Teddy Roosevelt Visits Yosemite National Park by Zina Abbott

 

The majority of this  post was a originally published on this blog almost ten years ago on August 8, 2016. With my inclusion of this incident in my current book, Ardith Yosemite Bride, I felt it appropriate to share it again. In fact, if you have already read Part 1 of the book, in which I fictionalized several characters, you might almost feel like you are reading the account from the point of view of Ardith and her two friends, Lucy and Julia Leonard.

~oOo~ 

In 1903, President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt visited Yosemite National Park. Guided into the Yosemite wilderness by naturalist John Muir, the president went on a three-day wilderness trip that started at the Mariposa Grove. 

 

Pres. Roosevelt, John Muir and the official presidential delegation at Grizzly Giant Tree in Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

He also visited Sentinel Dome, Glacier Point, and Yosemite Valley among other points of interest in the park. Muir seized the opportunity "to do some forest good in talking freely around the campfire," and the President, referring to John Muir, is quoted as saying "Of course of all the people in the world, he was the one with whom it was best worth while thus to see the Yosemite."

 

President Theodore Roosevelt and his Official Delegation enter the part at Wawona

President Roosevelt, accustomed to being surrounded by enthusiastic crowds, wanted his experience to the park to be one of isolation and “roughing it.” For most of his journey he was accompanied by only four others: John Muir, two of the men hired as the first civilian park rangers in 1898, Charlies Leidig and Archibald C. Leonard, and a packer (Army packer Jacker Alder). President Roosevelt slept on a stack of forty wool blankets covered by a shelter half. Food for the party was cooked over an open campfire by Charlie Leidig.

 

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt leads party including John Muir, Charles Leidig, Park Ranger and cook, Archie C. Leonard, Park Ranger and Army packer, Jacker Adler

From Charlie Leidig’s Report of President Roosevelt’s visit: “On May 3/16, 1903, …they broke camp at Mariposa Grove and were on horses by 6:30a.m. The president directed Leidig to “outskirt and keep away from civilization.” Leidig led the party down the Lightning Trail. They crossed the South Fork at Greeley’s and hit the Empire Meadows Trail. They especially avoided approaching the Wawona Hotel for fear the President would be brought in contact with members of his own official party which had remained for the night at Wawona. They had a cold lunch on the ridge east of Empire Meadows. There was lots of snow as they crossed towards Sentinel Dome; they took turns breaking trail through deep snow. In the Bridalveil Meadows the party plowed through5 ft. of snow. The President mired down and Charley had to get a log to get him out. It was snowing hard and the wind was blowing.”

From Charlie Leidig’s report of President Roosevelt’s visit: “On May 4, the party went down to Glacier Point for pictures that had been prearranged….”

 

President Theodore Roosevelt at Glacier Point

 

From Charlie Leidig’s report of President Roosevelt’s visit:

As they left Glacier Point, the President rode in front dressed in civilian attire. The rangers wore blue overalls, shaps and spurs. They went into Little Yosemite Valley for lunch. Here they encountered a considerable crowd of valley visitors, since it had been widely advertised in the papers that the President was visiting the park.

 

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir at Glacier Point

There was considerable disagreement in the matter of plans for the Presidential visit. The President wanted a roughing trip and through Pardee, Wheeler and Muir such a trip had been worked out. On the other hand, Mr. John Stevens, Guardian of the Valley under State administration, and certain of the commissioners, especially Jack Wilson from San Francisco, had made plans for a large celebration. The Chris Jorgensen studio home had been set aside for the President’s official use. A cook had been set engaged from one of the best hotels in San Francisco to serve a banquet. The commissioner had arranged a considerable display of fireworks, which John Degnan claims amounted to some $1800 worth….

 

Yosemite National Park map

So there was considerable party awaiting the President at the top of Nevada Falls and Little Yosemite. The President requested that all the people be kept at a distance in order that he could carry out his desire for a “roughing trip”, so everybody was kept at a respectful distance.

