Harry C. James (1896–1978)

Harry C. James was born April 25th, 1896, in Ottawa, Canada. He is most known for being a conservationist, ecologist, and an expert on Hopi and Cahuilla culture. James ran away from home when he was 17 and made his way to Los Angeles, California, where he met many of Hollywood's first film actors. During that time, he also created the Trailfinders, a hiking, outdoors, and conservation group in Southern California. The Trailfinders grew to include almost 40,000 boys over the course of its existence. In 1927, he married Grace Clifford, who was a school teacher. Together they created the Trailfinder's School for Boys, which taught appreciation for nature and classical music in addition to an intensive curriculum. As part of James' outdoorsmanship, he developed relationships with the Hopi and Cahuilla tribes, and became one of two white men to ever be accepted into the Hopi tribe, and was given the name Walking Bear. Harry became a very active writer and wrote extensively on nature and Native Americans; often contributing to newspapers and magazines about his observations of culture, conservation, and ecology in Southern California and the American Southwest. He also wrote several books on Hopi, Cahuilla, and other Native American tribes. His position as a leader and creator of the Trailfinders as well as a leader of conservationist efforts make him a notable figure in Southern California history, particularly in the Riverside, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties. Harry C. James lived to be 83 years old, and died May 28th, 1978, in Banning, California.