18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 1-7, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com The Woods ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON ARRIVED IN MONTEREY IN THE FALL OF 1879; it was a woman, whom he would soon marry, who brought him here. But the journey, which involved a transatlantic voyage by ship and a transcontinental trip by train, had ill effects on his health, and in the few months he spent in Monterey he was recuperating as his future wife, Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, finalized her divorce in San Francisco. During that time, he boarded at the French Hotel at 530 Houston St.; it is now called the Stevenson House, and is owned by California State Parks. Stevenson’s descendants bequeathed several of his belongings to the state of California to be held in safekeeping in perpetuity. It’s a fascinating collection of items, many from his time in Samoa, where he spent the last years of his life before dying in 1894 at age 44 due to a stroke. State Parks now gives tours of the house every Friday and Saturday at 10am ($10/adults; free for those ages 17 and under), and it’s worth a visit for those who haven’t been already. Stevenson’s time in Monterey was short, but it left a lasting mark. Though he would later become one of the most published (and republished) writers in the world, he was largely unknown at the time he lived in Monterey—he was a burgeoning writer, living on the cheap, a long-haired Scotsman who had abandoned the strictures of his Christian upbringing. During his time in Monterey, he took it all in, and in 1880, published an essay, “The Old Pacific Capital,” which has proved to be a timeless, literary description of the Monterey Peninsula in that time. What follows is the first half of that essay—“The Woods and The Pacific”—which largely describes the natural environs of the Peninsula. (The second half of the essay, subtitled “Mexicans, Americans, and Indians,” will be published in the Weekly later this year.) Robert Louis Stevenson wasn’t just a novelist. “The Old Pacific Capital” shows he was also a poet, and his vivid descriptions of the Monterey Peninsula circa 1879 will last as long as the written word. I hope you enjoy. —David Schmalz A description of the Monterey Peninsula as it existed in 1879 reads like a long poem with prescient views about wildfires—and the author even started one himself. By Robert Louis Stevenson SPECIAL THANKS Historical photos used in this story came from the following sources: Monterey County Historical Society Executive Director James Perry Monterey Public Library, specifically Library and Museums Director Brian Edwards and history and reference librarian Andres Garza California State Parks, especially Stuart Thornton MONTEREY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY/PAT HATHAWAY COLLECTION
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==