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Chronicling America is a searchable digital collection of historic newspaper pages through 1963 sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress.
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Also, see the Directory of U.S. Newspapers in American Libraries, a searchable index to newspapers published in the United States since 1690, which helps researchers identify what titles exist for a specific place and time, and how to access them.
"A Mountain Climber's Outing: A Novel Experience." In August 1902, more than 200 members of the conservation organization, The Sierra Club, (along with 15,000 pounds of provisions) hike along the steep trails of Yosemite Park; sleeping in the outdoors, listening to the lectures of naturist & champion of Yosemite, John Muir, and viewing the great masterpieces of the tree creation: The grand Sequioas. The accounts of the club's second annual outing are printed in the August 24th issue of the San Francisco Call. Read more about it!
The information in this guide focuses on primary source materials found in the digitized historic newspapers from the digital collection Chronicling America.
The timeline below highlights important dates related to this topic and a section of this guide provides some suggested search strategies for further research in the collection.
| June 30, 1855 | James Mason Hutchings leads tourists to Yosemite’s Inspiration Point. |
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| 1864 | President Abraham Lincoln signs federal legislation which establishes the “Yosemite Grant,” the first time the US Federal Government sets aside land for use as a park. |
| 1865 | Frederick Law Olmsted, as a commissioner managing the Yosemite Grant, writes a report on Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove which the commission suppresses. |
| October 1869 | John Muir arrives in Yosemite. |
| 1880 | President Rutherford Hayes visits Yosemite. |
| 1889 | Muir returns to Yosemite and discovers it has deteriorated and is in need of restoration and protection. |
| October 1, 1890 | Yosemite becomes a national park. |
| May 28, 1892 | Establishment of the Sierra Club. |
| 1903 | John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt camp at Yosemite. |
| October 1905 | Yosemite National Park is expanded by adding Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley. |
| 1909 | President William Taft visits Yosemite. |
| 1909-1910 | Attempts made to develop water resources in Hetch Hetchy Valley for use by the city of San Francisco. |
| 1913 | Raker Act passes US Congress which allows the flooding of Hetch Hetchy Valley. |
| 1916 | National Park Service established. |
