19 Facts About Warren Olney

Warren Olney was a founding member, alongside John Muir and the young botany professor, Willis Linn Jepson of the University of California at Berkeley, of the Sierra Club.

Warren Olney's family moved often and his education up to the age of 10 consisted of brief stints in log or early frame school houses and from his father who had only briefly attended school himself.

Warren Olney finally taught herself to read and write so as to communicate with her son during his military service during the Civil war.

Nothing in Warren Olney's history suggests he was ever aware of or concerned with the connection if any.

In 1860 Warren Olney left Pella's Central University to travel to Missouri, a slave state.

When Fort Sumter was fired upon in April, 1861 Warren Olney hastened back to Pella and enlisted.

Warren Olney did not make the first group of 90day volunteers so enlisted in the 3rd Iowa for 3 years with the 3rd Iowa Infantry.

Warren Olney's unit held and fought well before breaking and running in the general rout ending the first day's battle.

Warren Olney was struck in the chest by a spent round that did not break skin but apparently knocked him out.

Warren Olney came to and joined the general rout not wanting to be captured.

Warren Olney's "wounding" must have been observed because his records contain a note that he was killed there.

Warren Olney continued in the pursuit of the Confederate army following the battle but, suffering from illness took advantage of the opportunities open to soldiers of his education an applied for and received a position as a clerk in the army with duty at St Louis, Missouri.

Warren Olney remained in command of this unit to war's end seeing service in Louisiana but taking no part in combat operations.

Warren Olney wrote its first charter and served as vice president of the organization.

In 1903 Warren Olney became the 34th Mayor of Oakland, where he had made his home, serving one term to 1905.

Warren Olney held strong views that California cities and communities needed a secure water supply system separate from private independent suppliers.

Warren Olney supported this project, resulting in a bitter separation from John Muir, his other conservationist friends, and with the Sierra Club, who staunchly opposed the environmental destruction.

Warren Olney is buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.

Warren Olney's great-grandson, Warren Olney IV is a noted Los Angeles-based broadcast journalist.