Writers Unite to Save Jack London Park
On April 10, 2012, the State of California accepted the Valley of the Moon History Association offer to run Jack London State Historic Park.
This is great news as we were about to lose this park.
Read on! And don’t forget to make a donation.
In 2010, Jack London State Historic Park celebrated its 50th anniversary as a state park. It might be closed in 2012 due to California State budget cuts.
Jack London was one of the founders of California Writers Club. His ranch in Glen Ellen, CA serves today as an inspiration to writers.
Volunteers beautifully restored the London cottage several years ago. One can gain a true glimpse of how this writer worked. Now, to save the park and keep it open, more help is needed. Your donation goes to making Jack London’s legacy live on.
Redwood Writers is proud to join CWC and the Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation and many others to keep our parks open.
Send Donations to Redwood Writers, “for JLP” PO Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
See below for making an online Donation JLP Flyer for RWC pdf file
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laThe state park is just over the half of the original 1400-acre ranch. Part of the park includes Wolf House, House of the Happy Walls and the Londons’ gravesite. Beauty Ranch, another part of the park has London’s cottage, farm buildings and lake.
Hours at the park are already curtailed. Please visit Thursday through Monday, 10am-4pm. The cottage is only open Saturday and Sunday. $8 per car. No extra fee for the museum at House of Happy Walls or at the cottage
For writers, the cottage is a view of how this famous writer lived the last years of his life. His large office and his sleeping porch where he wrote set the stage for his rigorous writing life. He wrote 1,000 words a day, six days a week.
He also ran a ‘scientific’ farm, sometimes working with Luther Burbank. Several stone ranch and winery buildings survive as well as the Pig Palace. Guest and ranch hand buildings are only foundation outlines.
Jack London and his wife, Charmain, often entertained guests. A separate building from the cottage holds a ‘great room’ with kitchen, dining and sitting room. Guests would spend the evenings here after a rugged day playing on the ranch. Less than a mile up hill is a dammed lake, where the Londons and their guests could swim.
Jack London played as hard as he wrote.
Wolf House burned in 1913 just before the Londons were to move in. This ‘fireproof’ stone house had a reflection pool, 26 rooms and 9 fireplaces in 15,000 sq ft.
Nearby is the gravesite for the cremated remains of both Londons. Jack London died in 1916 in Charmain’s sleeping porch at the cottage. She built the House of Happy Walls and lived there from 1919 until her death in 1955.
Her house now functions as a museum. A new library room was recently added. Other rooms display collections from their sailing trip in the South Pacific. Her bedroom displays the life of an elegant and modern woman up to the challenge of an adventurous husband.
The park has many hiking trails and some are open to horseback riding. For those who don’t walk well, permission to more accessible roads or golf cart rides can be obtained. Some buildings have elevator access.
Please support this park with a generous donation. Click on the following links for more information.
Sonoma County Regional Parks Foundation
Valley of the Moon History Association at http://www.jacklondonpark.com/
Jack London State Historic Park
Press Democrat article on Bill passage for Non-profit Group to manage State Park
Press Democrat article on Volunteer Group
Opinion Piece by Retired Ranger
Guest blog in Press Democrat’s Trailhead
Visit RWC Member Lynn Millar’s blog about Jack London State Historic Park
Slideshow pictures by Mike Millar copyright 2011
Send Donations to Redwood Writers, “for JLP” PO Box 4687, Santa Rosa, CA 95402
of click Donate and make your donation.
