John Muir National Historic Site

John Muir is known as the “Father of the National Park Service”. “Muir’s writings convinced the U.S. government to protect Yosemite, Sequoia, Grand Canyon and Mt. Rainier as national parks.” – National Park Service (NPS)

Just east of San Francisco is the small town of Martinez, CA. This is where you will find the John Muir National Historic Site. We hadn’t planned to visit on this trip but we were literally passing by it and saw the sign on the side of the freeway. We are glad we did, it was a very interesting stop. Most of the information on this post comes from the National Park Service, which provided a detailed brochure and a cell phone self-guided tour.

“The Strentzel-Muir House was built in 1882 by Dr. John Strentzel, two years after his daughter married John Muir. When Dr. Strentzel died in 1890, Mrs. Strentzel invited her daughter Louie, John Muir, and their daughters, Wanda and Helen, to move into the “big house” with her. This was to be John Muir’s home for the last 24 years of his life and where he did the majority of his writing.” – NPS

“The “big house” is a 17-room wood frame mansion of the late Victorian period (Italianate style) built on a knoll with a commanding view of Alhambra Valley. It is a two story structure with a full basement and attic, a belvedere on the peak of the room, 12-foot high ceilings in the rooms, and over 10,000 square feet of floor space. The furnishings currently in the house are time period pieces from the early 20th century, and the paintings are replicas of what the family originally owned.” – NPS

The West Parlor (just inside the front door on the right): “Most people are surprised this is where John Muir: naturalist, mountaineer and writer lived. Those familiar with Muir would probably expect that he spent his days in a. secluded cabin in the wilderness. This grand and decorative room reflects the tastes of the Strentzels who built this house in 1882. John Muir’s wife, Louie was a classically trained pianist and the piano displayed here represents this aspect of Muir’s life.” – NPS

“Above the piano you will notice a landscape painting that represents an icy environment. The painting by Thomas Hill depicts Muir Glacier in what’s now Glacier Bay, Alaska. Although Muir might have preferred a cabin in the wilderness or exploring glaciers in Alaska, here at his home in Martinez he was able to earn a sizable income as a rancher, help raise a family and rally a growing conservation movement through his writing and activism.” – NPS

The East Parlor (just inside the front door to the left): “If you compare this room to the west parlor, across the hallway, you will notice that it is very different. Although we are approximately 30 miles from San Francisco, the earthquake that occurred in 1906 shook and rattles structures here in Martinez. The general structure of the house stood strong, but several of the chimneys collapsed. John Muir saw this as an opportunity to remodel. He opened the wall to the dining room and hallway and replaced the original fireplace (which utilized coal for heating) with a mission style wood burning fireplace that was made of brick. He filled the room with landscape paintings by the artist Willian Keith who accompanied Muir on many of his outings. He would set up camp and paint a scene while John Muir went exploring.” – NPS

The kitchen: “When this house was built, electricity had not yet been developed for residences.” – NPS

“The kitchen was the domain of Ah Fong, whose picture is to the left of the stove. He was the family’s cook for 17 years and immigrated to the United States from China. In fact, many of his fellow countrymen worked on the ranch helping the orchards prosper. The laborers lived alongside the creek in a dormitory called “China House” (no longer present) while the cooks lived in the big house.” – NPS

Scribble Den: “In the second-story study, the “scribble den” as he fondly named it, Muir compiled most of his 12 books and over 300 articles. His desk is one of the few original items in the house and sits in front of a large bay window with a wonderful view of the garden and outlying orchards.” – NPS

“Muir spent countless hours here, penning the prose that helped bring about the creation of National Parks such as Yosemite, Petrified Forest, Sequoia and the Grand Canyon. He struggled with writing, yet recognized the power of the written word and worked tirelessly in his “Scribble Den.”” – NPS

While I don’t have a picture of John Muir’s bedroom, here is one last interesting bit of information about him: “John Muir always insisted on waking up early. In his youth he worked sunrise to sunset on the family farm. In order to make time to pursue his passions he invented a bet that was set on a timer that would tip over and spill him onto the floor. Later in life he preferred that there were no curtains on the windows to his bedroom so he could be awakened daily by the rising sun.” – NPS

This was our 192 National Park Site and we always learn something new at every stop we make. We ended our day a few miles up the road at a Harvest Host, Four Fools Winery. We met some very nice folks – Judith and Clark Perkins – drank a wee bit too much wine, laughed and talked too much to take any pictures, and parked overlooking this view…