Before Augustus T. Dowd's well-known discovery in 1852, there were three earlier encounters with giant sequoias. The first known mention of the giant sequoia by a European American was in 1833 by explorer J.K. Leonard, who recorded it in his diary. While Leonard did not specify a location, his travels likely took him through Calaveras Grove, but this observation remained unnoticed.
Before Augustus T Dowd's well-known discovery in 1852, there were three earlier encounters with giant sequoias. The first known mention of the giant sequoia by a European American was in 1833 by explorer J.K. Leonard, who recorded it in his diary. While Leonard did not specify a location, his travels likely took him through Calaveras Grove, but this observation remained unnoticed