The Joseph R. Paquette Poetry Collection contains over 290 poems written by Paquette between 1979 and 1990 during his later years as a longtime Yosemite Park and Curry Company employee. The majority of the poems in the collection are influenced by the natural beauty of Yosemite National Park. The collection is comprised of 289 unique poems, with four unpublished bound books containing poetry written by Paquette.

Born in Fall River, Massachusetts on February 20, 1922, Joseph R. Paquette attended Syracuse University where he trained his voice in opera. He was in the United States Marine Corps, before gaining employment at Yellowstone National Park for eleven years. He began employment with the Yosemite Park and Curry Company on April 26, 1959, where he worked as the manager of the Yosemite Lodge storeroom.2 He worked in the park for over twenty nine years, where he also held frequent opera appreciation meetings.3 In 1979, Paquette was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and became very religious as a result of the diagnosis. He then began to write poetry influenced by nature and religion. Paquette died on June 3, 1999, and is buried at Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church Cemetery in Mariposa, California.

293 items; 1 LF (2 boxes: 289 loose poems, 4 volumes of bound poetry).

No restrictions.