I guess that most people, including the majority of Americans, don’t know who John Muir was. I consider him to be an American hero — a man who embodies those characteristics that make the United States the greatest nation on earth.
Born in Scotland in 1838, his family migrated to the the US when he was 11 years old. He grew up on a Wisconsin farm.
I have many reasons for why I am fond of John Muir. Primary reason is that I love visiting the Yosemite National Park. It’s indescribably beautiful. Muir was instrumental in its preservation. He is celebrated as “John of the Mountains,” and “Father of the National Parks.”
Unfortunately, he failed in his attempt to prevent the Hetch Hetchy valley being transformed into a water reservoir. Muir, as founding president of the Sierra Club, wrote:
“Dam Hetch Hetchy! As well dam for water-tanks the people’s cathedrals and churches, for no holier temple has ever been consecrated by the heart of man.”
I have to confess that I love the sweet Hetch Hetchy water. Berkeley CA and some other parts of the San Francisco Bay area get Hetch Hetchy water. San Jose water is not for me, thank you.
So, you may ask, who the heck is this John Muir guy? An American hero, as I said before. Here’s a 20-minute bio:
Although you may be inclined to give that video a miss, I suggest that you don’t — there’s much in there that is worth the time.
I got to know about John Muir through TV in the late 1980s. This was when PBS (Public Broadcasting System) was one of the major entertainment sources in the US before the internet. My local station was KQED (out of San Fransisco) and KTEH (out of San Jose.) On KQED I saw the following program on John Muir; it left an indelible impression on me.
This video is set in Muir’s home in Martinez, CA in 1913. He’s waiting to hear the news of whether or not Hetch Hetchy will become a reservoir.
The performer is Lee Stetson whose portrayal of John Muir is legendary. It’s nearly an hour long but I guarantee that it’s worth the time. It will make you laugh and make you think.
Be well, do good work and keep in touch.
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 
I enjoyed reading up on your post about our lost John Muir, and one he came from the regions of Scotland mountain region we call the Cairngorms. Only discovered him when I too moved into I Martinez, Mr Muir’s house with its two story wooden edifice in light green, was the first house just off the interstate 4 . Not surprising since it ran all the way to Yosemite, I too shared a love affair with its El Capitan, Big Don cliff face,bi just could not stay away from the place. So as he’s d from local clippings he was a Scot , I naturally began to find out more surrounding his close association with Ted Roosevelt Senior, who he was eager to show off Yosemite as the very first US
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