Muir Family

Biographical Note

John Muir's family immigrated to the United States from Scotland in 1849, when he was eleven years old. The Muir family made their home on a farm near Portage, Wisconsin. Muir (1838-1914), after attending the University of Wisconsin, traveled around the United States for several years. He came to California in 1868, where he became a naturalist and an avid supporter of the Yosemite Valley, helping to establish Yosemite National Park in 1890. He wrote numerous articles and books concerning the environment and the importance of nature. Daniel H. Muir, Jr. (1843-1923), the recipient of the letters, and the younger brother of John Muir, became a medical doctor in 1870, and married Emma Kinaston in 1872.