What a treat to be able to share the hidden history of Marguerite Henry with people who live in the community where she spent the last few decades of her life! Thanks to Amy Hartman, the hospitable museum director of the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society, I delivered my author talk "Trotting on the Trail of Misty and Marguerite Henry" to a sold-out crowd of fellow history and horse fans.
If you ever get a chance, you should head to the Rancho Santa Fe Historical Society because the small museum is filled with artifacts and mementos honoring the lives of the indigenous people who lived in the area, as well as the early ranchers and later celebrities. In addition to Marguerite Henry, Bing Crosby, Patti Page, Robert Young and a host of other famous folks called charming village home. The architecture is white stucco with red-tile roofs and there is a delightful courtyard with showy succulents. You'll love it.
Back to my trip. On March 14, I met a number of passionate equestrians and locals who knew Marguerite had been a part of the community. They gathered to socialize, enjoy carrot cake muffins and oatmeal cookies (a nice horse-themed touch) with coffee and hear my stories.
During the talk, someone asked me if I knew where Marguerite Henry's house is. I do, but I could not give out the location since it's a private residence. I just said something to the effect that's it's not that far away from Mary's Tack and Feed.
Long story short, a woman approached me at the end of the talk to share that she knows where the house is (she is in the same neighborhood) and her daughter devoured horse books by Marguerite Henry. Back when Henry was a resident in Rancho Santa Fe, her little girl would beg to stop and see Marguerite, but mom would always say, "Honey, we need to let her have her privacy." That is, until one day they were driving in the neighborhood and Marguerite was outside her house.
The woman said she pulled over and they got out of the car and went to talk to Marguerite. They expressed their love for her horse books and Marguerite was lovely and gracious. Apparently they spoke for about 20 minutes and at the end, Marguerite told them to come by and see her any time.
"She died shortly thereafter," the woman said. Awww. What a sweet, memory. I'm sorry they didn't get to interact with her more. But what a memory to cherish.
One of the reasons I wrote Marguerite, Misty and Me, my Marguerite Henry biography/memoir is because I never got to meet her. She brought joy to my horseless life as a little girl. This book I spent over two years researching, traveling from coast to coast to uncover clues about Marguerite is a way to introduce her to her fans.
Shop Marguerite, Misty and Me, and my other horse books here.
I fell in love with Misty of Chincoteague, Sham from King of the Wind, Justin Morgan and Brighty of the Grand Canyon all over again. I hope you will too.
