Photo Credits. Book Design

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2 Photo Credits Cover Ed Gifford/Masterfile; P.2-3 Richard!'Anson/Lonely Planet Images; P.4-5 Courtesy of The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley; P.5 inset The Stapleton Collection/Bridgeman Art Library; P.6 Wisconsin Historical Society; P.7 The Yosemite Museum, Yosemite National Park; P.B--9 Courtesy of The Bancroft Library. University of California, Berkeley; P The Yosemite Museum, Yosemite National Park; P.12 inset Carmel Studios/Superstock; P Inga Spence/Index Stock; P.13 top Philip Schermeister/National Geographic Image Collection; P.13 bottom Melissa Farlow /National Geographic Image Collection; P.14 top DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite; P.14 bottom Richard!'Anson/Lonely Planet Images; P.l4-15 Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Image Collection; P.l6 Peter Johansky /Index Stock Book Design Art Director: Laurie Murphy Designers: Sufjan Stevens, Susan Low, Colleen Pidel Photo Editors: Jacqui Wong, Tracy Armstead, Dian Lofton Executive Editors: Lorin Driggs, Susan Evento Copyright by TIME For Kids Used under exclusive license by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission to make copies of any part of the work should be addressed to School Permissions and Copyrights, Harcourt, Inc., 6277 Sea Harbor Drive, Orlando, Florida Fax: TIME FOR KIDS and the red border are registered trademarks of Tune Inc. HARCOURT and the Harcourt Logo are trademarks of Harcourt, Inc., registered in the United States of America and/ or other jurisdictions. Printed in Mexico ISBN X Ordering Options ISBN ISBN Grade 4 Collection Grade 4, Book 16, Package of

3 by Lisa Jo Rudy L l Harcourt SCHOOL PUBLISHERS Orlando Austin New York San Diego Toronto London Visit The Learning Site!

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6 Some people thought the valley should not be a place for people to live. L W Raymond and Frederick Law Olmsted wanted to help protect it. Olmsted designed parks and gardens. Raymond was a conservationist. He worked to save wilderness land. Together, Olmsted and Raymond wrote a bill. They introduced the bill in the United States Congress. The bill would protect Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees-a grove of giant sequoias. Congress passed the bill. President Abraham Lincoln signed it on June 30, 1864, making it a law. It made the land a "public trust." That meant it belonged to all the people of the United States. The law gave the land to the state of California. The state would be responsible for protecting the land so that it could always be enjoyed. The Yosemite Valley became the first piece of land to be set aside by the United States government because of its natural beauty. Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees were protected, but there was a danger that the area around the valley would be destroyed. People could still build hotels and restaurants there. That upset John Muir (MYOOR). He came to the Yosemite Valley in ~~~" '<" [hj_sj;187~ p~otogra~l~j.h~ : yosemite Valley shows the Mariposa Grove of Big ~Trees on the left and a ~~ ~ t'. waterfall called the Neva ~~ Ja U~ in the distance. ~ ~~~~ ~:,.t' ~ 4

7 Galen Clark lived in the Yosemite Valley for more than 50 years, from 1856 to After the valley was protected by law, Clark was hired to take care of it. He was called the "Guardian of Yosemite," and his salary was $500 a year. 5

8 John Muir Discovers Yosemite John Muir was born in Scotland on April 21, In 1849 his family moved to the United States.They settled on a farm in Wisconsin. John worked hard on his father's farm. He also explored the fields and woods around his home. In 1867 Muir decided to explore the world. He left Wisconsin and walked 1,000 miles to Florida. Then he took a boat to Panama. He crossed Panama by land and boarded a boat heading to California. On April 1, 1868, he arrived in San Francisco. That day Muir set off, on foot, for Yosemite Valley. Here's how he described his first look at the valley: ccat my feet lay the Great Central Valley of California... like a lake of pure sunshine, forty or fifty miles wide, five hundred miles long.... [From this large) golden flowerbed rose the mighty Sierra, miles in height, and so gloriously colored and so radiant, it seemed not clothed with light, but [made) of it.... Then it seemed to me that the Sierra should be called, not the Nevada or Snowy Range, but the Range of Light." Muir lived in the Yosemite Valley for several years. When he arrived, the valley was unspoiled. But over time, sheep and cattle began to destroy the mountain meadows John Muir pauses to enjoy.the, - ' ~-.,,,~ : ~e~~.z -~l t_~.~-.yo~:-~ _i:~\~~ ~~-i~~-::~ 6

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10 Muir wanted to protect the area around the valley. He joined together with Robert Underwood Johnson, the editor of a popular magazine. They wrote articles about the beauty of the valley and the danger facing it. The two men knew that Congress had the power to protect the valley by law. They talked to members of Congress about saving it. Finally, in 1890, Congress formed Yosemite National Park. It was the second national park in the country. The first, Yellowstone National Park, had been forn'led in By law, the federal government controls a national park, protecting it from being settled or sold. 8

