John Muir (Immigrated 1849)

A photograph of author and naturalist John Muir and his dog. California: c. 1900Underwood Archives / Getty Images

A photograph of author and naturalist John Muir and his dog. California: c. 1900Underwood Archives / Getty Images

The man who helped preserve many of the United States’ natural treasures was himself Scottish. John Muir emigrated to the United States as a child when his family decided they wanted to join the Disciples of Christ, a sect stricter than the Church of Scotland. The Muirs settled in Wisconsin and became farmers. “No other wild country I have ever known extended a kinder welcome to poor immigrants,” he later wrote. Though Muir struggled with his family’s religious beliefs, he found spiritual comfort in the great outdoors. A co-founder of the Sierra Club, Muir helped establish Yosemite National Park, though he maintained strong Scottish ties (and kept his Scottish accent) for the rest of his life.

by Erin Blakemore

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