“These trees for years to come will minister to the destiny of mankind”
The Mahan Trail
In the early 20th century, my ancestor, Laura Mahan, found a lumber company illegally logging in an area of the Redwood Forest, now known as The Avenue of the Giants. She advocated all the way to the White House, through the Save the Redwood League, an effort that garnered the attention of Rockefeller to Roosevelt. The area known as the Avenue of the Giant was placed in state-protected parkland in the 1920s.
ANTI-RACISM & LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:
The Mahan Trail is located in the Founder’s Grove, in Humboldt County, California. This land belonged to the Sinkyone Native peoples, before the occupation and settling of the state of California, in the late 19th century.
I want to acknowledge the ancestral homelands of those who were here before us and those who still live here, keeping in mind the integrity of these territories.
Additionally, I would like to acknowledge the history of racism and discrimination that has occurred in the park systems across the United States. If you are interested in reading more about this issue, I have compiled some resources below:
