February 11 marked the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s departure from Springfield to Washington, DC, where he would become one of our greatest presidents. And, I don’t think he’s one of our greatest presidents just because he signed into law the act protecting Yosemite and, in effect, creating the first national park. This is not Lincoln’s mysterious connection to Yosemite, either.
If you have read much about Abraham Lincoln, you know of Ward Hill Lamon. Lamon became a law partner with Lincoln in 1852. When Lincoln was elected to the presidency, he asked Lamon to accompany him to Washington. Lamon became his personal bodyguard, among other things. They were close friends.
If you’re familiar with Yosemite, the name “Lamon” probably sounds familiar. There’s Lamon’s Orchard, named for James Lamon, whose grave you may have noticed in the Yosemite Cemetery. Are these two Lamons related?
Born in Bunker Hill, VA (now WV), James Lamon’s father was John Lamon. Ward Hill Lamon was born just 10 miles away to George Lamon, Jr. John and George, Jr. were brothers, making James and Ward Hill first cousins. Did they ever know each other? Did they keep in touch?
One has to wonder if, when Lincoln received the Yosemite act, if Ward Hill knew that his cousin was one of Yosemite Valley’s first non-Indian residents. Lincoln expressed a desire to visit California during his second term. Was it in part because of what he’d heard about Yosemite? Surely, he saw the amazing photographs Carleton Watkins had taken of Yosemite (which circulated around Capitol Hill before the Yosemite act passed). But, did he learn anything about Yosemite from Ward Hill Lamon?
I can’t help but wonder if, when Lincoln got the Yosemite act to sign, Ward Hill might’ve said something like, “Oh, Yosemite! My cousin is a settler there. I hear it’s a truly wonderful place!”
This is the mystery.
(The Lamon House has a Lamon family tree, which is where I discovered this connection.)
Tales from Yosemite - Jeffrey Trust's Blog 
February 14, 2011 at 8:53 pm
I’m not so sure that Lincoln ever saw the photos or even realized the implications of the legislation he signed into law. I think it was a a political favor to California to keep the state firmly on the Union side during the Civil War.
February 14, 2011 at 8:54 pm
Nice connection between the Lamons, nevertheless.
February 17, 2011 at 4:19 pm
Lincoln was a lover of spectacular nature and somewhat of an interpreter. Check out what he wrote about Niagara Falls in 1848 – lots of Tangible Intangible links.
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=lincoln;cc=lincoln;type=simple;rgn=div1;q1=niagara;singlegenre=All;view=text;subview=detail;sort=occur;idno=lincoln2;node=lincoln2:6;start=1;size=25;hi=0
March 4, 2011 at 9:41 am
This is way better than a conspiracy theory. Neat post. Thanks!
May 11, 2011 at 11:13 am
James Lamon’s father was John Lamon, brother of George Lamon, Jr. George W. Lamon is James’ brother.
May 12, 2011 at 9:27 pm
Oh, good point… not sure how I messed that up! I’ll fix it in the post. Thanks!
October 28, 2013 at 3:19 pm
I just returned from a trip to Yosemite (got to go just two days before the government shutdown). I’ve researched my Lemon family for 20 years now, and a DNA test on a Lamon descendant and a Lemon cousin has shown to be an exact match. While we have no direct proof as of yet, it is highly probable that George Lamon/Lemon who married Mary McDonald – Ward Hill Lamon’s grandparents – is a brother to my Robert Lemon. This was a family of nine (at least) children, one girl and the rest boys. I have been researching James Chenoweth Lamon more closely since returning from this trip. No letters or known communications exist between James & his family, though reports about early Yosemite say that he eagerly met visitors with questions about where they were from and sent word back to his family, especially his brother Bruce, who lived in Danville, I believe. It is not inconceivable that Bruce would communicate with Hill and through him, Lincoln, the news of their old home-town relatives and friends. Lincoln had, in fact, served as George W.’s lawyer when he had to get a deed transferred to his name after John Lamon died, so he would have known James, as one of the defendants in that proceeding.
BTW, the Yosemite Conservancy is planning to work on the Yosemite Cemetery this fall. I don’t know how the shutdown might have affected the plans for this, but they are supposed to stay in touch with me regarding a re-dedication. I have relatives in Stockton who might attend as family representatives.