September 25: Sequoia National Park Established (1890)
Prayer Idea
Pray for people who manage forests.
History Note
President Benjamin Harrison signed legislation on September 25, 1890, to establish the second national park in the United States: Sequoia. The name comes from Sequoiadendron giganteum, the giant sequoia trees also known as redwoods. These trees are native to the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, but they have been introduced in other parts of the world.
Sequoia National Park is home to the General Sherman tree, considered the world’s largest tree by total volume and the largest living thing on Earth. The tree is 275 feet tall, and the circumference of the trunk at the ground is over 100 feet. The park also features Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states at 14,505 feet.
Before the creation of the National Park Service in 1916, the U.S. Army often oversaw national parks. In the summer of 1903, Captain Charles Young served as superintendent of Sequoia in command of a unit of Buffalo Soldiers. Young and his men built roads that made it easier for tourists to enjoy the park.
Each year about 1 million people visit Sequoia National Park and neighboring Kings Canyon National Park.
The General Sherman Tree. Photo by zdenekkounovsky / Shutterstock.com.
Learn More
Learn about the trees and caves of Sequoia National Park.
Find more resources at Homeschool History.