When the party reached Camp Curry at 2 P.M., they found a big crowd of women in front of the camp. They had formed a line across the road in an attempt to stop the President. They all wanted to shake hands with him. Charlie Leidig states, he was riding second in line with a Winchester rifle and six shooter. His horse was a high spirited animal. The President said, “I am very much annoyed, couldn’t you do something?” Leidig replied, “follow me.” He gave spurs to his horse and as he reared, women fell apart and the President’s party went through the gap. The President waved his hat to the group in the road.

 

Camp Curry, circa early 1900s

 

…..Accompanied by five or six members of his party, the President walked back across the Sentinel Bridge to his horse. Muir had accompanied the President to the Jorgensen studio. The original party of five mounted their horses and started down the valley to pick a camp site near Bridalveil Falls where Muir had suggested they spend the last night in camp….They went down the south side of the [Merced] river followed by a big string of people on horseback, in buggies, surries, and others on foot. Leidig stated there must have been between 300 or 500, or possibly 1000 of them in the crowd, filling the Bridalveil Meadows. As they reached their camping places on a grassy slope just south of the present road through Bridalveil Meadows, the President said to Leidig, “These people annoy me. Can you get rid of them?” Charlie said he walked out and told the crowd that the president was very tired and asked them to leave. They went—some of them even on tiptoe, so as not to annoy their President.

When Charlie returned to the camp site the President said, “Charlie I am hungry as Hell. Cook any dam thing you wish. How long will it take?”

Charlie told him it would take about 30 minutes, so the President lay on his bed of blankets and went to sleep and snored so loud that Leidig could hear him even above the crackling of the campfire.

After dinner, Muir and the President went out int the meadow until way after dark. When they returned they sat around the campfire where the President told them of his lion hunting trips.

People came again in the morning. Crowds could be seen all through the brush. Leidig kept them away. The stage came down containing the President’s official party. After breakfast, the President and Muir got into the stage and as they left the President called Leidig and Leonard to him and said, “Boys, I am leaving you. Good-bye, and God Bless you.”

 

Pres. Theodore Roosevelt in rear seat on way to Inspiration Point, Yosemite National Park

Roosevelt is quotes as saying, "There can be nothing in the world more beautiful than the Yosemite, the groves of the giant sequoias...our people should see to it that they are preserved for their children and their Children's children forever, with their majestic beauty all unmarred." While he was president, Theodore Roosevelt established five national parks, 18 national monuments, 55 national bird sanctuaries and wildlife refuges, and 150 national forests.

It was my privilege as a volunteer in the Merced California Family History Center to have worked with sisters, then-living Lucille C. Davenport as well as Joyce C. Hammer, descendants of Park Ranger Archibald C. Leonard. With their permission, I will be telling a bit of their grandparent’s story in next month’s blog.

 

Ardith Yosemite Bride, my second book published in the multiple-author series, National Park Brides, is now available for sale as an ebook or for no additional cost with a Kindle Unlimited subscription. To find the book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

Also, through May 14th, my first book in the National Park Brides series, Anthelia Yosemite Bride, is on a Kindle Countdown sale for 99 cents. It is also available on Kindle Unlimited. For that book description and purchase options, please CLICK HERE  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

Bingaman, John W., “Guardians of the Yosemite”http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/guardians_of_the_yosemite/history.html

Charlie Leidig’s Report of President Roosevelt’s Visit in May, 1903

Theodore Roosevelt, The John Muir Exhibit, http://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_exhibit/people/roosevelt.aspx

 

Stagecoaches to Yosemite by Zina Abbott

Although rumors of a great valley with steep, granite walls in the Sierra Nevada Mountains existed by the 1840's, Americans of European descent did not enter Yosemite Valley prior to 1851. As word spread of unique and breathtaking beauty, in increasing numbers, adventurers traveled to the region to view and explore. Once the federal government,set apart Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as the Yosemite Grant and turned administration over to the State of California, interest in the region increased. At first, the only way in and out of either grant land was either on foot or on horseback.  

Rail lines and stagecoach routes connecting to Yosemite as of 1885

The completion of the Transcontinental Railroad coupled with Central Pacific Railroad's decision to build a north-south line from Sacramento south promised easier access to those wishing to visit the Yosemite Grant lands. As more tourists poured into California for the purpose of visiting these two preserves, merchants and businesses from Stockton down to Madera saw the benefit of investing in wagon roads that would encourage visitors to patronize their stores and hotels.  

