Stop 7: Freedom Through Fruit

John Muir admiring a tree in his orchard.

Historic Image from the JOMU collection.

Transcript for John Muir Cell Phone Tour

Stop Number 7

After his father-in-law’s death in 1890, Muir took over the running of the ranch and began to transform much of the ranch to growing Bartlett pears. He also grew a variety of fruit for family consumption, including cherries, apricots, and peaches. These Elberta peach trees before you are of the same heritage variety as the ones that Muir once grew.

Muir was a successful rancher, although he found the work difficult and tiring. After 10 years of hard work, he hired his brother-in-law John Reid, husband of his sister Margaret, to manage the ranch. With Reid taking care of operations, Muir was free to enjoy strolling through the orchards again, with little thought to the strain of running the business.

Throughout his time in Martinez, Muir’s wife Louie knew that Muir wasn’t happy with ranch work and could achieve more. She continually encouraged him to keep exploring and writing, and he did. John Muir often left the house for months at a time but also missed his life with his family. When he left the ranch, it was usually to connect emotionally with nature and gather data for his books and essays that he wrote in Martinez. Muir considered this ranch where his beloved family lived his home. John Muir could not have been the man we know of today without the complete support of his family.

Louie’s belief that ranch life should not interfere with her husband’s passions for nature can be seen in this letter :

“A ranch that needs and takes the sacrifice of a noble life or work ought to be flung away beyond all reach and harm.”