Galen Clark

Galen Clark was widowed, broke, depressed and suffering from TB when he moved to the mountains of California in 1853. Doctors gave him six months to live, so he decided to spend his remaining time promoting this place he loved, writing about it and promoting it.

He did a pretty good job.

In 1864, Yosemite became the first California state park.  And Clark became the nation’s first park ranger two years later. He helped make Yosemite the third national park in 1890.

He certainly outlived doctors’ predictions. He died in 1910 at the age of 96.