Yosemite (quad)
(Long, Lat)
Description:
Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees were granted to the
State of California by act of Congress, June 30, 1864, “upon the express conditions
that the premises shall be held for public use, resort, and recreation.”
By act of October 1, 1890, a large area surrounding this grant was “reserved
and withdrawn from settlement” and “set apart as reserved forest lands,”
with the stipulation that regulations by the Secretary of the Interior “shall
provide for the preservation from injury of all timber, mineral deposits, natural
curiosities, or wonders within said reservation, and their retention in their
natural condition.” The reservation was designated by the Secretary of the
Interior “Yosemite National Park.”
Changes in boundaries were made by act of February 7, 1905, adding the
northern watershed of Tuolumne River, and eliminating the Mount Ritter
and Minaret region, a small area above Lundy, and a considerable area on
the west that was largely held in private ownership.
The Legislature of the State of California, by act of March 3, 1905, voted
to recede to the United States the grant of 1864. This recession was accepted
by joint resolution of Congress, June 11, 1906, and at the same time a small
additional area on the South Fork of the Merced was eliminated from the
park. The Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees were by
this act incorporated in Yosemite National Park.
For detailed accounts, see: Whitney:
Yosemite Guide Book,
1870, pp. 9-13,
20-23—Hutchings:
In the Heart of the Sierras,
1886, pp. 149-162.—Muir:
Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park, in
Century Magazine, September,
1990.—Editorials and letters in
Century Magazine, January, 1890,
September, 1890, November, 1891.—BadĆØ:
Life and Letters of John Muir,
II, 1924, pp. 234-242, 255-257, 351-357, 394-395.—
Robert Underwood Johnson:
Remembered Yesterdays, 1923, pp. 287-292.—
Report of Yosemite Park Commission,
December 5, 1904, (Senate Document no. 34, 58th Congress, 3d
Session.).—S.C.B., 1905, V:3, pp. 242-253, 267-269; 1906, VI:1, pp. 58-61,
69-70.
From
Place Names of the High Sierra (1926) by Francis P. Farquhar
Here we began to encounter in
our path, many small streams which would shoot out from under these
high snow banks, and after running a short distance in deep chasms which
they have through ages cut in the rocks, precipitate themsleves from
one lofty precipice to another until they rain below. Some of the these
precipieces appeared to us to be more than a mile high. (Leaonard,
174)
Zenas Leonard was a member of the Joseph E Walker party that crossed the
Sierra Nevada in 1833.
Francis P Farquhar, and others take this to be a description of Yosemite
Valley by the first whites to see it, but there are dissenting views.
Ten-ie-ya said that a small party of white men once crossed the
mountains on the North side, but were so guided as not to see it. (Bunnell,
Discovery,
1988,78)
Paden and Schlichtmann argue that Leonard was describing Cascade,
Tamarack, Coyote, and Wildcat creeks, and provide a persuassive
description of the route most likely taken by Walker's party. (Paden,
259-64).
At least two white men saw--but did not enter--Yosemite Valley as early as 1849.
While at Savage's Reamer and I saw grizzly bear tracks and went out
to hunt him down getting lost in the mountains and not returning until
the following evening found our way to camp over an Indian trail that
lead past a valley inclosed by stupendous cliffs arising perhaps 3000
feet from their base and which gave us cause for wonder. Not far off a
waterfall dropped from a cliff below three jagged peaks into the valley
while farther beyond a rounded mountain stood the valley side of which
looked as though it had been sliced with a knife as one would slice a
loaf of bread and which Reamer and I called the Rock of Ages. (Diary of William Penn Abrams, BL.)
Clearly Abrams saw Bridalveil Fall, the three Cathedral Rocks and Half Dome. The author of an article in the Modesto
Stanislaus News
of January 22, 1875, claimed that James Savage had been in Yosemite
Valley as early as June 1849, but this cannot be substantiated.
The first white men known to have entered Yosemite Valley were members
of Major Savage's Mariposa Battalion.
The date was March 27, 1851 (Eccleston, 48, 58-60). They valley and many
of the major features in or near it were named by these men during the
first four or five days.
Some romantic and foreign names were offered...a very large number
were canonical and scripture names. As I did not take a fancy to any of
the names proposed. I remarked that...'Icould not see any necesiity for
going to a foreign country for a name for American scenery--the grandest
that had ever yet been looked upon...that the name of the tribe who had
occupied it, would be more appriopriate than any I had heard
suggested.' I then proposed 'that we give the valley the name of
Yo-sem-i-ty, as it was suggestive, euphonious, and certainly American;
that by so doing, the name of the tribe of Indians which we met leaving
their homes in this valley, perhaps never to return, would be
perpetuated.' I was here interrupted by Mr. Tunnehill, who impatiently
exclaimed: 'Devil take the Indians and their names! Why should we honor
these vagabond murderers by perpetuating their name?' Another said: 'I
agree with Tunnehill:--the Indians and their names. Let's ca;; this
"Paradise Valley."
The question of giving it the name of Yo-sem-i-ty was then explained, and upon na
viva voce vote being taken, it was almost unanimously adopted.
Lieutenaunt Moore of the USA in his report on expedition to the
Valley in 1852, substituted 'e' as the terminal letter, in place of 'y',
in use by us; no doubt thinking the use of 'e' more scholarly, or
perhaps supposing Yosemite to be of Spanish derivation... Somtime after
the name had been adopted, I learned from Major Savage that Ten-ie-ya
repudiated the name for the Valley, but proudly acknowledged it as the
designation of his band, claiming that 'when he was a young chief, this
name had been selected because they occupied the mountains and valleys
which were the favorite resort of the Grizzly Bears, and because his
people were expert in killing them. That his tribe had adopted the name
because those who had bestowed it were afraid of 'the Grizzlies' and
feared his band. (Bunnell,
Discovery, 1880, 61-64)
While we must willingly acquiesce in the name of YoSemite...as
neither that nor Yo-Ham-i-te, but 'Ah-wah-ne', is said to be the 'pure
Indian' name, we confess that our preferences still are in favor of the
pure Indian being given; but until that is determined upon (which we do
not ever expect to see done now). Yo-Semite, we thank, has the
preference. (Hutchings,
Scenes, 187, 95)
In the first place the aborigines never knew of any such locality as
Yosemite Valley. Secondly, there is not now and there has not been
anything in the valley which they call Yosemite. Thirdly, they never
called 'Old Ephraim' himself Yosemite, nor is there any such word in the
Miwok language. The valley has always been known to them, and is to
this day, when speaking among themselves, as A-wa-ni. (Powers, 361)
Bunnel named the falls and the creek, stating that the Indians called
the falls "Choolok" or "Schoolook" meaning "The Fall" and the creek
"Scho-tal-lo-wi" which he interprested to mean "the creek of the fall."
(Bunnell,
Discovery, 1880, 201-2)
Yosemite Point was first named on the USGS
Yosemite Valley map of 1907, although it had been described long before that. (Whitney,
Geology, 414.) (YNP)
From
Place Names of the Sierra Nevada
Trips:
- October 31, 2015 - Walk around West end of Yosemite Valley with meetup group
- April 30, 2016 - Meetup hike around the west end of Yosemite Valley
- October 1, 2016 - Meetup hike around the west end of Yosemite Valley
- March 10, 2018 - Day hike around the east end of Yosemite Valley with Meetup group
- October 21, 2021 - Tour of Glacier Point and Yosemite Valley areas
- April 28, 2022 - Stroll along the east end of Yosemite, a lot of it along the Merced.
Pictures:
References:
