In the fictional world of Tarzan, Jane Porter’s family farm is the "North Star" that brings the jungle lord to America.
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| Zdenek Burian |
In chapter twenty-seven, The Giant Again, Tarzan Of The Apes, we discover Jane Porter under lots of pressure and stress. Two men had proposed marriage to her, but she was not in love with either. She was bound to Robert Canler because of her father's debt to him. The other was William Cecil Clayton who she saw more as a friend or brother. Her heart actually belonged to another. A wild jungle man she met in Africa, but would never see again.
Besides the love stress, there was also great financial stress. Her father had lost his entire savings on his failed trip to Africa. Now, that they were back home they could not afford to live as they once had. The Porters were shutting down their long time home in Baltimore, Maryland, and relocating to northern Wisconsin at Jane's farm which she inherited from her mother. Both Chanler and Clayton tried to help her financially, but in pride she refused. She already owed both more than she could repay.
The location of Jane's mother's farm is never provided by Edgar Rice Burroughs in Tarzan Of The Apes. Let's take a look at what ERB reveals about Jane's farm and its location.
Chapter Twenty-nine, Conclusion, Tarzan Of The Apes
Robert Canler paid Professor Porter a visit at his residence on the outskirts of Baltimore in hopes of forcing Jane's hand in marriage.- Instead of getting his way, Canler discovers Jane is actually leaving Baltimore and relocating to northern Wisconsin to live at her mother's inherited farm. "She said she was not ready to marry yet," replied Professor Porter, "and that we could go and live upon the farm in northern Wisconsin which her mother left her." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "It is little more than self-supporting. The tenants have always made a living from it, and been able to send Jane a trifle beside, each year. She is planning on our going up there the first of the week. Philander and Mr. Clayton have already gone to get things in readiness for us." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "Thank you, said Jane, entering and taking the chair Canler placed for her. "I only wanted to tell papa that Tobey is coming down from the college tomorrow to pack his books. I want you to be sure, papa, to indicate all you can do without until fall. Please don't carry this entire library to Wisconsin, as you would have carried it to Africa if I had not put my foot down." ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- 'Jane was not married before she left with father and Esmeralda for her little Wisconsin farm and she coldly bid Robert Canler goodby as her train pulled out, he called to her that he would join them in a week or two.' ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- At her destination they were met by Clayton and Philander in a huge touring car belonging to the farmers, and quickly whirled away through the dense northern woods toward the little farm which the girl had not visited before since childhood. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- Here we learn the farmhouse sets on a small hill and has a tenant house some hundred yards away. 'The farmhouse, which stood on a little elevation some hundred yards from the tenant house, had undergone a complete transformation on during the three weeks that Clayton and Philander had been there. ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- The former had imported a small army of carpenters and plasterers, plumbers and printers from a distant city, and what had been but a dilapidated shell when they reached it was new now a cosy two-story house filled with every modern convenience procurable in so short of a time. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "Don't, Jane," said Clayton saidly. "If it had just been you, believe me. I wouldn't have done it, for I knew from the start that it would only hurt me in your eyes, but I couldn't think of that dear old man living in the hole we found here. Would you please believe that I did it just for him and give me that little crumb at pleasure at least?" ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- 'A week later Robert Canler arrives. He did not press the matter further but if ever a man had murder in his heart it was William Cecil Clayton, Lord Greystoke, when,a week later, Robert Canler drew up before the farmhouse in his purring six cylinder. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- A week passed; a tense, uneventful, but uncomfortable week, for all the inmates of the little Wisconsin farmhouse. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- As he leaves he can smell smoke from a wildfire that had been burning for a week.
- The next morning on the way to make arrangements smoke from a wildfire that had been burning for a week not far from them. ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- About noon Jane went for a walk. The wildfire was quickly spread from a rising wind and Jane became in danger. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- Tarzan shows up at Jane's farm and rescues her from the forest fire. 'Unexpectedly Tarzan arrives in a great black car and saves Jane. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- Canler drove his six-cylinder car into town to fetch a preacher. Just after noon,
- Tarzan arrives in his great black French car.
- "Put these people in the other car," shouted the stranger to Clayton. "I saw one as I drove up -- and get them out of here by the north road. "Leave my car here. If I find Miss Porter we shall need it. ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- Before them stood Clayton's car surrounded by the party he had brought from the cottage. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
Chapter Twenty-eight, Tarzan Of The Apes
The forest fire escapes took refuge at a modest little hostelry.
- 'The party now entered the modest little hostelry, where Clayton soon made arrangements for their entertainment. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "This is the Reverend Mr. Tousley, Jane," said Canler, turning to the clerical party behind him. "Mr. Tousley, Miss Porter." ERB- Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "We can have the ceremony at once,Jane," saidCanler. "Then you and I can catch the midnight train in town," ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "And as she looked into his face, she saw the crimson band upon his forehead that she had seen that other day in the far distant Africa, when Tarzan of the Apes had closed in mortal combat with the great anthropoid -- Terkoz. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- "Pardon me," he said. "I think we had better try to reach town before dark and take the first train out of this forest. A native just rode by from the north, who reports that the fire is moving slowly in this direction." ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
- That evening in the little waiting room at the station Tarzan caught Jane alone for a moment. ERB-Tarzan Of The Apes.
Chapter twelve, Ships That Pass, The Return Of Tarzan
Tarzan decides not to take the train at the last moment and chooses to drive his car to New York.
- "You may tell the others of my decision to drive my car on to New York__ I don't feel equal to bidding Clayton good-bye." ERB- The Return Of Tarzan.
Jane Porter’s Wisconsin Farm
In Chapter 27, "The Giant Again," Professor Porter explains that due to financial ruin, they must leave Baltimore to live on a dilapidated farm in northern Wisconsin that Jane inherited from her mother.
- The Transformation: Before Jane arrives, Tarzan’s rival (and cousin), William Cecil Clayton, uses his wealth to hire an "army of carpenters and painters" to transform the decaying shell into a cozy, modern two-story house. I'm
- The Forest Fire: The climax of the book occurs when a massive forest fire sweeps through the region. Tarzan, having tracked Jane all the way from Africa, rescues her by leaping through the burning pine trees—proving his "ape-man" skills are just as effective in the Wisconsin woods as they were in the jungle.
Conclusion
- Tarzan Of The Apes, nor does any other book in the series, provide the exact location of Jane's northern Wisconsin farm.
- While researching ERB's life I have never come across anything that provided the location. That being said, there is a provided clue.
- Burroughs was a Chicago native who spent much of his life in the Midwest.
Many Burroughs researchers believe Jane's northern Wisconsin farm is locatef in Rhinelander.
- Like many wealthy Chicagoans of the era, ERB’s family and social circle frequently vacationed "Up North."
- The dense, primeval forests of the early 20th-century Northwoods were the closest American equivalent to the African wilderness he imagined.
- One clue that favors Rhinelander is the forest fire described in Tarzan Of The Apes.
- The Great Peshtigo Fire (1871) and the Hinckley Fire (1894) were still part of the regional consciousness.
- Area researchers belive it is very likely ERB used the terrifying reality of a crown fire (fire jumping between treetops) to create a high-stakes environment for the ape-man's rescue mission.
- For decades, Rhinelander residents have identified their own historic train depot (now part of the Pioneer Park Historical Complex) as the likely site where Tarzan sent his famous final telegram.
- These ERB researchers and fans are so sure in their believe that Rhinelander is the location of Jane's farm they hosted the "Dum-Dum" in 2023—the official international convention for the Burroughs Bibliophiles. Fans from around the world gathered in the city to celebrate the "Northwoods" chapter of Tarzan’s life and visit the locations that mirrored Jane's farm.
- The fact that the international society chose Rhinelander for their meeting—despite the author never living or visiting there—shows that the city is considered "canon" by the fans who know ERB's life best.
Tarzan's Rhinelander Visit
If Rhinelander was indeed the location of Jane's northern farm. what year was the visit? Naturally many people offer opinions, but the two leading theories are August 22, 1893, proposed by James Michael Moody, and August 30, 1909, proposed by Philip Jose Farmer. Both proposels are based on ERB's provided information, just different passages. If both dates are provided by ERB's information how can we tell which one is closest to ERB's description?
The best way to determine this, is to test both dates by adding known information. After applng it to their chronologies, and see which one fits the book description best.
August 22, 1893, provided by James Michael Moody
August 1893 was a turning point for Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The community was caught between the raw, rowdy energy of a frontier logging boom and the beginning of a legendary piece of American folklore.
LIfe In 1893 Rhinelander
By 1893, Rhinelander was no longer a "wilderness outpost" but a bustling lumber hub. The air would have been thick with the smell of fresh-cut white pine and the constant mechanical whine of sawmills.
- The Economy: Everything was built around the Wabash Screen Door Company and the local sawmills. In August 1893, the Screen Door factory was a massive operation, having just expanded to meet national demand.
- The Atmosphere: Imagine a "company town" layout—new wooden storefronts, boarding houses for workers, and the continuous arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad, which had just taken over the local line that year.
The Legend Of The Hodag
The most famous event of 1893 occurred just as the summer heat was peaking. In the autumn (likely sparked by stories told in August), a local timber cruiser named Eugene Shepard claimed to have discovered a horrorfying beast in the woods:
- According to Shepard, the creature had the head of an ox, the back of a dinosaur, and a spear-tipped tail.
- While we now know it was an elaborate hoax involving a charred wooden carving, the "sighting" began as a serious news item that August, captivating the town's imagination.
Economic Uncertainty
While the mills were humming, August 1893 was also the height of the Panic of 1893, a massive economic depression in the U.S.
- While the lumber industry was somewhat insulated because of the high demand for building materials, the town's leaders were likely anxious about bank failures happening across the country.
The Forest Fire
There were significant forest fires recorded in the Rhinelander area in 1891 and 1892.
- The rail lines that Tarzan would have used to reach Rhinelander (the Chicago and North Western or the Soo Line) were the same ones that brought in the firefighting equipment from Milwaukee during the 1892 crisis.
- While the most famous fires in Wisconsin history occurred in 1871 (Peshtigo) and 1894 (Hinckley/Phillips), the autumn of 1892 was a particularly dangerous time for the Rhinelander region due to a severe drought and a massive labor strike in the local lumber mills.
The 1892 Rhinelander Fire Incidents
Historical records from the Wisconsin Historical Society and regional archives highlight several key details:
- While there was no single "Great Fire" that day like the famous Peshtigo or Phillips fires, August 22, 1893, was a date of extreme tension in the Northwoods.
- The "Invisible" Fires of August 1893 was a month of "smoke and silence."
- Northern Wisconsin was suffering through a severe drought, and the entire region was blanketed in a thick, yellow haze from hundreds of small, unrecorded "spot fires" in the timber slashings
- Locomotive Sparks: On August 22, records show that the railroad lines (the lifeblood of Rhinelander) were under constant threat. Sparks from the Soo Line and Chicago & Northwestern trains were igniting the dry brush almost daily.
The Hodag Connection:
It was during the late summer and autumn of 1893 that Eugene Shepard first began reporting sightings of the Hodag in the woods around Rhinelander.
- He claimed the beast was a survivor of the prehistoric era, often seen emerging from the smoke of forest fires. To some researchers of the paranormal, the Hodag represents a "cryptid" event occurring simultaneously with the atmospheric anomalies of the 1893 fires.
Economic Collapse:
August 1893 was the height of the Panic of 1893.
- Banks were failing, and the lumber mills—the only thing keeping Rhinelander alive—were shutting down.
- The city felt "cursed." People reported a sense of impending doom that many associated with the strange, blood-red skies.
3. Chronology of Abnormalities (August 1893)
- August 13: A massive fire destroys the lumber district in Minneapolis; the smoke drifts into Wisconsin, darkening the skies for days.
- August 22: Local "spot fires" are reported along the Pelican River near Rhinelander. The heat is so intense that the "Great Strike" leaders of 1892 (who were still in the area) are accused of arson.
- August 25: Reports of "strange lights" in the smoky sky begin to appear in regional diaries—likely ball lightning or atmospheric reflections from the fires, but later interpreted by UAP enthusiasts as early "foo fighter" type sightings.
4. The Burroughs Tie
Edgar Rice Burroughs was 17 years old on August 22, 1893.
- He spent that summer in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition (The World's Fair) as a member of the Michigan Military Academy cadets.
The Connection: At the World's Fair, Burroughs would have been surrounded by news of the "Drought Fires" in the North. More importantly, he would have seen the Wisconsin Building at the fair, which was built of Wisconsin pine and featured displays of the Northwoods.
- The "Memory Bank": It is highly probable that the combination of the 1893 smoke over Chicago and the reports of the "fire-ravaged North" provided the sensory details for the burning forest he would write about 19 years later.
Summary of August 22, 1893
- September 20, 1892: Fires became so threatening to the city of Rhinelander that the Milwaukee Fire Department was actually called in to assist.
The "Invisible" Fires of August 1893
- August 1893 was a month of "smoke and silence." Northern Wisconsin was suffering through a severe drought, and the entire region was blanketed in a thick, yellow haze from hundreds of small, unrecorded "spot fires" in the timber slashings.
- Locomotive Sparks: On August 22, records show that the railroad lines (the lifeblood of Rhinelander) were under constant threat. Sparks from the Soo Line and Chicago & Northwestern trains were igniting the dry brush almost daily.
The Atmospheric Effect:
Newspapers from that week (like the Rhinelander New North) described the sun as a "blood-red disc" visible through the smoke—a visual that Edgar Rice Burroughs later used to describe the "hellish" atmosphere of the forest fire in the climax of Tarzan of the Apes.
The Hodag Connection:
It was during the late summer and autumn of 1893 that Eugene Shepard first began reporting sightings of the Hodag in the woods around Rhinelander.
- He claimed the beast was a survivor of the prehistoric era, often seen emerging from the smoke of forest fires. To some researchers of the paranormal, the Hodag represents a "cryptid" event occurring simultaneously with the atmospheric anomalies of the 1893 fires.
Economic Collapse:
August 1893 was the height of the Panic of 1893.
- Banks were failing, and the lumber mills—the only thing keeping Rhinelander alive—were shutting down.
- The city felt "cursed." People reported a sense of impending doom that many associated with the strange, blood-red skies.
3. Chronology of Abnormalities (August 1893)
- August 13: A massive fire destroys the lumber district in Minneapolis; the smoke drifts into Wisconsin, darkening the skies for days.
- August 22: Local "spot fires" are reported along the Pelican River near Rhinelander. The heat is so intense that the "Great Strike" leaders of 1892 (who were still in the area) are accused of arson.
- August 25: Reports of "strange lights" in the smoky sky begin to appear in regional diaries—likely ball lightning or atmospheric reflections from the fires, but later interpreted by UAP enthusiasts as early "foo fighter" type sightings.
4. The Burroughs Tie
Edgar Rice Burroughs was 17 years old on August 22, 1893.
- He spent that summer in Chicago at the World’s Columbian Exposition (The World's Fair) as a member of the Michigan Military Academy cadets.
- The Connection: At the World's Fair, Burroughs would have been surrounded by news of the "Drought Fires" in the North. More importantly, he would have seen the Wisconsin Building at the fair, which was built of Wisconsin pine and featured displays of the Northwoods.
- The "Memory Bank": It is highly probable that the combination of the 1893 smoke over Chicago and the reports of the "fire-ravaged North" provided the sensory details for the burning forest he would write about 19 years later.
Summary of August 22, 1893
Widespread Danger:
- By late September, the danger was considered "over," but the surrounding timberlands suffered heavy losses.
- The smoke was reported to be so thick that it interfered with navigation on the Wisconsin River.
The Labor Connection: Interestingly, 1892 was also the year of the Great Rhinelander Mill Strike.
- In September 1892, over 1,200 workers walked out of the mills demanding a ten-hour workday. The tension of the strike occurred simultaneously with the threat of these forest fires, creating a chaotic environment in the city.
Edgar Rice Burroughs Tie To Rhinelander
The events of 1891–1892 is believed by many ERB researchers is served as the foundational "memory" for the Northwoods that Burroughs used in Tarzan of the Apes.
The "Crown Fire" Imagery:
- Burroughs describes a fire that jumps between treetops, a specific type of fire behavior (a "blowup") that was terrifyingly common in the slash-heavy forests of 1890s Wisconsin.
The 1891 Fire: Just one year prior, in July 1891, a massive fire near Blair and surrounding northern counties also made headlines.
- This era of "fire and timber" defined the region during Burroughs' formative years in Chicago.
The Atmospheric Effect:
Newspapers from that week (like the Rhinelander New North) described the sun as a "blood-red disc" visible through the smoke—a visual that Edgar Rice Burroughs later used to describe the "hellish" atmosphere of the forest fire in the climax of Tarzan Of The Apes.
August 30, 1909, provided by Philip Jose Farmer
Life in 1909 Rhinelander
The year 1909 is crucial because it is the exact year that literary researchers (most notably Philip José Farmer in Tarzan Alive) place Tarzan’s arrival in Rhinelander.
- The Fictional Timeline: Tarzan is said to have driven a "great black car" into the Northwoods in August 1909 to find Jane Porter.
