One wintry night in early 1929, a
fire destroyed Dr. Shaklee’s
offices. Among the losses were
all the records of his nutrition
experiments. Though he was insured,
he decided to pause before rebuilding. It
had been fourteen long years since
he began his practice. It
seemed a good time to take a break.
He took one of the clinic vans and outfitted it with bunks, an icebox,
running water from a storage tank, and a closet for
fishing gear. This comfortable home on the road was
the ancestor of recreational vehicles. And the Shaklee’s
took off to see the country.
Dr. Shaklee designed an incredible
motor home to travel
across country with
his wife and sons. |
As they reached the West coast, Dr. Shaklee was
impressed by the year-round growing
season and rich soils. He was interested
in growing high quality herbs and vegetables for nutritional
supplements. At first, the family settled in Eugene,
Oregon, enchanted by the lush, rich greenery. But after
a year of the rain, they headed south into the sunshine.
Dr.
Shaklee opened a new clinic in Oakland, California,
across the bay from San Francisco. It quickly
became another successful, lucrative practice. And, once
again, nutrition was at its core.
San Francisco as it looked about when the Shaklees arrived. |
For ten years, the Shaklee’s lived well. As Dr. Shaklee’s
reputation grew, he was frequently asked to lecture
on the importance of nutrition. He was a natural public speaker.
Both sons went off to the University of California at Berkeley.
Dr. Shaklee began to explore another aspect of health ~ the
power of the mind. His experience had shown him that a positive
mental attitude was a powerful tool in health. He began to
formulate the essential concepts of the personal philosophy
that eventually became known as “Thoughtsmanship.”
Dr. Shaklee & sons in uniform |
Then, during the summer of 1941, Ruth was struck by a car as she
crossed a street in downtown Oakland. She was hospitalized
for months and died in December. With the country at war,
Forrest, Jr. enlisted in the army and Lee joined the
navy. Dr. Shaklee, though proud of his sons, was alone and
uncharacteristically unsure of what he wanted to do.
Thinking a change would help him adjust to his life without
Ruth, he decided to retire.
His childhood had taught him the healing powers of nature, so he
bought an isolated, 420-acre ranch near Willows, about
150 miles north of San Francisco.
It was a beautiful place
with redwoods, oaks, and madrone tress covering
steep hillsides. Every spring, the high meadows filled with lupine
and poppies and steelhead salmon swam in the streams. He added ponds to attract wild ducks, and built a rustic
lodge and two guest cabins.
Gradually, the pain of loss subsided. He began to explore
his philosophical thoughts, sketching out ideas for
articles. Patients contacted him, looking for advice, and,
more often than not, hoping to get more of their Vitalized
Minerals. Dr. Shaklee realized that nature had done its work
for him. It was time to be with people again. In 1945,
he sold the ranch and returned to Oakland.
His Childhood had taught him the healing powers of nature
