I hereby declare October 12 as George Anderson Day.

George Anderson

George Anderson was the first person to ascend Yosemite’s signature landmark, Half Dome on October 12, 1875. This singular feat opened up a whole new area of mountain exploration. Today, over 40,000 people per year enjoy the experience of hiking to the top of Half Dome.

Working alone, Anderson forged approximately 50 seven-inch steel spikes that he perilously placed into holes he drilled as he ascended the 400 vertical feet of the backside and up to the summit. He then stood on them and created a “ladder”to the top. He attached a rope into eyelets on the spikes with knots to allow people to pull themselves up and reach the top.

Anderson’s accomplishment is noteworthy for two reasons: First, he was the first human to reach the top; and second, this climb marked the debut of extensive bolt placements in the American climbing scene.

Soon after, park guardian Galen Clark made the ascent. Sally Dutcher was the first woman. It is believed that John Muir was the ninth person up the rope system in November 1875. Muir wrote about his experience. Anderson’s achievement opened this mountain to tens of thousands for over 130 years. In 1919, the Half Dome trail was constructed and today’s cable system erected near his original route.

In 1882, Anderson constructed a trail from Happy Isles to Vernal Fall for the State of California. Part of this trail is now in use as far as the bridge below Vernal Fall, the rest of it having been abandoned. He died in 1884 of pneumonia and is buried in the Yosemite Cemetery.

*MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

Albert Sinning’s cottage

In 1898, the Park Commissioners asked the Sierra Club, founded in 1892, to provide a public reading room and information center for Yosemite visitors. They picked the then available Sinning Cottage. It was located on the southside of the Valley on what is now Southside Drive, near Sentinel Bridge. This area is where the park originally had all visitor services until they were moved to today’s Yosemite Village. Don’t look for any artifacts – it’s pretty much all forest there a century later. Galen Clark served as the custodian at Sinning’s Cottage. The Sierra Club operated the public reading room and information center there until the LeConte Memorial Lodge was built.

Anywho, back to George. While doing the painting, Anderson contracted pneumonia, a common ailment then. He was moved to the home of photographer George Fiske and died on May 8, 1884. He was buried in the Yosemite cemetery where a small granite rock marks his grave today. This photo is as good as it gets – it’s VERY hard to read his name! It’s on the far side away from the YNP Musem.

George Anderson’s grave – Yosemite

You will find no mention of Anderson in the Visitor Center or other NPS displays. Let’s honor him. Atta Boy, George!!  Hip, hip, hooray.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” – Albert Pike

MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

George Anderson by tree with tourists

We can only presume he charged them as that was his goal – a revenue generating enterprise. My friend and  Stanford prof, Harv Galic, has done yeoman’s work in compiling information about visitors who went up the rock in the early days. His efforts are stellar and I credit him in my book. Harv sent me the following new data.

At the time of Anderson’s first ascent of Half Dome, a hotel called La Casa Nevada stood at the foot of Nevada Fall. The hotel, operated by Albert and Emily Snow for almost twenty years, was a popular stop on the way to the Upper Yosemite Valley and towards Half Dome. The hotel register, now preserved in the Yosemite Museum, lists hotel guests and visitors. Many Half Dome early climbers signed up the register and left their comments. In October of 1875, Mr. and Mrs. Snow were so excited about the “first tourist climb” of Half Dome, that they added a special entry to the register.

Snow’s Hotel Register, October 16, 1875. Courtesy of Linda Eade
and the Yosemite Research Library

The flowery cursive is hard to make out, but it reads:

“South Dome

Ascent of the South Dome — The ascent of the South Dome was accomplished this morning by a party of Englishmen and Americans under the guidance of the brave and adventurous George Anderson who was the first man who ever accomplished this perilous feat — a feat indeed – which has always been considered impossible. The names of the adventurers were Messrs Robinson (Brothers), Gammon and West, the latter an American. A partial ascent was made by Messrs Groom and Leidig. October 16th 1875″

The English contingent of the climbers mentioned in the entry had first paid a visit to (or had stayed at?) La Casa Nevada several days earlier: On October 13, the following people signed up the register:

W. R. Robinson, New York
J. S. Robinson, New York
Ed. Gammon, London
S[amuel?] Robert Groom, Somerset, England

Interestingly, the San Francisco Chronicle article about this climb lists another man, “Mr. Moreland, an American” among participants, but Snow’s description of the climb doesn’t mention Moreland in the party of climbers. Also, in contrast to the Chronicle, the entry in the register credits Groom with only a “partial ascent,” which would mean that he didn’t make it to the summit of Half Dome. Read the complete San Francisco Chronicle article.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

As excitement builds for George Anderson Day on Oct. 12, one of our blog readers and Half Dome veterans, Dean M. of the United Kingdom, has done some research to shed more light on good old George. This may bore many of you – but I did want to share what Dean found. He’s kinda located near Anderson’s Scotland birth place and is digging to learn more about my (and your?) hero.

