William Kent bought 611 acres of redwood forest for $45,000 in 1905; 3 years later it became Muir Woods

William and Elizabeth Kent/Image: National Park Service A stretch of California redwood forest that could have been logged and turned into a reservoir became one of the country's best-known protected forests after William and Elizabeth Kent chose to give much of their land to the federal government.The Kents bought 611 acres in Redwood Canyon in 1905 for $45,000, as surrounding forests were being cleared for timber and commercial use. Three years later, they donated about 295 acres to the federal government, and President Theodore Roosevelt proclaimed the land Muir Woods National Monument, according to the National Park Service (NPS).The decision followed a dispute over plans to build a reservoir in the canyon and came after years of efforts by conservationists to protect its redwoods.A family with roots in CaliforniaWilliam Kent came from a wealthy family with roots in Connecticut. His father, Albert Kent, came from a prosperous farming family, attended Yale, and built his fortune through businesses and real estate investments.The Kent family moved to Marin County in 1871. William grew up around the landscape near the Golden Gate and developed an appreciation for the area's natura...