Jack London: Man & Myth

NorthBay biz February 2021

An internationally-acclaimed American author, Jack London was also an adventurer and passionate sustainable farmer

Born in 1876, Jan. 12, marks the 145th anniversary of Jack London’s birth—an event that almost didn’t happen. His mother, Flora Wellman, pregnant and unwed, twice attempted suicide. The father, William Chaney, denied the baby was his and left town. Unable to provide nourishment, Wellman gave the baby to Jenny Prentiss, an ex-slave from Tennessee, to wet nurse. The child lived with Prentiss and her family in Oakland for three years, and off and on between homes for several years thereafter. An active infant, he reminded Prentiss of a jack-in-the-box. She called him “Jackie.” According to Jack, she was like a second mother, the only one who showed him love and affection. Their bond lasted a lifetime. Copies of his books he gave her are inscribed from “your son.”

Eight months following the baby’s birth, Wellman married John London, a Civil War veteran, carpenter and widower with two young daughters. He provided Jack with a new surname. Until age 20, Jack believed John London was his biological father. He tracked down Chaney and they exchanged letters. Chaney continued to deny paternity.

From this fragile beginning, Jack would go on to become a famous writer, an adventurer and a sustainable farmer. The pursuits often overlapped, one influencing the other. London’s successes came amidst hardship and challenges that would have deterred any ordinary man. READ MORE