University of the Pacific Scholarly Commons John Muir Newsletters John Muir Papers Fall 8-1-2011 The ohnJ Muir Newsletter, Fall/Winter 2011/2012 The ohnJ Muir Center Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmn Part of the American Studies Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, and the United States History Commons Recommended Citation The oJ hn Muir Center, "The oJ hn Muir Newsletter, Fall/Winter 2011/2012" (2011). John Muir Newsletters. 93. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/jmn/93 This Newsletter is brought to you for free and open access by the John Muir Papers at Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in John Muir Newsletters by an authorized administrator of Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Fall/Winter 2011/2012 THE J 0 H N M U I R CENTER SPECIAL AN ESSAY ON JOHN MUIR'S POINTS OF PHENOMENAL SCIENCE INTEREST : mensely older than the thousands of years • The present is the key to By Bonnie Johanna Gisel allowed by the chronology of the Old Testa­ the past. Curator, LeConte Memorial Lodge, ment.l • Muir wou ld apply geologi­ Yosemite National Park Then , too, up from the sod of science, a ca l formation and specifi­ Author, Nature's Beloved Son: Scotsman, uniformitarian, and friend of ca lly the action of glacial Rediscovering John Muir's Botanical Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell , who parented ice to the handiwork of God . Legacy modern geology, examined an inorganic Earth in perpetual change, eroding, and reforming. • Muir chose to live "to He explained the former ch anges of the Earth's entice people to look at I. Origins of Muir's Scientific Self surface by reference to causes now in opera­ Nature's loveliness." tion. The present, he would say, is the key to The world John Muir sauntered through was • In the beginn ing and to the past. one in which the distribution of erratics was the end botany was the While a student at the University of Wiscon­ attributed to a diluvial theory, a wave of sea ice foundation upon wh ich sin , Muir was introduced to Lyell's Principles , Muir's work as a preser­ due to catastrophic sudden and violent floods perhaps the 1853 ninth edition which created vation ist grew and glacial released from the interior of the Earth or quite a sensation. Lyell banished any doubts studies were seamlessly caused by the about a glacial epoch, fully supporting the work connected to his study of upheaval of plants. of Louis Agassiz, an expert on fossil fish and mountains. the preeminent glaciologist, who happened to This diluvial be an unabashed catastrophist. Disagree­ theory gave ment would erupt over the rate of environ­ way to a the­ mental change between those who supported ory that pro­ IN THIS ISSUE change gradual and uniform, uniformitarians, vided a more of which Muir was one, and those who sup­ An Essay on John Muir's rational expla­ ported intermittent cataclysm, catastrophists. Phenomenal Science by 1 nation to ac­ There was also Lyell 's Elements of Geology, Bonnie J. Gisel cou nt for the published in 1838- the first modern textbook appearance of of geology, a systematic treatment based on 59th California Histol)' erratic boul­ the assumption that all the phenomena of Institute to focus on ders, and that 2 geology can be explained naturally and dis­ "Women as Histoi)'­ theory was cussed scientifically. In Yosemite, in 1872, Makers in California " that erratics had been James Hutton Muir would request that Jeanne Carr send a copy of Lyell 's work. He would have opened John Muir Class Visits "A moved by vast From http:/ jetc.usf.edu/ Walk in the Wild" and 2 sheets of mov- clipart/60973/60973_james the familiar volume to the frontispiece--a dia­ the Muir House ing glaciers. A _hutton.htm gram of a vertical section through a volcanic island surrounded by sea and showing dia­ debate-sea ice vs. land ice--remained a fea­ grammatically how the fou r great classes of ture of geological discussion until about 1902. rocks were produced.2 Muir would apply geo­ As well Muir found himself inquiring into the logical formation and specifically the action of inner workings of science when fossil rem­ glacial ice to the handiwork of God . nants-relicts of a world of unusual and excep­ An exaggerated theory of a single polar cap, tional creatures and plants, and the study of an Ice Age traveling from the North Pole over strata, continued to expand upon what James the northern hemisphere, was the brain-child Hutton of Edinburgh regarded as an Earth im- (continued on page 3) PAGE 2 59TH CALIFORNIA HISTORY INSTITUTE TO FOCUS ON "WOMEN AS HISTORY-MAKERS IN CALIFORNIA" On March 23, 24, stu- Women in California His- women and