Map of the Yosemite National Park Prepared for Use of U.S. Troops by N.F. McClure 1st Lieut. 5th Cavalry

Early map of Yosemite National Park designed for use by its Army overseers.

Though it was officially established as America’s second National Park in 1890, actions toward preserving the natural splendor of the Yosemite Valley date back to the Civil War. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill creating the Yosemite Grant, which set aside parkland for public use for one of the first times in U.S. history. Despite these protections, homesteaders, poachers, and ranchers paid little heed to the regulations, and the Army was called in to administer the park.

It was in that role, as part of the 5th Cavalry, that N.F. McClure originally prepared this map of Yosemite National Park in 1886. (This example was likely issued in a government report a few years later). The image depicts topography in hachure and labels geographic features, campsites, cabins, mines, and other amenities. Well-blazed trails and cross-country routes are shown according to the legend under the remarks. An interesting representation of one of America’s most beloved parks just a few years after it was organized.

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