Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE AHWAHNEE
HOTEL
. ,
Before the Gold Rush brought Europeans to the Yosemite Valley, the Southern Sierra Miwok
Indians lived here. They called the valley “Ahwahnee,” which means “land of the gaping mouth,”
and they called themselves the Ahwaneechee or “the people of Ahwahnee.” Fish and game were
plentiful and the Indians had little reason to leave the valley. They enjoyed a peaceful existence for
several thousand years until the foreigners came.
Outsiders arrived in waves as the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills brought hoards of
miners to the area. While the Indians initially assisted the miners and worked with them to extract
gold, they later became hostile, as their tribesmen were indiscriminately murdered and their land
became overrun with settlers. The Mariposa Indian War of 1851 resulted in many deaths on both
sides; the settlers eventually prevailed.
The beauty of the valley attracted tourists as early as 1855. Only nine years later, at the height
of the Civil War, President Lincoln was persuaded to grant title to Yosemite Valley to the state of
California. This act was the foundation for all future national and state parks, as Yosemite became
the nation's first public preserve. Control of the park reverted to the federal government in 1906
when it became Yosemite National Park.
In 1916, the first director of the newly created National Park Service, Stephen Mather, wanted
to upgrade the park's accommodations to encourage tourists. He ordered the building of a luxury
hotel that would attract wealthy and influential people to the park year-round. Plans were drawn
for an extensive structure costing $525,000. When construction was completed seven months later
in July of 1927, the final cost was $1,250,000. The Ahwahnee Hotel was born.
This impressive wilderness retreat has a six-story central tower, with three huge wings extend-
ing from it. In response to the risk of fire in a forest, the new hotel was built of concrete, steel, and
granite. To ensure that it fit in with the surroundings, the exterior was stained to resemble redwood.
The main building is 150,000 square feet and includes 99 rooms. Eight cottages on the grounds
house twenty-four additional rooms. The dining room features granite pillars and a dramatic 34-
foot-high ceiling with large sugar pine trestles.
Like many other resorts in America, The Ahwahnee Hotel served as an R&R center during
World War II. The U.S. Navy turned it into a hospital and the Great Lounge became a dormitory,
