Andrew P. Hill
Encyclopedia
Andrew Putnam Hill was an early California
n painter and photographer best known for successfully leading an effort from 1899 to 1902 to save a forest of large redwoods in Big Basin, California and as a result, creating the California State Park System.
between Los Gatos
and Santa Cruz
. When Hill saw these trees, he was awed by their scale and grandeur. He was serving as a photographer for a London newspaper at the time, photographed the event, and upon returning after the fire for more photographs, learned that the trees were on private property and might be cut down by loggers. Logging in this era was at a frenzied pace, for Redwood lumber to build the rapidly expanding Bay Area and Western United States
. A single Redwood tree yields enough wood to build a house, and Redwood was used for every kind of construction, from buildings to ships to railroad tracks. At the turn of the century only 25% of the old growth Redwood forests remained. Hill vowed to save these forests for all posterity.
His attention shifted from the Felton
Big Trees grove and what is now Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
, to Big Basin when it was suggested that the redwoods there were taller and more important. Upon exploration of the area, many prominent locals were impressed and vowed to help Hill save the area. Support came from Santa Clara College's
president, Father Kenna, S.J., Stanford University
's president, Mr. Jordan, the mayor of San Francisco, California
, James D. Phelan
, and Carrie Stevens Walter, who later served as secretary of the Sempervirens Club
.
After nearly two years of lobbying legislators in Sacramento, California
and after securing a monetary guarantee from Phelan, a bill that allocated $250,000 to purchase the Big Basin land passed. These were enormous sums of money at the time. Supporters secured a second $250,000 from private benefactors and, with the state, created California's
first state park, California Redwood Park. Now it is known as Big Basin Redwoods State Park
. As stated in an early essay on the history of Santa Clara County, “Mr. Hill had a public duty to perform, and he went at it with a singleness of purpose which has made men conquerors of fate since the beginning of time.” Big Basin has now grown to over 19000 acres (76.9 km²) of protected temperate rainforest lands.
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Hill, a Protestant who came to California as a youth in 1867, attended Santa Clara College
, a small Catholic college near San Jose, California
. Although he was a fine drafter, painter, and photographer, he was unable to achieve financial success, "but Andrew P. Hill's name and strenuous efforts will forever be associated with the preservation to the state and to humanity of the beautiful California Redwood Park", among the last 3% of old growth Redwood forests remaining today.
Andrew P. Hill High School
is a school in San Jose, California
named after him.
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n painter and photographer best known for successfully leading an effort from 1899 to 1902 to save a forest of large redwoods in Big Basin, California and as a result, creating the California State Park System.
Big Basin
The trees, Sequoia Sempervirens, which are the tallest in the world and have life spans greater than 2,000 years, were exposed during a major 1899 fire in the Santa Cruz MountainsSanta Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
between Los Gatos
Los Gatos, California
The Town of Los Gatos is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 29,413 at the 2010 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area at the southwest corner of San Jose in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains...
and Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
. When Hill saw these trees, he was awed by their scale and grandeur. He was serving as a photographer for a London newspaper at the time, photographed the event, and upon returning after the fire for more photographs, learned that the trees were on private property and might be cut down by loggers. Logging in this era was at a frenzied pace, for Redwood lumber to build the rapidly expanding Bay Area and Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
. A single Redwood tree yields enough wood to build a house, and Redwood was used for every kind of construction, from buildings to ships to railroad tracks. At the turn of the century only 25% of the old growth Redwood forests remained. Hill vowed to save these forests for all posterity.
His attention shifted from the Felton
Felton
Felton may refer to:The FeltonPlacenames*in Australia**Felton, Queensland*in Canada:**Felton, Ontario*in the United Kingdom:**Felton, Herefordshire**Felton, Northumberland**Felton, Somerset*in the United States:**Felton, California...
Big Trees grove and what is now Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a California State Park located in Santa Cruz County, primarily in the area in-between the cities of Santa Cruz, Felton, and Scotts Valley, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, and it includes an extension in the Fall Creek area.-Geography:The main...
, to Big Basin when it was suggested that the redwoods there were taller and more important. Upon exploration of the area, many prominent locals were impressed and vowed to help Hill save the area. Support came from Santa Clara College's
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
president, Father Kenna, S.J., Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
's president, Mr. Jordan, the mayor of San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, James D. Phelan
James D. Phelan
James Duval Phelan was an American politician, civic leader and banker.-Early years:Phelan was born in San Francisco, the son of an Irish immigrant who became wealthy during the California Gold Rush as a trader, merchant and banker. He graduated from St...
, and Carrie Stevens Walter, who later served as secretary of the Sempervirens Club
Sempervirens Club
Sempervirens Fund, originally established in 1900 as Sempervirens Club, is California's oldest land conservation organization. Founder Andrew P. Hill's goal was to preserve the old-growth forest that became Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the first California state park in 1902...
.
After nearly two years of lobbying legislators in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
and after securing a monetary guarantee from Phelan, a bill that allocated $250,000 to purchase the Big Basin land passed. These were enormous sums of money at the time. Supporters secured a second $250,000 from private benefactors and, with the state, created California's
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
first state park, California Redwood Park. Now it is known as Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about northwest of Santa Cruz. The park contains almost all of the Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the seismic uplift of its rim, and the erosion of its center by the many...
. As stated in an early essay on the history of Santa Clara County, “Mr. Hill had a public duty to perform, and he went at it with a singleness of purpose which has made men conquerors of fate since the beginning of time.” Big Basin has now grown to over 19000 acres (76.9 km²) of protected temperate rainforest lands.
Biographical note
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
, a small Catholic college near San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
. Although he was a fine drafter, painter, and photographer, he was unable to achieve financial success, "but Andrew P. Hill's name and strenuous efforts will forever be associated with the preservation to the state and to humanity of the beautiful California Redwood Park", among the last 3% of old growth Redwood forests remaining today.
Andrew P. Hill High School
Andrew Hill High School
Andrew Putnam Hill High School is a secondary school located in San Jose, California which opened in 1956, and educates students in grades 9–12. It is part of the East Side Union High School District . As of 2007, the school principal is Ms. Bettina Lopez. Currently, the Associate Principal of...
is a school in San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
named after him.
See also
Big Basin Redwoods State ParkBig Basin Redwoods State Park
Big Basin Redwoods State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of California, located in Santa Cruz County, about northwest of Santa Cruz. The park contains almost all of the Waddell Creek watershed, which was formed by the seismic uplift of its rim, and the erosion of its center by the many...
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park
Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is a California State Park located in Santa Cruz County, primarily in the area in-between the cities of Santa Cruz, Felton, and Scotts Valley, and the University of California at Santa Cruz, and it includes an extension in the Fall Creek area.-Geography:The main...
Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway
The Santa Cruz, Big Trees and Pacific Railway is a freight and heritage railroad in Northern California.It uses diesel locomotives to haul excursion trains over an route between Olympia, California and an interchange with the Union Pacific Railroad at the Santa Cruz Wye, though the line is now...
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
Roaring Camp and Big Trees Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Roaring Camp & Big Trees Railroad is a narrow gauge tourist railroad in California that starts from the Roaring Camp depot in Felton, California and runs up steep grades to the top of nearby Bear Mountain, a distance of 3.25 miles The travel is through a redwood forest.The steam engines date...