- The Fire Scene: The climax of the novel—Tarzan rescuing Jane from a crown fire (a fire jumping through the treetops)—mirrors the real-world forest fire reports from the Oneida County area that summer.
- Historical Accuracy: Burroughs wrote the book in 1911–1912, meaning the fires of 1908, 1909, and the massive 1910 fires were "breaking news" while he was drafting the story. He combined the specific 1909 date with the more terrifying "firestorm" behavior seen in the 1908 and 1910 disasters.
While there was no catastrophic "Great Fire" on the scale of the 1894 Phillips Fire, the records for August 1909 confirm that the Rhinelander area was actively burning.
- According to the 1910 Report of the State Forester of Wisconsin, 1909 was a year of "frequent rains" compared to the devastating droughts of 1908 and 1910, but Northern Wisconsin still suffered significantly.
1. The 1909 Fire Data for Rhinelander (Oneida County)
- The State Forester recorded exactly 13 forest fires in Oneida County (where Rhinelander is located) during the 1909 season.
- Acreage: These fires burned approximately 3,300 acres in the county.
- Cause: The leading causes were sparks from railroad locomotives and settlers clearing land.
- Conditions: While the summer was wetter than usual, the "slashings" (dry debris left by loggers) around Rhinelander remained highly flammable. Small fires were a constant feature of the landscape that August, contributing to the persistent Northwoods "haze."
2. The Edgar Rice Burroughs
"Synchronicity"
The year 1909 is crucial because it is the exact year that literary researchers (most notably Philip José Farmer in Tarzan Alive) place Tarzan’s arrival in Rhinelander.
- The Fictional Timeline: Tarzan is said to have driven a "great black car" into the Northwoods in August 1909 to find Jane Porter.
- The Fire Scene: The climax of the novel—Tarzan rescuing Jane from a crown fire (a fire jumping through the treetops)—mirrors the real-world forest fire reports from the Oneida County area that summer.
- Historical Accuracy: Burroughs wrote the book in 1911–1912, meaning the fires of 1908, 1909, and the massive 1910 fires were "breaking news" while he was drafting the story. He combined the specific 1909 date with the more terrifying "firestorm" behavior seen in the 1908 and 1910 disasters.
3. Summary of Rhinelander: August 1909
While the state of Wisconsin recorded 1909 as a "wet" year compared to the devastating 1908 and 1910 seasons, the specific window of mid-to-late August 1909 in Rhinelander fits the "dry spell" narrative described in the fictional climax of Tarzan of the Apes.
Meteorological Snapshot: August 1909
In 1909, the Northwoods experienced a specific weather pattern that made forest fires a localized but dangerous reality:
- The Mid-August Dry Gap: Regional historical data indicates that while June and July were rainy, August 1909 saw a significant decrease in precipitation across Oneida County.
- Temperature Spikes: Average highs in August 1909 hovered around 78°F to 80°F, but records show periodic "heat spikes" that reached into the upper 80s.
- The Humidity Factor: Dry westerly winds during this month frequently dropped the humidity levels, turning the "slashings" (dead wood left by loggers) into a tinderbox.
2. The Oneida County Fire Record (1909)
According to the Wisconsin State Forester’s Report, Oneida County (Rhinelander) was not spared during this "quiet" year: Incidents:
- There were 13 documented forest fires in the county in 1909.
- The "Soo Line" Spark: On several dates in August, fires were reported specifically along the Soo Line Railroad tracks. This is highly relevant because this is the same rail line Tarzan would have used to reach the area.
- Acreage: These fires consumed roughly 3,300 acres. While not a "state-wide disaster," a 3,000-acre fire is a massive, life-threatening event for a single farm—exactly like the Porter farm in Burroughs' novel.
3. Chronology of "Weirdness" and the 1909 Date
The choice of 1909 is the "magic number" for researchers connecting Burroughs to real-world anomalies:
- August 1909: Tarzan is said to arrive in Rhinelander.
- The Crown Fire: The novel describes a fire that moves through the treetops. This behavior (a "crown fire") requires specific conditions: high winds and extremely dry canopy needles. These conditions were reported during the late August dry spells in the 1908–1910 period.
The 1908/1910 "Sandwich":
1908 saw the Great Northeast Wisconsin fires, and 1910 saw a record-breaking drought.
