 The community of Big Oak Flat was founded by James D. Savage who began mining the area about 1851.In "Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851 which led to that event" by Lafayette Bunnell, Savage is credited as the leader of the first group of non Native Americans of European ancestry into Yosemite Valley in 1851, (March 27, 1851).Others of European ancestry may have seen the valley as early as 1833.