A birth certificate from Montrose in Scotland shows George was born on February 4, 1837 and baptized on the 20th. Father was Robert, his mother Christina. He was named after his maternal uncle. His father’s occupation is listed as Blacksmith, the same occupation George took up in Yosemite.

 The census in 1841 shows George had a young brother named Robert but Robert doesn’t appear in the 1851 census…looks like Robert died at a young age though I’ve not found a notice to this effect. The family was living in “Academy Square” in Montrose, Scotland which still exists

The 1851 census has lots of information…the family relocated southeast to the larger town of Dundee. They lived at 20 Park Wynd but the original buildings are gone.This is in the middle of Dundee University campus now.

George is listed as working as a “Lapper of Linen Cloth” – the textile industry was huge in Dundee around this time so no surprise he worked there. His job was to transfer yarn between machines. The 1851 census also shows he had a younger sister named Elisabeth, later changed to Betsy.

This is where George’s trail goes cold and no surprise. The next census is 1861 by which time George would be 24 and most likely well on his way to California…we know his occupation on arrival in Mariposa was a sailor. It would have been easy for George to join a ship from Dundee at the time. Early Yosemite writings call him Capt, Anderson.

His family remained in Dundee, though according to the 1861 census, his sister is working in the textile mills and they have 3 young lodgers all with same surname, possibly orphans. In 1870 his sister was married and I’ll try to follow this line as far as it goes, she has a young son, that’s as far as I’ve got.

In 1875 George’s ascent of Half Dome was noted in the local newspaper The Dundee Courier though it is just a copy of the SF Chronicle piece.

There are 2 problems.

1. George is often referred as having a middle initial, indeed Wikipedia shows George G Anderson but my George has no middle name.
2. There is a strange reference here, at the end of this article, which is a real head scratcher…

http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_nature_notes/46/2/george_anderson.html

“There were problems with Anderson’s estate that were never settled. A claim for money owed him by the State was made but denied. Money due Anderson came up as one of Charles D. Robinson’s complaints against the Commissioners which led to investigation by the Legislature in 1889. George’s brother, Charles, administrator of the estate, testified during this investigation. Ownership of his cabin was also disputed between George Meyer and James McCauley, although it was later purchased by Dr. W. A. Setchell who deeded it to the National Park Service.”

George’s brother Charles? I’m currently looking for reference for this 1889 investigation into the Park Commission; there must be a report, but it’s a real money wrench in the works as “my George” has no brother or brother in law called Charles.

Deanis now trying to get some information for Harvard. Go Dean – Go!!

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” – Marcus Garvey 

MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome

Half Dome trail to the summit via cables

Today the famous cables on Half Dome and the trail up Sub Dome to the cables were placed on the National Register of Historic Places. This is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.

There are more than 80,000 properties listed in the National Register that  represent 1.4 million individual resources – buildings, sites, districts, structures, and objects.  Listing in the National Register is the first step towards eligibility for National Park Service-administered federal preservation tax credits that have leveraged more than $45 billion in private investment and National Park Service grant programs like Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America.

George Anderson’s first ascent on October 12, 1875 was significant and the hike to the top is now enjoyed by thousands each year. The popular hike is a must-do “bucket list” item for many outdoor enthusiasts. It is a hard goal and a pleasant journey.

Anderson was a Scottish immigrant who was a trail builder, blacksmith, carpenter and adventurer. He hoped to someday charge tolls for trips to the top and envisioned a staircase and even a lift to bring visitors to the top.  He later built the current trail from Happy Isles to the Vernal Fall foot bridge. He died in 1884 of pneumonia and is buried in the park cemetery.

I have requested that Anderson be honored via George Anderson Day on Oct 12. I hope this new honor will contribute to the decision for a Press Release.

Unrelated thought worth quoting: “In Yosemite, Grandeur of these mountains is perhaps unmatched on the Globe; for here they strip themselves like athletes for exhibition, & stand perpendicular granite walls, showing their entire height, & wearing a liberty cap of snow on their head.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

MrHalfDome™ – Rick Deutsch – www.HikeHalfDome.com

One Best Hike: Yosemite’s Half Dome