environ- and (with Erika Lee) Angel dents, faculty and guests tory," the latter featuring mental justice and activ- Island: Immigrant Gateway of the University will 120 individuals. ism. The luncheon key- to America (2010). gather for the 591h Cali- note will be delivered by fornia History Institute. Papers and panels on Judy Yung, Professor This year's theme fo- March 24 will focus on Emerita, U. C. Santa Cruz, cuses on women who the historiography of whose publications in- For more information and to continue to be "history- women's history in the elude: register for the symposium makers." Highlights in- Golden State; the role of Unbound Feet: A Social please contact Juliann Hil- elude a field trip to the Latina, Filipina, Asian, History of Chinese ton j [email protected] California State Museum and Native American Women in San Francisco or call Muir Center and by coach from Stockton women; women of note in (1995); leave a message at on March 23 to two ex- Stockton's own history; Chinese American Voices; 209 946-2527. hibits: "Women and the women's organizations at From the Gold Rush to Vote," and "Notable Pacific; and a panel on the Present (2006); J 0 H N Mu R CLASS VISITS "A WALK IN THE w LD" AND THE MUIR H 0 UsE On January 19, twenty­ artist who reports he has number of William Keith This trip was made possible one students in Pacific's painted with the great­ landscapes in the through a generous grant "John Muir and the Rise grandson of Muir's close house, as well as archi­ from Holt-Atherton Special of the Conservation friend and fellow Scots­ tectural features incor­ Collections. Movement" class visited man, William Keith. His porated by Muir into the the Oakland Museum of watercolors focus on house after it was re­ California and John Muir landscapes of the Delta, modeled, post-1906 San National Historic Site in Sierra, and Bay, as well Francisco earthquake. Martinez. In Oakland as Yosemite, scenes that These include the large the class toured the would be familiar to John modified central fire­ exhibit, "A Walk in the Muir. place where he could Wild: Continuing John burn logs instead of Muir's Journey." Cu­ In Martinez, Park Guide coal. rated by Dorris Welch, Daniel Prial gave the the exhibit focused on group an inspired talk Each student is re­ John Muir and science, and a memorable tour of searching one aspect of using original materials the Muir House. Prial Muir's life from the Muir from the John Muir Pa­ focused on Muir's inter­ Papers and all are fol­ pers as well as furniture est in bringing Nature lowing one major con­ and artifacts from vari­ into his residence, rather temporary environ­ ous institutions and than keeping Nature out. mental issue keeping family members. While The interpretation helped the class up-to-date on there the class met all to understand the current events that re­ John Muir Reid, the rationale for planting late to Muir's legacy. great-grandson of Mar­ trees exotic to the Alham­ garet Muir-Reid, one of bra Valley (including the John Muir Class, 2012, in front of the Muir House, Martinez, CA Muir's older sisters. famous redwood in front Reid is a professional of the house), the large Photo by Bob Dash PAGE 3 (continued from page 1) nature with the love of God . He reminded stu­ dents to "touch with something of reverence, the hem of that marvelous robe of living green, the Forests." Muir spoke of Carr as having been the first to place before him the Book of Nature. Later, Agassiz would speak of Muir as the first ~ · · :ut:N1'S to have an adequate concept of glacial action. A world not for the faint of heart, Muir was G £ 0 T. 0 G Y. resilient. Struggle and change were every­ where. A Civil War (that Muir referred to as un­ Christian), was followed by tense, ambitious, and controversial mending of a nation that l\IU.F.S. L\'bl.t.. t:SO t·.tt.~ _.._ ....... __ ,.. __ .. .-.-.. drove Joseph and John LeConte, respectively, 01 1 ... -R .._. ............ .. geologist and physicist, from Georgia and South Carolina to California and the burgeoning Uni­ ....:;:....~-::. :.:.::-..:::.:-.. ;.;:; versity of California. There was a quickening .... ............. -- ----. - professionalization of science and competition Elements of Geology between scientists on the east and west coasts I,QI"UON From: library.sc.edujspcolljnathistj .MU' .H l'••·u ·, , l,t&lf\f"••-~' ~1: 10r. of America. Muir was drawn into the fray over darwinjdarwinS.html the fair apostles--Fiora.3 Muir's floristic journey began on High Street of Louis Agassiz; and, in 1840, he published his in Dunbar, Scotland in a garden "as much like definitive work on glaciers, Etude sur les Gla­ Eden as possible," and blossomed into an en­ ciers.