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Notes on the history of Pinnacles National Monument

Notes on the history of Pinnacles National Monument

Regional Supervisor of Historic Sites Hagen provides a brief history of the area containing Pinnacles National Monument, tracing its history from the time of Spanish occupation of the region and the possible first discovery of the Pinnacle rock formations by Captain George Vancouver. While Hagen notes that there is some evidence of prehistoric occupation of the area, he says that it does not appear to have supported permanent populations, and in fact “received little attention until long after the American occupation of California.” He notes that the area is believed to have been used as a hide-out for outlaws at one point.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1941-04-28

Creator(s)

Hagen, Olaf T. (Olaf Theodore), -1949

Pinnacles National Monument

Pinnacles National Monument

In this article, which appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, the location of Pinnacles National Monument is described, along with information on the Pinnacles’ discovery by George Vancouver, and their designation as a national monument through the efforts of Theodore Roosevelt and David Starr Jordan.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1917-04-08

Creator(s)

Unknown

Pinnacles National Monument proclamations

Pinnacles National Monument proclamations

A series of presidential proclamations first establish, and then expand the boundaries of, Pinnacles National Park. The establishment of the park was done by an act of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1908, with subsequent expansions coming from President Warren Harding in 1923, President Calvin Coolidge in 1924, President Herbert Hoover in 1931, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in both 1933 and 1941.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1947

Creator(s)

Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Harding, Warren G. (Warren Gamaliel), 1865-1923; Coolidge, Calvin, 1872-1933; Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964; Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945

Letter from Gifford Pinchot to David Starr Jordan

Letter from Gifford Pinchot to David Starr Jordan

Chief of the United States Forest Service Gifford Pinchot writes to Stanford University President Jordan, to follow up on a letter that Jordan wrote to Congressman James Carson Needham. In the letter, Jordan sent a petition from citizens of San Benito County, California, asking that the Pinnacles area be set aside as a National Park. While Pinchot has received reports that this area should be preserved, “its picturesque qualities alone would not warrant the Government in spending money to protect and administer it.” If it is of scientific interest, however, the government would be more justified in doing this, and Pinchot therefore asks Jordan to judge the area’s value to geological science.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1905-02-09

Creator(s)

Pinchot, Gifford, 1865-1946

Letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain to Roy Headley

Letter from Schuyler Colfax Hain to Roy Headley

Responding to an earlier letter, Schuyler Colfax Hain explains to Roy Headley that he understands that the Pinnacles National Monument would still be administered by the Department of the Interior, yet he still believes that it should also be maintained as a National Forest. Hain would be glad to host Frederick Erskine Olmsted or Headley to let them see the area for themselves.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-08-04

Creator(s)

Hain, Schuyler Colfax, 1860-1930

Letter from David Starr Jordan to James Carson Needham

Letter from David Starr Jordan to James Carson Needham

Dr. Jordan forwards to Congressman Needham a petition from several residents of San Benito County, California, to set aside lands containing the Pinnacles and establish them as a National Park. Jordan encloses a map of the proposed park, the book A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean by George Vancouver, who describes the area, and a book of photographs of the area. Jordan endorses the effort to create this National Park and asks Needham to pass along the request to Secretary of the Interior Ethan Allen Hitchcock.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1904-04-23

Creator(s)

Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

Letter from David Starr Jordan to Gifford Pinchot

Stanford University President Jordan offers Chief Forester Pinchot his assessment of the Pinnacles region. In his opinion the Pinnacles have no value other than scenic purposes. There are a variety of rare plants, and the formations are somewhat peculiar, but not many fossils. Were the area to fall into private hands, there would not be much that they would be able to do to it. Possible injuries resulting from such an outcome might be restricted access to the region, and the possible destruction of timber, flowers, and deer in the region.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1905-02-22

Creator(s)

Jordan, David Starr, 1851-1931

Letter from William Russel Dudley to Frederick Erskine Olmsted

Letter from William Russel Dudley to Frederick Erskine Olmsted

Botanist William Russel Dudley writes to District Forester Olmsted regarding the elimination of the Pinnacles National Monument as a national forest. Dudley opines that while he does not know about the area surrounding the national monument, it seems like there must have been good reason for its designation at one point, and that the people of San Benito County, California, should be consulted about getting rid of it. He agrees on the whole, however, with the reasoning for removing the major part of Pinnacles National Monument from the national forest.

Collection

Pinnacles National Park

Creation Date

1910-07

Creator(s)

Dudley, William Russel, 1849-1911