“Congress Trail. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 05/1972″
“Holiday crowds visit General Sherman Tree, 05/1972″
“Heavy fog, 05/1972″
125 years ago today, President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation creating Sequoia National Park in California - the second national park created by federal statute, and the first national park whose creation was mandated for the protection of a living organism: the ‘sequoiadendron giganteum’ or giant sequoia tree. A week later, it was amalgamated with General Grant National Park.
In the early days of the park’s existence, U.S. Army Cavalry troops were used to protect the park and those that used it. Access to see the splendor of the giant sequoias was severely limited until the early 1900s. In 1940, an Act of Congress joined Sequoia National Park and the glacially formed Kings Canyon National Park.
The largest sequoia at the park is General Sherman (see here in the second photo, with tourists) which also holds the title of being the largest single stemmed tree in the known world. It is 274.9 feet tall, and has a base circumference of 102.6 feet.
Images by Gene Daniels for the EPA’s Documerica Photography Project:
How could I have missed this anniversary? President Harrison established two national parks in the same week: Sequoia on September 25th, and Yosemite on October 1st. All told, Harrison set aside 22 million acres of public land for conservation.
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