WAS JOHN MUIR REALLY A LOUSY FATHER AND HUSBAND?
These are fragments of old gossip that pop up in conversation from time to time. John Muir did cause controversy because he did not lead the same sort of life as most people in the area. However, from diaries and letters it appears the family had a very loving and understanding relationship. Louie Muir often urged her husband to go to the mountains for his health and was very supportive of his fight for preservation. When his girls were young he took them on nature walks around the ranch, and as they grew older they accompanied him on Sierra Club outings and trips to the southwest.
