"Yosemite National Park " a Yosemite National Park Travel Page by Ischyros

When Yosemite Valley was "discovered" by white settlers in the mid-1800s, the Ahwahnechee Indian tribe had been living and working with the land for many years under the leadership of Chief Teneiya. In 1851, John Savage led the Mariposa Battalion into the valley to round up the Indians and move them to a reservation near Fresno. After much hardship, the Ahwahnechees were allowed to return to the valley; however, when 8 miners were killed in the valley in 1852 by Chief Teneiya's men, he realized that he would have to flee to safer territory. He led his tribe out of the Valley to stay with his family tribe, the Mono Indians. Eventually in 1853, the Ahwahnechees returned to Yosemite Valley. Soon after, several braves from Teneiya's tribe stole some horses from the Mono Indians. Feeling betrayed for their hospitality, the Monos ended up killing most all of the Ahwahnechees, including Chief Teneiya. This assult left the Valley clear and safe for tourists.

The Mariposa Battalion were the first white settlers to see and enter Yosemite Valley, which until then was just a rumor, a rumor of enormous trees stretching hundreds of feet in the air, waterfalls falling as if from the sky, and cliffs reaching a mile high. The Valley was named Yosemity, which is what Dr. Brunnell believed the Indians had called it. The Indians in actuallity called it Ahwahnee, but the name Yosemity stuck, however it's spelling was changed to Yosemite. The first tourists into the Valley arrived in 1855. That first year saw 42 tourists in all. I'm 1856, a toll path was built into the Valley and cost $2 per person to use, a huge sum of money in 1856. Fredrick Law Olmsted was lured to Yosemite in 1863 and he realized the Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees were being ruined by the tourism. He convinced California senator John Conness to introduce a bill to the Senate that would protect these two areas. Having sprung up during the Civil War, the bill easily passed and Lincoln signed it on June 30, 1864. It gave Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California for public use, resort and recreation, creating the world's first area of land set aside by a federal government for protection. It was soon learned that commercialization would doom Yosemite Valley and farming and logging upset the water that created the waterfalls in the Valley and the forests in the surrounding country. It was clear more land needed to be protected. Thus on October 1, 1890, Yosemite because the world's second National Park. The bill included the entire drainage system for Yosemite Valley. Today Yosemite receives over 4 million visitors a year and covers over 748,000 acres.

One of Yosemite's beloved icons is gone. The Jeffery Pine pictured above rested on top of Sentinel Dome in Yosemite for years. The tree was made famous by Ansel Adams in a stunning photo he took. Since then it has been used on countless pictures and postcards. The tree died during the drought of 1976-1977, but it was loved so much hundreds of volunteers brought it water to try to save it. Even after it's death, the sight of the twisted tree inspired photographers. Sometime during the week of August 10-17, 2003, the tree fell. The cause of this is unknown but rangers believe severe storms in the Sierras over that week finally brought the tree to the ground. Most people don't even think twice when a tree falls, but this tree was special and will be missed by many, myself included.