The Ross Historical Society/Jose Moya del Pino Library is located on the grounds of the  Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross, California. Many use the convenient acronym of  MAGC for this beautiful place, well deserved for over 70 years. But this is the story of  another ‘magic’ garden, or perhaps we should say THE magic garden.

 

This story starts with a tragic ending, the accidental death of author Gene Stratton Porter. Her own life could have been written as a Hollywood story. Born in Wabash County, Indiana in 1863, she grew up, married a local businessman and had a  daughter. After moving to a house near the Limberlost Swamp in Northeast Indiana, she  began to study nature and shared her experiences through writing and photography. In  time, her work was published in outdoor and recreation magazines. This led to  additional success as a novelist in the early 20th Century. Novels included Freckles, A  Girl of the Limberlost and Laddie. Her popularity grew and she became famous across  the world. This critical and financial success allowed her to build a beautiful home on  the shores of Sylvan Lake in Rome City, Indiana. It was a special place, but fame and  fortune also resulted in a significant loss of privacy. With the growth of the silent film industry, she moved to Los Angeles to take control over adaptations of her books and  continue her work. Living in fast growing Los Angeles, she enjoyed the social scene and  natural environment. She even built a custom mansion on a large estate in the new Bel  Air development. Tragically, before she could move into her dream home, she was  mortally wounded in 1924 when her chauffeur driven automobile was struck by a streetcar.