A Small Creek, A National Impact

John Muir’s Boyhood Home

While this may look like just a simple creek, the distant hillside (now private property) is the location of John Muir's childhood home in Wisconsin, before he went to the UW-Madison and beyond.

It’s Influence

The creek flows to Ennis Lake (originally called Fountain Lake when he lived there), which is behind me. (See lake below).

In his book, "The Story of my Boyhood and Youth", the natural environment around his home, including the lake, had great influence on John Muir.

The Foundation of an Environmental Movement

Just imagine - this location started him on a path to ultimately found the Sierra Club, and become a great environmental spokesperson.

Who would have guessed by simply looking at the hillside, and the small stream, that it was the foundation of an environmental movement.

Small, with a Large Impact

One never knows how a small part of the world can impact the future of so many.