11 The Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees were owned by the state of California. So they were not part of Yosemite National Park. The park included a large piece of land that surrounded the valley and grove. Muir believed that all of the Yosemite area should be one park. Muir was helped by many people. One of these was Edward Harriman, who had made n1.oney building railroads. Muir and Harriman met with President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1906 Congress passed a bill that Roosevelt signed into law. This new law made the valley, the grove, and the land around them a single national park. John Muir helped create several national parks, including Yosemite, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest, and Grand Canyon national parks. For this reason, Muir is sometimes called "The Father of Our National Park System." 9

12 Caring for Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park had been formed. But, there was no group to manage and take care of the park. So, the United States Army took care of the park for almost 20 years. That changed in 1916, when Congress passed a bill that was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. The law formed the National Park Service. Its purpose is to keep safe the land, plants, and animals in the parks. And it is "to leave [the parks unharmed] for the enjoyment of future generations." The National Park Service invited different groups to come to Yosemite National Park. These groups taught visitors who came there. The University of California offered talks about the wonders of the park. In 1920 the Yosemite Free Nature Guide Service began offering hikes and talks with motion pictures. The Yosemite National Park Museum opened in Its exhibits teach about the park and encourage people to protect it. Yosemite National Park covers 748,542 acres in the Sierra Nevada range. Visitors can drive on 360 miles of paved roads. Hikers can walk 800 miles of developed trails. Water lovers can enjoy 880 miles of rivers and streams. Naturalists can find 40 kinds of reptiles and amphibians, 242 kinds of birds, 11 kinds of fish, and 77 kinds of mammals in the park. 1,400 kinds of flowering plants and 37 kinds of trees grow in the park. The highest peak in Yosemite National Park is Mount Lyell, at 13,114 feet.

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14 Top Spots at Yosemite It would take weeks to really explore all of the roads and trails at Yosemite National Park. These are some of the sights. Yosemite Falls The best time to see this 2,425- foot waterfall is in May or June. That's when melting snow turns it into a roaring waterfall. Yosemite Falls is the world's fifth-tallest waterfall. It is really three different falls-yosemite, Lower Yosemite, and Upper Yosemite. Half Dome Geologists think that a glacier, moving slowly through the Yosemite Valley, may have carved away stone under the dome. Without support, one-half of the rock face fell away, leaving just a steep cliff. Many people climb 4,000 feet to the top of Half Dome. Others just enjoy the view. 12

15 El Capitan This is the largest single piece of granite in the world. It is 3,000 feet high and is a favorite climbing spot for experienced rock climbers. Glac1er Point From Glacier Point, you can see views of Half Dome, three waterfalls, and the park's high meadows. 13

16 Tunnel View This spot offers a great view of Bridalveil Fall and El Capitan rising from the valley. Half Dome can be seen in the background. Mariposa Grove of Big Trees Just outside of the Yosemite Valley is an area of giant redwoods. Some are thousands of years old. One tree, the Wawona Tunnel Tree, had a tunnel cut through it in Horse-drawn wagons and later, automobiles would drive through. The tree became popular with tourists. In 1969 it fell over. The decision was made to never again cut a hole in any of the trees in Yosemite. Tuolumne (tu AH Iuh mee) eadows This beautiful meadow is surrounded by granite rock faces and cliffs. It is home to many kinds of plants, birds, and mammals. 14

17 Yosemite Milestones 1833 The Joseph Walker party, crossing the Sierra Nevada, is the first group of settlers to see the Yosemite Valley. Although American Indians have lived in the valley for centuries, Walker reports that the mountains are impossible for people to climb down After the gold rush, American Indians and settlers fight over ownership of the valley. The Mariposa Battalion drives American Indians out of the valley and onto a reservation James Mason Hutchings begins creating a tourist trade in the valley. He completes his first hotel in President Abraham Lincoln signs a bill that gives parts of the Yosemite Valley to the state of California to preserve as a wilderness John Muir arrives in the Yosemite Valley. His work and writings help persuade the government to make the Yosemite area a national park Yellowstone National Park becomes the nation's first national park President Benjamin Harrison signs a bill that makes Yosemite National Park the nation's second national park The National Park Service is created by President Woodrow Wilson to take care of the national parks and to teach park visitors about nature About 93 percent of Yosemite National Park is set aside to remain as wilderness. It becomes a World Heritage Site. 15

18 Yosemite National Park Today The story of Yosemite National Park shows how people worked together to protect areas because of their natural beauty. People persuaded members of Congress and the President of the United States to pass laws to make this happen. About 3 million people visit Yosemite National Park every year. With so many people hiking, driving, climbing, and exploring, the park is in danger of being loved too much! The National Park Service is hard at work on projects to protect and conserve the park. Changes to reduce traffic and pollution will help keep Yosemite National Park wild and beautiful. Tourists at Inspiration Point in Yosemite National Park

19 Think and @) What mountain range surrounds the Yosemite Valley? Why did Frederick Law Olmsted, I.W. Raymond, and others believe it was important to protect the Yosemite Valley from settlers, farmers, and tourists? In 1864 a federal law made the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees a "public trust." What is a public trust? Which President of the United States signed the bill that created Yosemite National Park? If you were visiting Yosemite National Park, which sights would you most like to see, and why? Make a Poster There are many national parks in the United States. Each has beautiful and unique features that make them great places to visit. Choose a national park you would like to visit. Then make a poster that shows its features. With your classmates, create a display of the national park posters.

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