Deborah Bruce, whose parents were introduced to each other by George and Ted Stewart, has fond memories of the Stewarts. The Stewart family had a cabin in Dutch Flat, the old gold mining town in the western Sierra Nevada foothills on historic US 40. The family, and friends like Deborah Bruce’s Dad when he was a boy, loved their visits to the cabin. It was also a perfect spot for GRS, because he was working on his classic book about the Donner Party, Ordeal By Hunger, and he could easily explore portions of the Donner Trail from the cabin. The location of what GRS called his “scholar’s tent” is still visible near the cabin.
At the request of Deborah Bruce, I’ll post a photo of the cabin taken in the days of the Stewarts’ residence. May you all enjoy this.
From the Anna Evenson Stewart Family Photo Collection. Used with permission.
The cabin is still there, now owned by the family of one of Stewart’s students.
If you’ve not yet read Ordeal By Hunger, it is highly recommended. Many editions are available, most of them used, some collectible, on the ABE site, Amazon, or others. Always try your local bookstore first!
the EARTH ABIDES project 