Eliza Shepard:Jack London's Ranch Album

Jack London's Ranch Album

Eliza London-Shepard

John London was born January 11, 1828, in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, and grew to manhood on a farm. He obtained the same meager education as most farm kids in those days.

Little is known of his early days. At nineteen, while working as section boss on the railroad, he fell in love with his boss's daughter and married her. Seven children later, John enlisted in the army during the Civil War. At the close of the war, minus the use of one lung, the result of a combination of pneumonia and smallpox, he moved with his family to the town of Moscow, Muscatine County, Iowa.

One daughter, Eliza, destined to be a major influence in the life of her stepbrother, Jack, was born in Moscow. Not long after the birth of another daughter, Ida, John's wife, Mary Jane, died. He was left with nine children. His son, Charles, was injured in the chest playing baseball. The doctor advised that the boy's only hope for recovery was to be taken to California. Hurried preparations provided care for the other children, and John sped West with Eliza, Ida, and Charles. Little Charles died eleven days after they arrived.

Deciding to live in California, John sold his Iowa farm and worked as a carpenter in San Francisco. Eliza and Ida were placed in the Protestant Orphan Asylum until he could establish a home for them.

It was only a short time until he met Flora. He found in her more than the ability to sew fine shirts and decided that she would make an excellent mother for Ida and Eliza. The two girls were amazed when they discovered their new mother to be about their own height and not very pretty. But they welcomed the chance for a home again, and Eliza promptly became a substitute mother for Flora's little Johnny (Jack London). For the next several years Jack was raised by his stepsister. Flora was delighted because she could spend that much more time with her spiritualism, and not be bothered by Johnny.

Flora was never mean to Jack but bestowed little love. Eliza gladly provided the affection he needed in addition to her tasks of cooking and keeping house.

As usual, the money was not coming in as fast as Flora wanted, so she arranged to board Captain Shepard, a middle-aged Civil War veteran who had been widowed with three children. Now Eliza had the responsibility of caring for them. To Flora London, Shepard meant a few dollars to add to the budget, but to sixteen-year-old Eliza he was a romantic figure, even though old enough to be her father. Besides, he soon became the means of escaping ranch drudgery. In 1884 Eliza and Captain Shepard were married and moved to Oakland. This came as a severe blow to Flora, who now had to do her own work as well as losing the extra board money.

Note:We do a fast-forward to 1910. - Webmaster

Ranch Superintendent

With the growth of the ranch to three hundred ninety acres and the imminent purchase of another seven hundred acres, Jack had talked to Eliza, now separated from her husband, Captain James Shepard, into moving to the ranch as his business manager. This was one of the wisest decisions Jack ever made. Eliza proved to be a near perfect ranch superintendent.

It is difficult for most people to realize that, as little as Jack was on the ranch, he was still responsible for all that was done. Jack and Eliza were an unbeatable combination. Loyal to the very heart of her being, Eliza faithfully carried out everything that Jack planned with amazing ability. Letters and coded telegrams told her exactly what he wanted done. Whenever he returned to the ranch, he found things exactly as he had instructed. She never failed in even the smallest details.

When Jack died in 1916, Charmian kept her on in the same job. When Eliza died in 1939, her son, Irving, took over; and when Charmian died in 1955, the ranch and the literary estate went into the hands of Irving Shepard. Upon the latter's death in 1975, it was left to his wife and children. Today the ranch and the Jack London literary estate are in the capable administrative hands of Irving's son, Milo Shepard.