– Early Life:
– Clare Marie Hodges was born in Santa Cruz in 1890.
– Visited Yosemite Valley at age 14 on a 4-day horse-riding trip with her family.
– Attended and graduated from the San Jose Normal School.
– Contributed to the herbarium at the school.
– President of the literary society and authored Songs of the Trail.
– Career:
– Started teaching at the Yosemite Valley School in 1916.
– Applied to become a park ranger due to shortage of male rangers during WWI.
– Conducted mounted patrols through the park.
– Delivered the park’s gate receipts on horseback.
– Served as a ranger from May 22 to September 7, 1918.
– Personal Life:
– Married Peter Wolfsen, a Mariposa cattle rancher.
– Active in the Mariposa community guiding groups in Yosemite.
– Both were active at Camp Wawona, operated by the Seventh-Day Advent Church.
– Became the camp’s first naturalist.
– Passed away in 1980 at age 89, honored with a nature trail in Mariposa.
– References:
– Clare Marie Hodges (1890–1970) by Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks.
– Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum, 2015.
– “Once Upon a Time” by Clare H. Wolfsen in Yosemite Nature Notes.
– “Challenging Tradition: Pioneer Women Naturalists in the National Park Service” by Polly Welts Kaufman.
– National Park Service History: Person of the Month.
– Further Reading:
– “National Parks and the Woman’s Voice: A History” by Polly Welts Kaufman.
– Contains information on National Park Service personnel.
– Focuses on Yosemite National Park.
– Includes details on Clare Marie Hodges’ life and contributions.
– Retrieved from a specific Wikipedia page.
Clare Marie Hodges (1890–1970) was one of the first paid female rangers for the National Park Service, working at Yosemite National Park.
Clare Marie Hodges | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1880 |
| Died | 1970 |
| Other names | Clare Marie Wolfsen |
| Employer(s) | Yosemite Valley School and National Park Service |
| Spouse | Peter Wolfsen |