Wolf House

 Wolf House

Noel Laflin

8-22-23

Fifty years ago a friend of mine sent me a letter with a leaf pressed between the pages. She said it was from Jack London State Historic Park, collected near the ruins of the Wolf House. I had never been there, but she knew my passion for Jack London and thought it would be a nice touchstone for me to have.

Wolf House was a 26-room mansion in Glen Ellen, California, built by novelist Jack London and his wife Charmian London. The house burned down a hundred and ten years ago on August 22, 1913, shortly before the Londons were planning to move in. Stone ruins of the never-occupied home still stand, and are part of Jack London State Historic Park, which has been a National Historic Landmark since 1963.

I just stumbled across a photo taken 30 years ago with part of the ruins of Wolf House behind me. It had taken me a while to finally get to where that leaf had been collected.

And somewhere around here is that old letter and touchstone, too, no doubt.