The Tenaya Canyon and Lake were named for the famous old chief.
Very few visits were made to the Valley before the summer or 1855, when Mr.J.M.Hutchings, having heard of its wonderful scenery, collected a party and made the first regular tourist's visit to the Yosemite and in his California magazine described it in articles illustrated by a good artist, who was taken into the Valley by him for that purpose.

This first party was followed by another from Mariposa the same year, consisting of sixteen or eighteen persons.

The next year the regular pleasure travel began and a trail on the Mariposa side of the Valley was opened by Mann Brothers.

This trail was afterwards purchased by the citizens of the county and made free to the public.

The first house built in the Yosemite Valley was erected in the autumn of 1856 and was kept as a hotel the next year by G.A.Hite and later by J.H.Neal and S.M.Cunningham.It was situated directly opposite the Yosemite Fall.
A little over half a mile farther up the Valley a canvas house was put up in 1858 by G.A.Hite.Next year a frame house was built and kept as a hotel by Mr.Peck, afterward by Mr.Longhurst and since 1864 by Mr.
Hutchings.