Theodore Solomons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Theodore Solomons
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| Born |
July 20, 1870 |
| Died | May 27, 1947 (aged 76) |
| Occupation | Explorer, naturalist & writer |
| Spouse(s) | Rozella M. Gould Katherine Gray Church Yvonne Robinson |
| Children | Eleanor Susan B. Anthony "Toni" Solomons David Seixas Solomons Leon Henry Solomons |
| Parent(s) | Gershom Mendes Seixas Solomons Hannah Marks |
Theodore Seixas Solomons (1870–1947) was a famous explorer and an early member of the Sierra Club. He explored many parts of California's mountains. From 1892 to 1897, he explored and named areas like Mount Goddard, Evolution Valley, and Evolution Basin. These places are now part of Kings Canyon National Park in California. Solomons was key in planning and exploring the path for what became the John Muir Trail. This long trail goes from Yosemite Valley along the top of the Sierra Nevada mountains to Mount Whitney.
Contents
Theodore Solomons' Life Story
Growing Up and Family Roots
Theodore Solomons was born in San Francisco, California on July 20, 1870. He was the fifth of seven children. His mother, Hannah Marks, was a well-known educator and community worker in San Francisco. His father, Gershom Mendes Seixas Solomons, moved to San Francisco during the Gold Rush. He helped start Congregation Emanu-El in 1854.
Theodore's great-grandfather was Gershom Mendes Seixas (1745–1816). He was known as the "Patriot Rabbi" and was the first rabbi born in the United States.
Solomons later remembered that the idea for the John Muir Trail came to him when he was a teenager. He was 14 years old in 1884. He was herding cattle near Fresno when he thought of a trail that would follow the mountain peaks.
Family Life
Theodore Solomons was married three times. His first marriage was to Rozella M. Gould in 1901. They later divorced and had no children.
In 1909, he married Katherine Gray Church in New York City. Katherine was born in 1881. Theodore and Katherine had three children:
- Eleanor Susan Brownell Anthony "Toni" Solomons (1911–2006)
- David Seixas Solomons (1913–1961)
- Leon Henry Solomons (1915–1988)
Their daughter, Eleanor, later married an Israeli biologist named Benjamin Elazari Volcani.
The family lived in a house Solomons built called the Flying Spur. It was on 20 acres (about 8 hectares) of land. The house was located at 4,600 feet (about 1,400 meters) in the Stanislaus National Forest. It was also next to Yosemite National Park.
After his second wife, Katherine, became ill, he married Yvonne Robinson. She passed away in 1965. They did not have any children.
Exploring the Sierra Nevada
Solomons was very good at mapping the land. He correctly figured out the paths of the upper parts of the San Joaquin River.
Early Expeditions
In 1892, Solomons went on an expedition with Joseph Nisbet LeConte and Sidney I. Peixotto. They traveled from Mount Lyell to the base of Mount Ritter and climbed that peak.
Naming the Evolution Group
His most famous trip was in 1895 with Ernest C. Bonner. They went up the South Fork of the San Joaquin River. They found a group of mountains that Solomons named the Evolution Group. He named the highest mountain Mount Darwin, after the famous scientist Charles Darwin. He named the other peaks after other well-known evolutionists of that time: Haeckel, Wallace, Fiske, Spencer, and Huxley.
After exploring these mountains, Solomons and Bonner climbed Mount Goddard. They then went down to Simpson Meadow. They were the first to explore and map this part of the mountains.
Mapping the Sierra
Solomons continued his explorations for the next two years. He added many details to what was known about the Sierra Nevada mountains. His most important contribution was an accurate map he drew. He gave this map to the Sierra Club in 1896. This map helped future explorers and hikers.
Legacy and Memorials
Theodore Solomons passed away in Los Angeles, California on May 27, 1947.
Two places are named after him to honor his work:
- Mount Solomons (which is 13,016 feet high)
- The long-distance trail called the Theodore Solomons Trail
