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John Muir
Born in 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland to Daniel Muir and Ann Gilrve he was the third of nine children. The things he remembered enjoying as a boy were re-enacting romantic battles in Scottish history and hunting for birds nests. When he was 11 the family moved and started farming near Portage, Wisconsin. While there he became known for his inventions such as an alarm clock bed that deposited its occupant on the floor at a prescribed time. While attending The University of Wisconsin-Madison his interest in botany was sparked when a fellow student used a flower from the locus tree to explain how the grand locust was related to the pea plant. After that day Muir spent most of his time in the woods and meadows discovering the wonders of nature
In 1864 he decided to go to Canada to avoid being drafted into the Civil War and set out on a walking tour of Canada West (which is what Ontario was called) following what is now known as the Bruce Trail. He explored the wilderness areas around Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Southern Ontario, studying botany (a term never used before this time) and collecting plants. This is when he discovered he could live in the wilderness for long periods of time and it was the beginning of his new career. Gradually he developed a spiritual experience that marked the beginning of his wilderness philosophy. He was often mistaken for a government official, peddler or a minister. His only possessions were a knapsack and a plant press and his main diet was bread and an occasional home cooked meal prepared by a farmer’s wife. It was here that he discovered a rare orchid, the Calypso Borealis.
His Mother didn’t want him to return until the war ended so he decided to join his brother Daniel who was employed in the Meaford area by William Trout and Charles Jay in a rake factory at Trout Hollow and he decided to seek employment there too. The factory made small farm tools, broom handles; and neck yokes. While living there they made arrangement to live in a cabin in Trout Hollow and assisted with the construction of an addition to the rake factory. The Trouts were impressed by Muir’s knowledge and interested in his work, so they soon became friends. Although pursuing his interest in plants and writing articles took up much of this time Muir was still able to help make the mill more productive with his innovations. By observing the steps taken to create the tools he was able to improve the process and speed up production. He also designed several automatic machines to develop different parts of the tools which reduced the amount of manual labor required. This relationship was the beginning of long term correspondence between them. Some of the letters are in the Meaford Museum for viewing and there are also copies for sale in the gift shop.
Conflicts with his father prompted a decision to again take to the trail. He settled for a while in Indiana where an accident left him temporarily blind and forced him to return home. When his eyesight returned he took off to explore other parts of the States and finally went to California and fell in love with Yosemite. He stayed there collecting plants and writing a journal which was later turned into a book. He is accredited with helping to save the Yosemite Valley and other wilderness areas. While there he worked as a ferry operator, sheepherder and a bronco buster. He spent one summer as a sheepherder in the mountains and spent his spare time hiking and climbing and gradually developed a theory of how the ecosystem functioned. He also founded the Sierra Club which has become one of the most important conservation organizations in North America. His writings and philosophy have been a strong influence in forming the modern environmental movement.
Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir in Yosemite in 1903 Muir married Louisa Wand Strentzel in 1880 and moved into a large ranch in Martinez California where he spent the next ten years managing the ranch and helping to raise their two daughters. This life did not agree with him and he became nervous, then, and worn out from work and worry, and he left for a trip to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. On the trip he returned to his old self and began writing again although his wife died while he was away. In the following years he continued to travel in various parts of the U. S. including Alaska. He met several influential people including President Theodore Roosevelt whom he inspired to start several conservation efforts and the establishment of national parks He died of pneumonia on December 24, 1914 and his house and part of the ranch was made into a National Historic Site. There are also several trails, schools, parks and monuments named in his honor and the Sierra Club he founded has become one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. His writings have inspired many people and have been an influence in forming more environmental movements. In Canada several organizations have been formed to keep alive the memory of his life. The Canadian Friends of John Muir in the early 2000’s organized a walk and a celebration of conservation. The idea was to trace his time in the Meaford area and promote awareness of the beautiful land in the area. It is still held annually and attracts conservationists from near and far. They have also studied the artifacts found around Trout Hollow and recovered some of John Muir’s writings and letters for display In museums The Bighead River Organization has constructed a trail through the area from Meaford to the 7th line through the area where he lived and worked during his stay in Ontario. There is also plaque at Epping Lookout on County Road 7 in Grey County, where you have a beautiful view of the Beaver Valley. It was erected by The Ontario Heritage Foundation in honor of his stay in the area. Sources: |
When you hear the name John Muir you may think about botany, ecology, conservation, or maybe the Sierra Club, but how much do you really know about him, or his contribution to this area
During his short stay in the community he saw clear cutting, forest fires, and poverty in the serene world of Trout Hollow. This awoke a spirit of friendship in the community and encouraged inquiry and exploration that was important to the way Muir began to think about Nature, the Creator and Man. By the end of the Civil War in 1865 Dan returned to the USA but John stayed and completed his contract with the Trouts, before he returned in 1866. His decision to leave was not because of a desire to go home but because of a fire that had destroyed the mill and all the inventory and notes he had made. There seemed to be no way to continue the venture so with a little cash and an I.O.U. he returned to Wisconsin.
