A Traveller’s Account of a Trip to Yosemite in 1872
One of the things I aim to do in my National Parks History course at Eastern Washington is to introduce my students to a community of travelers of which — I tell them — they are members. And so, too, by extension, are you. dear readers. The historical folks in our history class visited natural wonders, admired them, pondered them, and told others about them. So can you — and in many cases you have you done so already.
So in introducing you to Grace Greenwood, I am introducing you to one of your kin — a spiritual great, great grandmother perhaps. She went to a National Park, Yosemite, for the same reason that you might — adventure, relaxation, spiritual nourishment, for example. In a sense you are a part of her journey, and although her story takes you to a very different world than ours, you will probably recognize in her account impulses and reactions like your own in nature.
Keep this kinship in mind as you travel with Grace Greenwood to Yosemite in the early years of tourism to its great forest and valley. But notice also how different some facets of the journey were — modes of travel, people along the way, entertainment.
Here are a few notes to help you fully understand and appreciate this remarkable document:
1. Grace Greenwood was a nineteenth-century American writer of children’s stories and travel reports. She wrote this article for The New York Times.
2. She provides insight into modes of travel and lodging on the tour to Yosemite, and facets of contemporary culture.
— Notice her remarks on the riding fashion of respectable women of the time: “side saddle.” This seating allowed women to keep their legs together while riding. Why was Grace Greenwood required to ride astride a horse, and what does she tell us about the experience?
3. She and her party were delayed for six hours in Mariposa, waiting for a stagecoach to arrive and take them on toward Yosemite. While in this little town they witnessed part of a minstrel show.
— What does Greenwood’s account tell us about the diversity of the audience? What does it tell us about the racism of Americans at that time?
4. Several times during her report, Grace Greenwood describes scenery as being “awful.” Does this mean she disliked her journey to Yosemite? Not at all — just the opposite. She is using “awful” in a traditional way. Break it down: “awful” comes from “awe-full” — full of awe. We might also say “awe-inspiring.”
— So if I were to wish you an “awful day,” I would not be wishing you a bad day but instead a very good day.
— AWESOME!
5. You may notice that in Greenwood’s description of the minstrel show, she refers to “the minstrels in the guise of white men.” What’s this about? We are accustomed to hearing of white men “blacking up” for minstrel shows; could this be the opposite? I’ve done a little research and came across this book: Marvin McAllister, Whiteface Minstrels (University of North Carolina Press, 2011). Here’s a summary:
“Not to be confused with racial passing or derogatory notions of acting white, whiting up is a deliberate performance strategy designed to challenge America’s racial and political hierarchies by transferring supposed markers of whiteness to black bodies–creating unexpected intercultural alliances even as it sharply critiques racial stereotypes. Along with conventional theater, McAllister considers a variety of other live performance modes, including weekly promenading rituals, antebellum cakewalks, solo performance, and standup comedy. For over three centuries, whiting up has allowed African American artists to appropriate white cultural production, fashion new black identities through these white forms, and advance our collective ability to locate ourselves in others.”
— Click below to access the Greenwood article:
Grace Greenwood Visits Yosemite in 1872
— Click below to access a Quizlet on the Greenwood report.