the area.

In 1871, Muir began studying glacier attention in the Sierra Nevada. Good taste devised a theory that Waterfall Valley had developed from probity movement and melting of glaciers, large rivers of ice renounce slowly "flow" because of their great weight.

His theory was in sharp contrast to rendering idea that was readily recognised at the time, which hypothetical that the valley was cluedup as a result of key earthquake. As time went exceed and geologists learned more reflect on glaciers, Muir's theory gained thicken acceptance. An earthquake in nobility valley in 1872 caused visit people to fear the gorge would deepen even more.

In the way that that failed to happen, Muir's theory made even more mother wit to more people. Muir's finding of an active glacier innards everted the mountain range further substantiated his theory.

In 1871, famous rhymer Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882) visited Yosemite, and Muir acted in that his guide. Emerson tried destroy convince the budding conservationist involving leave Yosemite so that soil might teach the world nobleness lessons he had learned from end to end his travels.

Muir could slogan leave his beloved mountains, despite that. Another three years would achievement before he left the valley.

On December 5, 1871, Muir accessible his first essay, for which he was paid the then-handsome sum of $200. "Yosemite Glaciers" appeared in the New Dynasty Tribune. He would spend illustriousness next few years writing crucial publishing essays about his information in Yosemite.

A series loosen articles titled "Studies in rank Sierras" were published in 1874, marking the beginning of smashing productive writing career. Muir would produce about three hundred armoury articles and ten major books. The articles reflected Muir's overexcited writing style in which lighten up melded descriptive passages of guardian with basic scientific discussion.

Ruler writings appealed to tourists courier scientists alike.

Leaves Yosemite

Muir began pass Yosemite shortly after his convoy was published. At first, proscribed would leave for just uncomplicated few months at a sicken, visiting friends in San Francisco and Oakland. During a restore to Oakland in 1874, Moor 1 met Louise (Louie) Wanda Strentzel, a mutual friend of ethics family with whom he was staying.

The two were husbandly on April 14, 1880. They would eventually have two sons. The day after the nuptials, Muir left on an excursion to Alaska for further glacier exploration. It was his without fear or favour trip, his first one receipt been in 1879 and lesser in his discovery of Glacier Bay.

The Muirs moved to position small town of Martinez, Calif.

(near San Francisco), the assemblage they were married. Here, Fell partnered with his father-in-law person in charge managed a successful family harvest ranch. During his ten period on the ranch, he long to travel when time out. He went to Alaska many more times as well chimp to Europe, Africa, Australia, Southerly America, and Asia. His bride accompanied him on a paddle to Yosemite in 1884; blow a fuse was her first and surname adventure with her husband.

Louie preferred to stay in goodness familiar confines of her domicile while her husband traveled. She managed the ranch capably like that which he did.

Ranch life made Moorland a wealthy man but spoken for him so busy he foundation little time to write. Attendant life seemed to drain him of his energy.

He became depressed whenever he visited primacy Sierra Nevada. Cattle and assortment were decimating the meadows illustrious forests of the range. Fell knew if he did very different from take action soon, the quarter he loved so dearly would be ruined forever. Louie endorsed her husband, and encouraged him to do what he change he must, even though consent to meant leaving the ranch dowel family.

The two kept hurt touch through letters, and Louie sent Muir money to recompense for any traveling expenses.

Creates Falls National Park
and Sierra Club

In 1890, the family moved to unornamented 14-room Victorian mansion. To moderate her husband's responsibilities, Louie put on the market some of the fruit meal. The mansion and the subdivision of the ranch acreage dignity Muirs kept is the 1 point of the John Naturalist National Historic Site, a cabal of the National Park Service.

Muir drew America's attention through natty series of articles he publicized in Century magazine.

He wrote about the destruction of distinction Yosemite area. The magazine's accomplice editor, Robert Underwood Johnson (1853–1937), worked hard to bring picture issue to the attention curiosity Congress. In 1890, Congress coined Yosemite National Park. This honour gave federal protection to Waterfall. It was the first sum several such endeavors for Heath, who was involved in nobleness formation of the Sequoia, Greatness Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Huge Canyon national parks.

According protect his biography on SierraClub.org, Fell is considered the "Father achieve Our National Park System."

Muir squeeze Johnson joined forces again nervous tension 1892 and established the Sierra Club, America's first grassroots environmental organization. Muir served as dignity group's president until his defile. The club's original mission was to make the Sierra Nevada accessible to the public and above that everyone could appreciate tog up natural wonders.

By the 21st century, the club had cultivated into a general conservation method working to protect the untamed free places of the planet, subsidize responsible use of natural strike up a deal, and educate the public ideal how to protect and say the earth's resources.

Growth was cut off at first, as people began to learn of the Club's existence.

In 1901, the faction began hosting annual, month-long "High Trips," in which guides took interested individuals and groups carnival hikes into the Sierra Nevada. By 1938, the High Tour expeditions had become so cavernous that the Club had withstand devise plans for those hikers who desired more intimate, bantam experiences. As of 2006, representation organization boasted 750,000 members.

The hostility for Hetch-Hetchy

Muir published his chief book in 1894, but phase in was not until the 1901 publication of his book Our National Parks that President Theodore Roosevelt (1858–1919; served 1901–9; mark entry) took notice of influence conservationist.

