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Children's storytime at Thorton Burgess Museum

Who is Thornton Burgess?

While his name may not be instantly recognizable, the stories of author Thornton W. Burgess have delighted children for years. During his lifetime, Burgess wrote more than 170 books and 15,000 stories. Many of these featured the magical and memorable friends of our childhood: Peter Rabbit, Jimmy Skunk, Grandfather Frog, Joe Otter, Spotty Turtle, Chatterer the Squirrel, Reddy Fox, Old Mr. Toad, and Old Mother West Wind and her Merry Little Breezes.

Burgess, a direct descendent of one of Sandwich's earliest settlers, was born in that town in 1874. Sadly, Thomas Burgess died before his son's first birthday. Young Thornton's early years were modest; however, his humble circumstances probably contributed to warm and gentle manner and his love for and interest in nature and wildlife.

Certainly while tending cows, trapping muskrats or picking berries, he paused to explore and savor the woodlands and wetlands surrounding him. In fact, the Smiling Pool and the Old Briar Patch of his stories is none other than the property of his former employer on Discovery Hill Road.

Upon graduating from Sandwich High School in 1891, Burgess attended a Business School in Boston. After living for a brief time in the city, he moved to Springfield then Hampden, Massachusetts. His first book, Old Mother West Wind, was published in 1910, followed by thousands of books and stories published around the world in many languages.

In addition to being a prolific writer, Burgess was also an environmentalist, working for land conservation programs and laws protecting wildlife. Among many honors, the Boston Museum of Science recognized him for "leading children down the path to the wide wonderful world of the outdoors."

In 1965, Burgess died at the age of 91. Last June, Frances By. Meigs, released her autobiography My Grandfather, Thornton W. Burgess: An Intimate Portrait (Memoirs Unlimited; June 1998, ISBN: 1889833053). While you'll learn much about Burgess' professional life and achievements, Meigs has laced this narrative with anecdotes and personal memories of the grandfather she adored, making it a wonderful read. (Copies are available in bookstores across the Cape or can be purchased online at sites such as www.amazon.com.)

In addition, those visiting the Cape between April and October should schedule a visit to the Thornton W. Burgess Museum in Sandwich. The museum is housed in the former home of Burgess' Aunt Arabella, overlooking Shawme Pond on Water Street. Here discover art, writings and other artifacts of the author's life, along with a charming shop filled with story books and related gifts. Then, take a short trip across time to visit the Green Briar Nature Center and Jam Kitchen on Discovery Hill Road. Here, you'll discover the famous Briar Patch and Smiling Pond, short trails, a wildflower garden and the well-known Jam Kitchen, established in 1930 (see related article).