Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-03-25
Little Journeys In
and About Baraboo
Interesting Places of the Region Both Local History and
Scenic Features
AWAsT& &Ek%ANAXkYEA EASEAraE77k SEAY7 =
Article x
Scenic Features
,oyhood Haunts OF John Muir

Boyhood Haunts OF John Muir
Before making this journey. by al
means read "My Boyhood and Youth
by John Muir, naturalist and author
a cherished volume in public libra
ries. To visit an historic spot or home
iarizing oneself with the associations
and incidents that make the place oi
interest, isl to lose the keenest enjoy
ment. What we fully appreciate, af
fords the greatest delight. Therefore
before seeking the lake and farm
homes once dear to the heart of this
Scotch boy of rare endowments, the
mind should be fresh with the de-
tails of his early struggles and attain
ments as we'll as those of his later
years.
From Earaboo
Trunk Line 65 takes one from Bara-
boo to Portage and after leaving the
eastern extremity of the main street
in the latter city, the highway winds
over the Fox River, then up a slight
incline to where three roads meet.
The one to the left, known as the Mon
tello road, leads to the earliest Muir
home. The historic Fox River is Of
ten visible from the highway Arriv-
ing at the first school building, where
Annie and Joanna Muir, sisters of the
naturalist, taught, the road makes a
- sorh1 RI ~
then defects to the left to another
school located on the right where the
Muir children were given instruction
after their arrival in Wisconsin from
Scotland in 1S49. Neither of the
school buildings are those actually
familiar to the Muirs as the early
structures have long since yielded to
the ravages of time.
Just beyond the last named school,
some ten miles from Portage, a little
stream murmurs across the highway
and a few rods farther on is a weather
beaten farm house The stream flows
from Ennis or Fountain Lake to the
Fox River and the simple dwelling
10 ncdI IlI6 olCG VI tuC LII OL nOlAO VI
the Muirs after their emigration to
the western wilderness.
Wood was plentiful in that day but
in spite of this, the author says his
father was frugal of fuel and many
times their boots were frozen during
the night, so that it was almost i'm
possible to draw them on in the morn
ing. The old house with it's curious
frieze boards at Ihe gable
ends of the roof, is not the original
home Of the Muirs, their humble
abode being located to the rear of the
present domicile 1t was little farth-
er from the highway and long since
destroyed.
The Lake
But the lake still shimmers in the
sun as Of old. No ridge of rock en-
croaches on its shores, which are
low and lush with grasses, ferns and
other vegetation. Over this water
John Muir rowed, in it he swan, and
on one occasion nearly lost his life,
1OIdCOu Ill Cl4C OCO4J VI AAO yOueli-
full days. The diversions which the
lake afforded were never ending.
Muir speaking of it says: "T'he water
was SO clear that it was almost in
visible, and when we floated slowly
out over the plants and fishes, we
seemed to be miraculously sustained
in the air while silently exploring a
veritable fairyland."
Blue jays, king birds, black birds,
buntings, kingfishers and other de-
scendants of the feathered comrades
of John Muir and his brothers, still
inhabit it's shores, delighting the Wis
itor as they fit from tree to tree.
Ennis Lake is the name given on
the government typographical maps
to this sheet of water but il was
known as Fountain Lake when the
Muirs resided there 1t should bear
the name Of Muir
This Muir farm is now owned by
James McReath, son of the Mr. Nc
Reath (spe1led McRath ia the book
mentioned by Muir. The present owner
of the old homestead knew the Muir
family and will tell the visitor inter
esting things about the household.