On June 30, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant, setting aside Yosemite Valley in one of the first instances of land preservation for public use. Initially granted to the State of California, this area would later be incorporated into the future Yosemite National Park. This map was included with a petition to Congress from John Muir and other founders of the Sierra Club, protesting a bill to reduce the size of the park. 01/02/1893.