James Savage - 1st White Man to "Discover" Yosemite April 18, 2009

Jim Phillips, whose own Coulterville roots go back to the early 1800’s, will be sharing his personal insights as well as documented facts about James Savage. Savage not only was the first white man that the Indians allowed into the Groveland area (originally called Savage’s Diggins), but was also the leader of the Mariposa Brigade, the first white men to “discover” Yosemite Valley. Reputed to have 68 Indian wives, his ability to quickly pick up the various tribe’s languages and converse without an accent was the key to his acceptance. This program is sponsored by the Coulterville Museum. The cost is $2 for museum members and $3 or non-members, with all proceeds benefiting the private, non-profit museum’s maintenance and operations