The preservation of the Armstrong Redwoods in Guerneville

Annals of Horticulture in North America
 for the Years 1889-1893

News in the nation in 1892

Big news in L.H. Bailey's Annals of Horticulture in North America..."A botanic garden for the preservation of California red woods has been established during the year by the donation in trust of 640 acres of red wood timber land in Sonoma county by Col JB Armstrong of Santa Rosa The tract is on the north bank of the Russian river The timber is in a good state of preservation The trustees of the garden are Miss Kate Armstrong daughter of the donor. E J Wickson, Charles H Shinn, Luther Burbank, and Robert U Johnson."

But was this premature news?

A letter in the John Muir archives at the University of the Pacific shows that it was maybe not so final. 

[The search Results for Shinn in the Muir archives brings up letters from Charles and Milicent]

It is not clear why this letter from Charles Shinn to Robert U Johnson is in the Muir archives. Muir was not a trustee, but was Muir involved in this as well?

In December 1900, a letter to one of the trustees for Armstrong Redwoods Robert Underwood Johnson "I do not know whether you received in 1891,or since, a copy of a small, privately-printed pamphlet, being the deed of gift to tbe trustees. (never recorded) This explained,in twelve pages Colonel Armstrong's scheme for the botanic garden and parkland was immediately followed by the deed from his wife to which I have alluded " [where is this deed?] 

A followup on the interim history of Armstrong Redwoods State Reserve would be interesting. Their page says "During the 1870's, this area was set aside as a natural park and botanical garden by Colonel James Armstrong, a lumberman who recognized the beauty and natural value of the forests he harvested. After his death, Armstrong's daughter and the Le Baron family mounted an energetic campaign involving public meetings, rallies and car-caravans to direct public attention to the need to preserve this last remnant of the once mighty redwood forest. Their efforts were successful, and in 1917 the County of Sonoma passed an initiative to purchase the property for $80,000.

The grove was managed by Sonoma County until 1934 when the State took over. In 1936 the grove was opened to the public as Armstrong Redwoods State Park. The grove's status was changed to a reserve in 1964 when a greater understanding of its ecological significance prompted a more protective management of the resource."

Among John Muir's letters, other interesting notes

Most amusing is a letter where Charles says he will visit for a review of a book in 1902. What was the book? Perhaps Our National Parks (1901)? How well did he know John Muir? Well enough to refer to him as "you old Sierran peak!" This was after Charles wrote three chapters for Muir's Picturesque California (1888) and around the time that Charles started to work for the forest service.

Also amusing are Milicent's 1882 begging letters for Muir to write articles for the Overland Monthly before it had re-launched under her editorship in 1883. (I ran into something somewhere that Mrs. Muir explained that he was taking too much time playing with his baby to write :o)

References

• Annals of Horticulture in North America for the Years 1889-1893, Volume 4 "A botanic garden for the preservation of California red woods has been established during the year by the donation in trust of 640 acres of red wood timber land in Sonoma county by Col JB Armstrong of Santa Rosa The tract is on the north bank of the Russian river The timber is in a good state of preservation The trustees of the garden are Miss Kate Armstrong daughter of the donor. EJ Wickson Charles H Shinn Luther Burbank and Robert U Johnson." 
• Meehans' Monthly: A Magazine of Horticulture, Botany, and ..., Volumes 1-2, more on Armstrong, 1892