Starting in 1891, U.S. Army soldiers were among the first guardians of the recently established Yosemite National Park, protecting the park for twenty-three years before the creation of the National Park Service in 1916. The Army was well-suited for the work. Troops patrolled the park’s backcountry to ensure the land was protected from illegal grazing, poaching, and logging. Each summer, over 200 soldiers, usually cavalry, rode from the Presidio of San Francisco to protect both Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks. In 1899, 1903, and 1904, African-American buffalo soldiers also served in the Sierra Nevada.

Yosemite encompasses vast areas of rugged, roadless terrain. To access such remote places for patrolling, Army officers trained in engineering at West Point supervised the construction of vital infrastructure such as roads, trails, and buildings. These challenging construction efforts gave birth to Yosemite’s backcountry trail system, used by hikers today.

The Acting Superintendent’s Office was the headquarters for the Army officer in charge of Yosemite National Park. This building was originally constructed at Camp A.E. Wood, the present-day site of the Wawona Campground. Named after Captain Abram Epperson Wood, the first Army officer to serve as Acting Superintendent of Yosemite National Park, Camp A.E. Wood was the summer home for U.S. Army troops from 1891 through 1905. In 1906, the State of California returned Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the federal government to be managed as part of Yosemite National Park, and the headquarters moved to Yosemite Valley. Later this building was moved to the Yosemite History Center.