John Muir

Author Code: AJMR

After his family emigrated to America in 1849, Muir was educated at the University of Wisconsin where he developed a strong interest in botany and natural history. From 1866 to 1867 he worked as an industrial engineer in Indiana. In 1868, he traveled to California where he held various jobs such as ferry operator and cowboy. Captivated by the beauty of Yosemite, Muir built a cabin on Yosemite Creek. He led the campaign for a national park over the next decade until, with the support of Theodore Roosevelt, the law was passed in 1890. However, the park was under the control of the state of California until 1906 when it finally passed to the federal government. In 1892, Muir helped to establish the Sierra Club, one of the first U.S. organisations whose main concern was the environment. Muir was a prolific writer and produced many articles and books on the environment, ecology and natural history. These works include The Mountains of California (1894, Our National Parks (1901), My First Summer in the Sierra (1911), The Yosemite (1912) and The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913).