Vignette > A 1910 Vacation

Carrie Eells with two daughters at home in 1910

Alec Eells was a successful San Francisco lawyer.  After the 1906 earthquake, he and his family moved to his 8-acre gentleman’s farm in Homestead Valley.  In the summer of 1909 he had enjoyed a 3-week Sierra Club camping trip in Yosemite. In 1910 the whole family would vacation there. That meant seven people: Alec, his wife, Carrie, three daughters, ages 4, 8, and 12, and the servants, Gordon and Dora. On Saturday, July 5, Gordon took the night boat to Stockton with two horses, a pony and a wagon full of camping gear. He then drove from Stockton to Chinese Camp in the Sierra foothills. On July 8, the others arrived there by train. After camping in six privately owned campgrounds along the way, they arrived in Yosemite Valley. They camped there for several days and hiked to the various interesting sites in the valley. They then drove up to Tuolumne Meadows and Lake Tenaya before heading back to Chinese Camp, arriving there on July 31. Their wonderful vacation was not without problems. The wagon had broken down more than once.  A major repair required professional help in Yosemite Village. Campsites for four adults, three children, two horses and a pony were often problematic.