More Californians Who Made A Difference

Ever seen the giant Sequoias? Thank Captain Charles Young. Young was the son of Gabriel Young who fought in the 5th United States Colored Heavy Artillery Regiment at th end of the Civil War. Charles continued his family's tradition of service and served in the 9th Cavalry and became the first African American park supervisor at Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. He was responsible for the road construction to develop these parks for tourism, and to recommend the patented lands within the park which should be purchased. At the time of his appointment to this job in 1903, he was the only active commissioned African American graduate of West Point. Drawing by Charles Henry Alston, 1907-1977, Artist (NARA record: 3569253) - U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16895423