Since the Yosemite Grant lands were surrounded by the gold mining regions, a multitude of stagecoach companies operated nearby. Before long, the process of obtaining permission to build toll roads that would allow stagecoach travel to and from the Yosemite area began.

The Coulterville Company was formed in 1859. After extending its road to Crane Flat not far from Yosemite, the owner, Dr. John T. McLean, arranged with the Yosemite commissioners in charge of the two grant lands for his company to build a road into Yosemite Valley from the north. He negotiated an agreement that his company would have exclusive rights for stagecoach travel for ten years.

 

Dr. McLean then formed the Coulterville and Yosemite Turnpike Company. As part of this  agreement, the road was projected in 1870 and completed to the Merced River in Yosemite Valley in June of 1874. The Coulterville Road holds the distinction of being the first to make the Yosemite Valley accessible to wheeled vehicles.

The Big Oak Flat Company, which also operated in the foothills near Yosemite, applied to extend their road to Yosemite Valley after the Yosemite Commissioners gave exclusive rights to the Coulterville Road. The commissioners refused to violate their agreement with McLean’s company. Unwilling to accept the refusal, the Big Oak Flat Company went over their heads to the state legislature, which passed an act that allowed them to build their road.

The "Zig-Zag" section of the talus slopes of Big Oak Flat Road

The Big Oak Flat and Yosemite Turnpike Road, which began in Chinese Camp (To read my recent post on Chinese Camp, click HERE), was completed to the floor of Yosemite in July, 1874, one month after the Coulterville Road reached the Valley. Because both sought to attract tourists arriving from the north and west, the operation of the Big Oak Flat Road worked as a detriment to the Coulterville Road.  

Galen Clark in front of his cabin

Galen Clark, an early resident of the Yosemite area was instrumental in having Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove set aside as preserves. He was one of the original eight Yosemite Commissioners and was appointed as the Yosemite Grant's first guardian, with duties similar to those performed by today's park rangers. His cabin, to which he welcomed visitors, became known as Clark's Station.

Clark also saw the need for a road that would enter from the south and reach Mariposa Grove first. He worked at raising the money by going into debt with family and businesses. To cover payments, he ended up selling half his interest in all his holdings, including his cabin, which became known as Clark and Moore's Station. He and the Moores, his new partners, managed to get a road built to within twelve miles of Mariposa Grove before they ran out of money. They ended up selling everything to partners Washburn (a successful Mariposa merchant), Chapman, and Coffman, who, in the fall of 1874, applied to extend their newly-acquired Mariposa Road to Yosemite Valley. Washburn eventually bought his partners out.

The commissioners granted their request. The road, which connected the Mariposa Grove with Yosemite Valley in July 1875, was operated by the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company. It also connected the towns of Mariposa, Madera, and other towns to the south. 

This became important as the Central Pacific Railroad completed track, and tourists were able to travel by rail farther south before needing to catch a stagecoach to Yosemite. 

 

Even after the Yosemite Valley Railroad reached almost to Yosemite Valley, stagecoaches transported arriving train passengers from the railroad's station at El Portal to Yosemite Valley, often in a Stoddard Stage Lines Mahta, which was an eleven-passenger mud wagon built in the neighboring county of Merced, California, by McDonald. That did not change until after 1913, when automobiles were finally allowed within Yosemite National Park.

 

I featured the Yosemite Stage & Turnpike Company in my first book in the National Park Brides series, Anthelia Yosemite Bride. I will be featuring the Big Oak Flat and Turnpike Company stagecoach line in my next National Park Brides, book.

To find the book description and purchase options for Anthelia Yosemite Bride, please CLICK HERE 

 

 

Sources:

Sargent, Shirley. Yosemite's Historic Wawona. Yosemite, California: Flying Spur Press, 1979, 13-16.

Russell, Carl Parcher. One Hundred Years in Yosemite. Yosemite National Park, California: Yosemite Association, 1992, 60-63

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Stage_and_Turnpike_Company 

Wikimedia Commons 

https://www.yosemite.ca.us/pioneer-yosemite-history-center/wagons.html