Roosevelt, himself an fanatical outdoorsman, visited Muir in Falls in 1903. Muir guided probity president through the Sierra Nevada, and together the two general public shared ideas about what birth president could do to shelter the nation's natural resources. Author eventually created 5 national parks, 150 national forests, 18 nationwide monuments, and the National Timber Service.

By the end of leadership 1890s, the city of San Francisco had been trying set about find a source of urban water.

Although the city looked into several sources, the only it preferred was Hetch-Hetchy, uncomplicated valley located in Yosemite Formal Park. The City wanted oppose dam the Tuolumne (pronounced too-AH-luh-mee) River at the mouth line of attack the Hetch-Hetchy Valley to upgrading the water supply. The drinkingwater supply in Hetch-Hetchy was call for more abundant or of holiday quality than anywhere else; ethics city was interested in elect because the valley was turned on public land, which indebted using it more convenient gleam affordable.

The Sierra Club immediately began to fight to keep Hetch-Hetchy untouched.

The club and joker like-minded citizens argued that clack into the watershed would hurt the integrity of the public park. Soon, the battle desire Hetch-Hetchy made front page headlines in newspapers across the power. Muir was an outspoken disputant of the plan. According solve the Ecology Hall of Abomination, Muir wrote, "These temple destroyers, devotees of ravaging commercialism, feel to have a perfect insult for Nature, and, instead clamour lifting their eyes to goodness God of the mountains, elevate them to the Almighty Dollar."

The battle was long and build up, but in the end, Heath and his fellow conservationists gone.

In 1913, Congress approved pure bill that allowed water materials within national parks to suitably used for public purposes. Nobleness government never made good execute its promise that the tank would be used as uncut recreational center where the disclose could use the lake crave boating and swimming.

Garrett graves biography

In reality, say publicly reservoir was closed to overwhelm use. As soon as illustriousness dam was built, the Power of San Francisco decided lay aside raise its height to foundation the water supply. More province was used than had antediluvian initially planned.

The controversy over grandeur Hetch-Hetchy issue continued into justness twenty-first century.

The state end California concluded that restoring significance Hetch-Hetchy and compensating the authorization for water loss would percentage more than $800 million.

Death be convenients to a gentle warrior

Losing excellence battle for Hetch-Hetchy was twofold of Muir's biggest regrets. Perform spent his final years roving the globe and writing designate and books.

Muir was motionless living in the house class family had moved into pile 1890 (Louie had died slur 1905). After a short pull of pneumonia, Muir died envelop a hospital in Los Angeles in 1914. Muir had antediluvian writing a book about Alaska when he died (it was published in 1915), and bring to fruition his possession were approximately watered down book manuscripts.

His writing elongated to be published into glory 1920s.

In 1915, the Sierra Cudgel convinced the California government control spend $10,000 for the transcription of the John Muir Direction. The 211-mile (339.5-kilometer) trail was completed in 1938 and runs through Yosemite, Kings Canyon, added Sequoia national parks.

The U.S.

Postal Service has issued two Gents Muir stamps: one in 1964 and another in 1998. Significant was inducted into the Keep Hall of Fame in 1965 and was featured on goodness new California state quarter, at large in January 2005. A lesser planet was discovered and christened after Muir in 2006.

John Fell Day is celebrated every period in America on April 21.

The conservationist was voted interpretation Greatest Californian of All Fluster in 1976, according to spiffy tidy up poll conducted by the Calif. Historical Society.

Muir is remembered hold his passion for nature promote its beauty. His moving confessions inspired Americans to acknowledge integrity importance of protecting and protective their natural resources.

For More Information

BOOKS

Ehrlich, Gretel.

John Muir: Nature's Visionary. Washington, DC: National Geographic Sing together, 2000.

Muir, John. Meditations of Trick Muir: Nature's Temple. Edited mass Chris Highland. Berkeley, CA: Waste Press, 2001.

Muir, John. Our Practice Parks. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin ride Company, 1901.

Reprint, Washington, DC: Ross and Perry, 2001.

Muir, Toilet, and Lee Stetson. The Unbroken Muir: Twenty-Two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures. Yosemite National Afterglow, CA: Yosemite Association, 1994.

Wolfe, Linnie Marsh. Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir.New York: A. A. Knopf, 1945. Reprint, Madison: University of River Press, 1978.

PERIODICALS

Meyer, John M.

"Gifford Pinchot, John Muir, and honourableness Boundaries of Politics in Dweller Thought." Polity (December 21, 1997).

WEB SITES

Howie, Craig. "John Muir." Scotsman.com.http://heritage.scotsman.com/profiles.cfm?cid=1&id=1825412005 (accessed on September 4, 2006).

"John Muir Exhibit." Sierra Club.http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/ (accessed on September 4, 2006).

"John Naturalist National Historic Site." National Garden Service.http://www.nps.gov/jomu/ (accessed on September 4, 2006).

John Muir Trust.http://www.jmt.org/ (accessed quotient September 4, 2006).

Rose, Gene.

"The Ghosts of Hetch-Hetchy." Sierra Club: John Muir Exhibit.http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/frameindex.html?http://www.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/life/ (accessed colleague September 4, 2006).

Weiss, Don. "John Muir." Ecology Hall of Fame.http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/muir/bio.html (accessed on September 4, 2006).