YOSEMITE VALLEY
Bisecting this district from east to west is the great trough of Yosemite Valley, its bottom gouged down more than half way to sea level. The same type of geological architecture is exemplified by the Hetch Hetchy a few miles to the north and by the canyons of the San Joaquin, Kings and Kern to the south. In none of these however, are magnitude, beauty and accessibility so ideally combined as in Yosemite.
ORIGIN
As to the origin of these valleys, and of Yosemite in particular, there is still some discussion among scientists. Whitney's old theory of a great cataclysm and the sinking of a small block of the earth's crust has been entirely displaced, and geologists are now seeking to determine if glaciers have been solely responsible for the present landscape or whether ice and water worked hand in hand. A good summary of the various theories of geological history, as well as a popular discussion of all the geological phenomena of the region, is contained in the "Sketch of Yosemite National Park and an Account of the Origin of Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valleys," by Dr. F. E. Matthes of the U.S. Geological Survey. This government publication may be obtained in Yosemite at the office of the Superintendent for ten cents.
EARLY HISTORY
Yosemite Valley remained undiscovered by white men until in 1850 marauding Indian bands from the mountains raided several foothill trading posts. In retaliation the "Mariposa Battalion" was organized to subdue these mountain tribes and force them into a large reservation, the San Joaquin Valley. The last to be conquered and the most warlike were the Yosemites living in fancied security in their stronghold, the deep grassy valley of "Awahnee." It was in pursuit of this tribe that the members of the Mariposa Battalion first entered Yosemite on March 21, 1851. The story of the one-sided campaigns which extended over two summers is well told by Dr. W. L. Bunnell, the surgeon of the party, in his "Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851" (4th Edition, 1911, G. W. Gerlicher, Los Angeles).
An excellent summary of the early history of Yosemite Valley has recently been published as a Park Service bulletin and may be obtained free at the government information bureau in Yosemite.