In Internships

Under the mentorship of the Park Historian, the intern researched the details of the route that African American ("Buffalo Soldiers") and white cavalry troopers used from 1890-1916 to travel from the Presidio of San Francisco to Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks, where they served many functions of today's park rangers, protecting those sites in the years before the establishment of the National Park Service. This project was undertaken due to a proposal in the Washington Office of the National Park Service to study the feasibility of establishing a Buffalo Soldiers National Historic Trail, and further information was needed to identify the exact route and events of the journey, and align them with the current political and physical landscape.

The final product of the summer internship was a report which included three main sections: a route description and historical summary of the campsites along the Buffalo Soldier Trail, a synopsis of the 9 th Cavalry’s history, and a report outlining the U.S. Army’s role in the administration of Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. The document also contained a bibliography, a list of contacts, and a database of organizations along the route which might be interested in assisting with the project.

In addition to the Buffalo Soldiers research, the intern had several opportunities to accompany park service staff on various assignments and outings, in order to gain a better understanding of the day-to-day work performed by the National Park Service staff at Golden Gate National Recreation Area.