Couple's 1908 donation of 295 acres saved redwoods, created Muir Woods

William and Elizabeth Kent purchased land in Redwood Canyon and donated it to create Muir Woods National Monument. The area became protected after a legal dispute over a proposed reservoir threatened the redwood grove. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed it a national monument in 1908, marking the first land donation for such purpose. Elizabeth Kent played a significant but often overlooked role in this conservation effort.