Duncan McDuffie
Encyclopedia
Duncan McDuffie was a real estate developer, conservationist
, and mountaineer
based in Berkeley, California
, USA.
and Northbrae neighborhoods of Berkeley
and St. Francis Wood district in San Francisco. His upscale developments were laid out as "residential parks," with streets that follow the contours of the hills and power lines that run underground.
from 1928 to 1931 and from 1943 to 1946.
in the Berkeley Hills
.
. He won the Pugsley Medal
for his service on the California State Parks Commission
.
in the Sierra Nevada. He made first ascents of Mount Abbot
and Black Kaweah
.
Along with Joseph N. LeConte and James S. Hutchinson
, he pioneered a high mountain route in 1908 from Yosemite National Park
to Kings Canyon
, roughly along the route of the modern John Muir Trail
. In 28 days, they completed a trip of 228 miles through the high mountains, inclding several previously unexplored sections.
McDuffie suffered from Parkinson's disease
for nearly 20 years before his death in 1951. The Sierra peak Mount McDuffie is named after him.
Conservationist
Conservationists are proponents or advocates of conservation. They advocate for the protection of all the species in an ecosystem with a strong focus on the natural environment...
, and mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
based in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
, USA.
Visionary developer
McDuffie is best known for developing the ClaremontClaremont, Oakland/Berkeley, California
The Claremont district is a neighborhood straddling the city limits of Oakland and Berkeley in the East Bay section of the San Francisco Bay Area in California, United States. It lies at an elevation of 266 feet . The main thoroughfares are Claremont and Ashby Avenues.The name was given in the...
and Northbrae neighborhoods of Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
and St. Francis Wood district in San Francisco. His upscale developments were laid out as "residential parks," with streets that follow the contours of the hills and power lines that run underground.
Conservationist
McDuffie was also a notable conservationist. He was president of the Sierra ClubSierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
from 1928 to 1931 and from 1943 to 1946.
East Bay Regional Park District
In 1934 McDuffie helped create the East Bay Regional Park DistrictEast Bay Regional Park District
The East Bay Regional Park District is a special district operating in Alameda County and Contra Costa County, California, within the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay Area...
in the Berkeley Hills
Berkeley Hills
The Berkeley Hills are a range of the Pacific Coast Ranges that overlook the northeast side of the valley that surrounds San Francisco Bay. They were previously called the "Contra Costa Range/Hills" , but with the establishment of Berkeley and the University of California, the current usage was...
.
California state parks
Duncan McDuffie helped establish the California state park system with the help of his friend, Governor C. C. YoungC. C. Young
Clement Calhoun Young was an American teacher and politician who was affiliated with the original Progressive Party and later the Republican Party. He was elected to five consecutive terms in the California State Assembly, serving from 1909 to 1919, then as the 28th lieutenant governor of...
. He won the Pugsley Medal
Pugsley Medal
The Pugsley Medal was created by Cornelius Amory Pugsley in 1928. The award honors champions of parks and conservation. Until 1952 there was a gold, silver, and bronze award, and in 1953 it was switched to national, state, and local.-Pugsley Medal winners:...
for his service on the California State Parks Commission
California Department of Parks and Recreation
The California Department of Parks and Recreation, also known as California State Parks, manages the California state parks system. The system administers 278 parks and 1.4 million acres , with over of coastline; of lake and river frontage; nearly 15,000 campsites; and of hiking, biking, and...
.
Mountaineer
McDuffie was an accomplished mountaineerMountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
in the Sierra Nevada. He made first ascents of Mount Abbot
Mount Abbot
Mount Abbot is a mountain in California's Sierra Nevada, in John Muir Wilderness.It is located between Mount Mills and Mount Dade along the Sierra Crest and straddles the border between Fresno and Inyo counties....
and Black Kaweah
Black Kaweah
Black Kaweah is a mountain of the Kaweah Peaks Ridge of the California's Sierra Nevada, in Sequoia National Park. The peak has a local magnetic disturbance that has caused compasses in the vicinity to vary by up to eight degrees....
.
Along with Joseph N. LeConte and James S. Hutchinson
James S. Hutchinson
James Sather Hutchinson was a lawyer in San Francisco, California, a mountaineer and an environmentalist. He was most noted for being an explorer of the Sierra Nevada....
, he pioneered a high mountain route in 1908 from Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
to Kings Canyon
Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...
, roughly along the route of the modern John Muir Trail
John Muir Trail
The John Muir Trail is a long-distance trail in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California, running between the northern terminus at Happy Isles in Yosemite Valley and the southern terminus located on the summit of Mount Whitney . For almost all of its length, the trail is in the High Sierra...
. In 28 days, they completed a trip of 228 miles through the high mountains, inclding several previously unexplored sections.
McDuffie suffered from Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
for nearly 20 years before his death in 1951. The Sierra peak Mount McDuffie is named after him.