Colonel Young: A Buffalo Soldier

Captain Charles Young, a West Point graduate, commanded Buffalo Soldier cavalry units assigned here in 1903 and became America’s first black national park superintendent. Before park rangers, the military guarded national parks, and Young’s troops were the first African-Americans to do so. Recognizing the need for public access and protection in this remote park, Young and his men completed many projects in a single summer, including the first wagon road to the Giant Forest and the Moro Rock Road, taking some of the first vital steps toward the park’s long-term protection. Young later attained the rank of colonel and became a national figure. Buffalo Soldiers were African Americans who served in the United States Cavalry after the Civil War, primarily in the American West; the name is believed to have been given by American Indians in tribute to the soldiers’ courage, skill, and appearance, and the soldiers bore it proudly. Although many wanted to name a sequoia here in Young’s honor, he instead chose to name one for Booker T. Washington.

California · United States