Legislation to Name Peak in Yosemite in Honor of Jessie Benton Fremont Approved by House Committee

Legislation by Congressman McClintock (H.R. 1192) to rename Mammoth Peak in Yosemite National Park in honor of Jessie Benton Fremont was approved today by the House Natural Resources Committee. The bill now moves to the House floor.

Jessie Benton Fremont was one of the earliest and most influential advocates for establishing Yosemite National Park. On June 30, 1864, Congress enacted the Yosemite Grant Act, establishing Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove as the first protected wild land for all time. Historians note Jessie Benton Fremont was one of the people most responsible for the Yosemite Grant. Other persons who had lesser or comparable roles in the establishment of Yosemite are all memorialized, including Horace Greeley, Carlton Watkins, Thomas Starr King and U.S. Senators John Conness and Edward Baker, but not Jessie Benton Fremont.

"On the 150th anniversary of the establishment of the Yosemite Land Grant, naming a peak for Jessie Benton Fremont is a fitting honor for a woman whose wisdom, foresight and perseverance helped preserve the majestic site that is Yosemite for all time," remarked Congressman Tom McClintock. "The naming of the peak is an important and overdue step in recognizing her important contributions to California and the nation."