Galen Clark

By Shirley Sargent

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Description: "During the second half of his long life, Clark was so well known for his dedication and devotion to Yosemite as a pioneer, explorer, conservationist, author, and guardian that he was almost as famous as Half Dome. By the middle of the twentieth century, however, his valuable contributions had largely faded from public memory. Publication of Galen Clark, Yosemite Guardian by the Sierra Club in 1964 focused attention on the man who served for twenty-one years as Guardian of the Yosemite4 Grant, and for whom Mount Clark, the Clark Range, Clark's Point, and the Clark Cottage at the Wawona Hotel were named. Unfortunately, that book has been out of print during recent rears when conservation awareness has grown, and John Muir has become a folk hero. Yet Clark, who was Muir's predecessor in Yosemite by twelve years and far more intimate with its affairs, has been neglected. It was he who discovered the Mariposa Grove, kept peace with the Indians, superintended the building of trails, roads, and bridges, and zealously protected the place he described as ' ... this wonderful sanctuary of Nature's vast mountain temple.' "--Foreword p. 7.