John Strentzel

Who was John Strentzel?

John Theophil Strentzel was a Polish-born physician who gained fame as a pioneer in the area of experimental California horticulture. He is best known as the father-in-law of writer and environmental activist John Muir.

Born in Lublin, Poland into a wealthy family, Strentzel was forced into exile after the Polish revolution of 1830. In 1840 he emigrated to the United States of America, settling in Texas. It was there, in 1843, that he married his wife, Louisiana Erwin. In 1849 he made his way out west to California, eventually settling in the state's central valley, along the Merced river. Illness and flooding of his home along that river forced him to move again, this time settling in the Alhambra Valley, a bucolic valley located just south of the city of Martinez, California. He purchased twenty acres, called for his family, and set about establishing a long-dreamed of horticultural business. Years later, he was recognized as a foremost expert on California's budding horticultural industry.

In 1880, Strentzel's good friend and companion, John Muir, married Strentzel's daughter, Louisa. In 1882, Dr.