John Muir

John Muir, circa 1900
NPS

“Everyone needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in where nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike” - John Muir, 1869

John Muir was one of the country’s most famous naturalist and conservationist. Muir is credited with the establishment of the National Park System and the Sierra Club. He educated Americans about the value of the country’s wilderness and inspired wilderness advocates. Today Muir Woods and the John Muir Historic Site are named in his honor.

Early, self-taught education

John Muir was born in Dunbar, Scotland on April 21, 1838, as the oldest son in a religious shopkeeper’s family. From an early age, nature fascinated Muir. His family immigrated to America in 1849 and settled into farm life in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. His family did not have enough money to send him to school. After completing his daily chores, Muir taught himself algebra, geometry and studied the environment around him. As a child, he designed many inventions that would ease the family’s work.

Passion for nature

As he grew older, Muir became increasingly excited about what plants and nature could teach him. At university, Muir focused his studies on chemistry, geology and botany. Restless to explore more of the country, he left school for what he would call "the University of the Wilderness”. He came to the San Francisco area in 1868 and there he discovered the Sierra Mountains. Muir fell in love with the immense beauty of the mountain landscape. Armed with a plant-press and a blank notebook, Muir wandered for weeks at a time, through the mountains that would later be Yosemite National Park.

During his lengthy wanderings, Muir contemplated man's relationship to nature. He concluded that all life forms have inherent significance and the right to exist. Humans, Muir decided, are no greater or lesser than other forms of life. He also realized the fragility of nature. How people’s impact on the land was slowly destroying the beauty of wilderness. He cited human threats to the wilderness including, grazing, lumbering and commercial developments. To combat this threat, he wrote many magazine articles and books about nature. His writing inspired people to love nature and to protect the environment.

Creation of Yosemite National Park

Muir became politically active to protect Yosemite from commercial developments. After several legal battles, Congress established Yosemite National Park in 1890. The designation protected thousands of acres of forest land from further destruction. In 1892, Muir and other citizens banded together and established the Sierra Club. The club taught about protecting wild places and the threats to these areas.

President Roosevelt and John Muir in Yosemite, 1903
NPS

President Teddy Roosevelt profoundly influenced by Muir and the conservation movement. In 1903, Roosevelt spent four days camping with Muir in Yosemite. Muir taught him the value of the untamed land. His visit with the naturalist changed how Roosevelt thought about protecting the environment. As president, Roosevelt saved 148 million acres of forest. He also created 50 areas to protect wildlife, 16 national monuments, and 5 new national parks.

Battle over Hetch Hetchy Valley

The biggest fight that Muir and the Sierra Club had was about the damming of Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite. Some people wanted to protect this beautiful valley just as it was. Other people in California wanted to build a dam there to create a new and reliable drinking water reservoir. After a big earthquake and fire hurt San Francisco in 1906, the city needed clean water. In 1913, Congress said yes to building the dam. Muir was worn out from this devastating loss. He retreated from politics and spent his last years writing and with his family. John Muir died in December 1914.

For Further Readings**:

John Muir; At Home in the Wild. Katherine S. Talmadge. Twenty-First Century Books, New York, New York. 1993.

John Muir in Yosemite. Shirley Sargent. Flying Spur Press, Yosemite, California. 1971.

John Muir, Naturalist: A Concise Biography of the Great Naturalist. John W. Winkley, M.A., D.D. The Pantheon Press, Nashville, Tennessee, 1959.

John Muir, Wilderness Protector. Ginger Wadsworth. Lerner Publications Company, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1992.

**Visit the parks associated with John Muir!

Visit Muir Woods National Monument, located in Marin County, just north of San Francisco.

Visit the John Muir National Historic Site, located in Martinez, California.

Where this belongs

• Golden Gate National Recreation Area
• Muir Woods National Monument

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