- 1909 exists as a "bridge" year where the smoke from the previous year’s burns and the fear of the next year’s drought created a constant state of atmospheric anxiety in Rhinelander.
Summary: Reality vs. Burroughs
"Synchronicity"
The year 1909 is crucial because it is the exact year that literary researchers (most notably Philip José Farmer in Tarzan Alive) place Tarzan’s arrival in Rhinelander.
- The Fictional Timeline: Tarzan is said to have driven a "great black car" into the Northwoods in August 1909 to find Jane Porter.
- The Fire Scene: The climax of the novel—Tarzan rescuing Jane from a crown fire (a fire jumping through the treetops)—mirrors the real-world forest fire reports from the Oneida County area that summer.
- Historical Accuracy: Burroughs wrote the book in 1911–1912, meaning the fires of 1908, 1909, and the massive 1910 fires were "breaking news" while he was drafting the story. He combined the specific 1909 date with the more terrifying "firestorm" behavior seen in the 1908 and 1910 disasters
2 The Abnormality: The "Panic" and the "Beast"
The Hodag Connection:
- It was during the late summer and autumn of 1893 that Eugene Shepard first began reporting sightings of the Hodag in the woods around Rhinelander.
- He claimed the beast was a survivor of the prehistoric era, often seen emerging from the smoke of forest fires.
- To some researchers of the paranormal, the Hodag represents a "cryptid" event occurring simultaneously with the atmospheric anomalies of the 1893 fires.
- August 1893 was the height of the Panic of 1893.
- Banks were failing, and the lumber mills—the only thing keeping Rhinelander alive—were shutting down.
- The city felt "cursed." People reported a sense of impending doom that many associated with the strange, blood-red skies.
3. Chronology of Abnormalities (August 1893)
- August 13: A massive fire destroys the lumber district in Minneapolis; the smoke drifts into Wisconsin, darkening the skies for days.
- August 22: Local "spot fires" are reported along the Pelican River near Rhinelander. The heat is so intense that the "Great Strike" leaders of 1892 (who were still in the area) are accused of arson.
- August 25: Reports of "strange lights" in the smoky sky begin to appear in regional diaries—likely ball lightning or atmospheric reflections from the fires, but later interpreted by UAP enthusiasts as early "foo fighter" type sightings.
The Burroughs Tie
There is no recorded evidence that Edgar Rice Burroughs ever set foot in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Despite the lack of a personal visit, the city has become a pilgrimage site for "Burroughs Bibliophiles" (ERB fans) because it serves as the emotional and narrative climax of his most famous work. Here is how the author connected a place he likely never visited to his most legendary character:
- The "Paper Trail" of Inspiration In the early 1900s, Burroughs lived in Chicago and Oak Park, Illinois. At that time, Northern Wisconsin was the primary vacation destination for Chicago’s middle and upper classes.
- News of the 1892 Fire: As established, the 1892 Rhinelander fire and mill strikes were massive regional news. Burroughs, a regular reader of newspapers and pulp magazines, likely stored these details as the "American equivalent" to the African jungle.
- The "American Jungle": In Tarzan of the Apes, Burroughs needed a location where Tarzan’s vine-swinging skills would be useful but where a "civilized" woman like Jane could logically own property. The dense, old-growth white pines of the Northwoods provided the perfect setting for Tarzan to drive a car and swing through trees in the same chapter.
2. The Famous "Telegram" Location
In the final pages of the novel, Tarzan is at a railway station near Jane’s farm when he receives a telegram from his friend D’Arnot. This message confirms he is the true Lord Greystoke.
Rhinelander’s Claim: Because Rhinelander was the major rail hub for the area Jane’s farm would have been in, the city identifies its 1892-era Soo Line Depot as the specific spot where Tarzan made the selfless choice to walk away from his heritage to protect Jane's happiness.
Local Tribute: The Pioneer Park Historical Complex in Rhinelander has dedicated space to this "literary history," treating the fictional arrival of Tarzan with the same reverence as a historical event.
Which fire date provided by Moody and Farmer in their chronologies comes closest to the description ERB provided in Tarzan Of The Apes?
Comparison:
- When both forest fire dates provided by Moody and Farmer are examined, we discover both chronologies are perfectly in agreement with ERB's description in Tarzan Of The Apes in spite of their 16 year differense and occuring on different August days.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines over forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory) instead of the more accepted date, May 1888.
James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022, and Swordsman On Unium published on July 15, 2024.
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