In June 2007 Historic Gardens Review 18 carried a piece on the Jack London State Historic Park, 50 miles (80km) north of San Francisco, California. The famous author bought the Beauty Ranch property in 1905 after The Call of the Wild brought him worldwide fame, and he lived there until his death in 1916. In 1914 London built a stone dam, 200 feet long, to hold back rainwater adn the water from two springs to create a lake designed for both irrigation and recreation, a place where his visitors could swim, fish and canoe.
The Park came into the control of the California State Parks system in 1960 and a further 756 acres (344 ha) was purchased by the State in the 1970s. Sadly the dam had deteriorated and around $1m needed to be raised to restore the dam and the lake. The Jack London Lake Alliance, which was organizing the fundraising, hoped to start work in 2010.

Then came the credit crunch. The State of California had always lived beyond its means and the crunch hit hard. At times like these, one of the first things to be thrown out of the lifeboat is the heritage. By the summer of 2009 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was threatening to close no fewer than 220 parks. In the area just north of San Francisco, the proposal is to close all the parks. This includes Jack London State Historic Park, which has already been closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Sonoma State Historic Park, now closed on Thursdays. The latter brings to life the story of General Vallejo who was the last Mexican Governor of this area before the Bear Flag Rising of 1846 which ultimately brought California into the Union.
Two websites for verification and updates:
www.parks.ca.gov and www.jacklondonlake.org

Jenny Randall (December 2009)