Warren Olney

author

Warren Olney

1841–1921

A Civil War veteran who became a leading California lawyer, he helped found the Sierra Club and later served as mayor of Oakland. His life brought together public service, conservation, and a deep interest in civic reform.

1 Audiobook

"Shiloh" as Seen by a Private Soldier With Some Personal Reminiscences

"Shiloh" as Seen by a Private Soldier With Some Personal Reminiscences

by Warren Olney

About the author

Born in Iowa in 1841, Warren Olney Sr. came west after serving in the Civil War and studying law at the University of Michigan. He built a successful legal career in California and became a prominent public figure in Oakland.

Olney is especially remembered as one of the founding members of the Sierra Club, working alongside John Muir and Willis Linn Jepson. Early meetings of the club were held in his law office, and he helped shape its beginnings at a time when conservation was just starting to take organized form in the American West.

He also served as mayor of Oakland from 1903 to 1905 and remained active in public and educational life, including long service as a trustee of Mills College. He died in 1921, leaving a legacy that joined law, politics, and the protection of California's natural landscape.