30 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



INTRODUCED TREES IN YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK 



Visitors to Yosemite National Park 

 will note a number of interesting trees 

 which were planted in the early days 

 before this area became a national 

 park (1) and which, although they 

 are not native to this area, have been 

 allowed to remain because of their 

 association with the early history of 

 the region. In this category fall the 

 American elm, the black locust, and 

 sugar maple, found in a number of 

 places on the Valley floor, as well as 

 several kinds of fruit trees. 



The latter are, perhaps, the most 

 conspicuous and best known of these 

 introduced trees. With few exceptions 

 they are apple trees and, insofar as 

 the valley is concerned, are contain- 

 ed primarily in three orchards (2). 

 One of these is included within the 

 parking area near Camp Curry, a 

 second will be noted in the meadow 

 just east of the Yosemite Park and 

 Curry Co. stables, and a third is in 

 the vicinity of the Yosemite Park and 

 Curry Co. utility area near the road 

 between Yosemite Lodge and Gov- 

 ernment Center. 



The first two orchards were planted 

 by James C. Lamon, the first settler 



in Yosemite Valley. He arrived here 

 in June 1859, located a pre-emption 

 claim of 160 acres in the fall of that 

 year and built a small cabin of logs 

 near the present Yosemite Park and 

 Curry Co. stables. His two orchards 

 were planted soon after. Today they 

 are composed almost entirely of ap- 

 ple trees, although one pear tree can 

 be found in the orchard near the 

 stables. Apparently, in the early days 

 they contained plum and peach trees 

 as well (3). The orchard near the 

 Company utility area was planted by 

 James Mason Hutchings whc had re- 

 turned to the Valley in 1 864 as a hotel 

 owner (4). This orchard adjoined his 

 residence, which he constructed on 

 the north side of Yosemite Valley a 

 few years later. Although the Hutch- 

 ings residence was eliminated many 

 years ago the orchard still remains. 

 It consists mostly of apple trees, but 

 a few cherry trees will also be found. 

 Hutchings also planted a row of 

 American elms along the route of the 

 present road that crosses the mead- 

 ow north of the present Sentinel 

 Bridge. These were grown from seed 

 supplied by Rev. Joseph Worcester 



(1) The Yosemite Valley area and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias — originally known 

 as the Yosemite Grant— was entrusted to the State of California by the Federal Government in 

 1864. Yosemite National Park, which included an area surrounding Yosemite Valley, was 

 established on October 1, 1890. In 1906 the two areas comprising the original Yosemite Grant 

 were receded to the Federal Government by the State and incorporated into Yosemite National 

 Park. 



(2) Apple trees will also be noted in the Wawona area. According to Mr. Ed. Gordon, old 

 time Wawona resident, the apple orchard in that section was planted in the early days of 

 George Conway. In addition to the orchard a few apple trees will be found in the rear of the 

 Wawona hotel, as well as in the vicinity of the spring west of the meadow. These were planted 

 by the Washburn Brothers about sixty year ago. 



(3) See Taylor, Mrs. H. J. Yosemite Indians and Other Sketches; San Francisco, California, 

 Johnck and Seeger, 1936. pp. 15-26. 



