Gene Stratton-Porter
Encyclopedia
Gene Stratton-Porter was an American author
, amateur naturalist
, wildlife photographer, and one of the earliest women to form a movie studio
and production company. She wrote some best-selling novels and well-received columns in national magazines, such as McCalls. Her works were translated into several languages, including Braille
, and Stratton-Porter was estimated to have 50 million readers around the world. She used her position and income as a well-known author to support conservation
of Limberlost Swamp
and other wetlands in the state of Indiana
. Her novel A Girl of the Limberlost was adapted four times as a film
, most recently in 1990 in a made-for-TV version.
near Lagro
. She was the twelfth and last child born to Mary and Mark Stratton. Stratton-Porter's novel Laddie corresponds in many particulars with her early life, and several details from the novel suggest that it is semi-autobiographical in nature. For example, the narrative takes place in the first person, with the story being related by the twelfth child of the "Stanton" family. The name of the beloved older brother (title character) "Laddie" is identical with Stratton-Porter's own treasured brother who died in an accident when she was young. As in Stratton-Porter's own family, the novelized Laddie is connected with the land and identifies with their father's vocation. Like the author, "Little Sister" (the unnamed narrator) has an affinity for the outdoors and wildlife, as well as her ill-suitedness for the confines of the traditional educational institutions. Despite not finishing high school, Geneva became an avid reader and lifelong scholar of ecology and wildlife.
and became a pharmacist
, with stores in Geneva
and Fort Wayne, Indiana
. They had one daughter, Jeannette.
After several years, the Porters built a large home near Geneva. The Queen Anne-style rustic home, which they named "Limberlost", was later designated the "Limberlost State Historic Site" in honor of Stratton-Porter. From here Stratton-Porter spent much time exploring the nearby Limberlost Swamp, where she set two of her most popular novels and many of her works of natural history.
Because the swamp was being drained and developed, in 1913 the Porters moved. They built a second house, the "Cabin in Wildflower Woods", on a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) property near Rome City, Indiana
, where Stratton-Porter planted 90 percent of the flowers. Designated the "Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site", the cabin and 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of her original property are part of a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) historic site.
in the Limberlost Swamp
, one of the last of the wetlands of the lower Great Lakes Basin
. The Limberlost and Wildflower Woods of northeastern Indiana were the laboratory for her studies and inspiration for her stories, novels, essays, photography, and movies.
There is evidence that Stratton-Porter's first book was The Strike at Shane's (a sequel to Black Beauty
), which was published anonymously. Her first attributed novel, The Song of the Cardinal, met with great commercial success. Her novels Freckles
and A Girl of the Limberlost
are set in the wooded wetlands and swamps of the disappearing central Indiana ecosystems. She knew and loved these, and documented them extensively. Stratton-Porter wrote more than 20 books, both novels and natural history.
Although Stratton-Porter wanted to focus on nature books, it was her romantic novels that gained her fame and revenue. These generated the income that allowed her to pursue her nature studies. She was estimated to have more than 50 million readers, as her novels were translated into several languages, as well as Braille
. She was an accomplished author, artist and photographer.
One of Stratton-Porter's last novels, Her Father's Daughter (1921), was set outside Los Angeles, California
. She had moved about 1920 for health reasons and to expand her business ventures into the movie industry. This novel presented a unique window into Stratton-Porter's feelings about World War I
-era racism
and nativism
, especially relating to immigrants of Asian
descent. Stratton-Porter died in Los Angeles in 1924 when her limousine was struck by a streetcar.
Her daughter, Jeannette Stratton-Porter, published sequels to some of her mother's novels, including Freckles Comes Home, 1929
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, amateur naturalist
Naturalist
Naturalist may refer to:* Practitioner of natural history* Conservationist* Advocate of naturalism * Naturalist , autobiography-See also:* The American Naturalist, periodical* Naturalism...
, wildlife photographer, and one of the earliest women to form a movie studio
Movie studio
A movie studio is a term used to describe a major entertainment company or production company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to film movies...
and production company. She wrote some best-selling novels and well-received columns in national magazines, such as McCalls. Her works were translated into several languages, including Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
, and Stratton-Porter was estimated to have 50 million readers around the world. She used her position and income as a well-known author to support conservation
Habitat conservation
Habitat conservation is a land management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore, habitat areas for wild plants and animals, especially conservation reliant species, and prevent their extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range...
of Limberlost Swamp
Limberlost Swamp
The Limberlost Swamp, parts of which were also known as the Loblolly Marsh, originally covered 13,000 acres in Indiana of present-day Adams and Jay counties. The wetlands had mixed vegetation and supported a rich biodiversity, significant for local and migrating birds and insects, as well as...
and other wetlands in the state of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. Her novel A Girl of the Limberlost was adapted four times as a film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, most recently in 1990 in a made-for-TV version.
Early life and education
She was born Geneva Grace Stratton in Wabash County, IndianaWabash County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,960 people, 13,215 households, and 9,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 14,034 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
near Lagro
Lagro, Indiana
Lagro is a town in Lagro Township, Wabash County, Indiana, United States. Lagro was established by a group of explorers looking for the treasure of Chief Le Gris of the great Miami tribe...
. She was the twelfth and last child born to Mary and Mark Stratton. Stratton-Porter's novel Laddie corresponds in many particulars with her early life, and several details from the novel suggest that it is semi-autobiographical in nature. For example, the narrative takes place in the first person, with the story being related by the twelfth child of the "Stanton" family. The name of the beloved older brother (title character) "Laddie" is identical with Stratton-Porter's own treasured brother who died in an accident when she was young. As in Stratton-Porter's own family, the novelized Laddie is connected with the land and identifies with their father's vocation. Like the author, "Little Sister" (the unnamed narrator) has an affinity for the outdoors and wildlife, as well as her ill-suitedness for the confines of the traditional educational institutions. Despite not finishing high school, Geneva became an avid reader and lifelong scholar of ecology and wildlife.
Marriage and family
Stratton married Charles D. Porter in 1889. Of Scots-Irish descent, he was the son of a doctorPhysician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and became a pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists are allied health professionals who practice in pharmacy, the field of health sciences focusing on safe and effective medication use...
, with stores in Geneva
Geneva, Indiana
Geneva is a town in Wabash Township, Adams County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,368 at the 2000 census. Geneva is the location of the Limberlost Cabin, the home of writer and naturalist Gene Stratton Porter.-Geography:...
and Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. They had one daughter, Jeannette.
After several years, the Porters built a large home near Geneva. The Queen Anne-style rustic home, which they named "Limberlost", was later designated the "Limberlost State Historic Site" in honor of Stratton-Porter. From here Stratton-Porter spent much time exploring the nearby Limberlost Swamp, where she set two of her most popular novels and many of her works of natural history.
Because the swamp was being drained and developed, in 1913 the Porters moved. They built a second house, the "Cabin in Wildflower Woods", on a 150 acre (0.607029 km²) property near Rome City, Indiana
Rome City, Indiana
Rome City is a town in Orange Township, Noble County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,615 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rome City is located at ....
, where Stratton-Porter planted 90 percent of the flowers. Designated the "Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site", the cabin and 20 acres (80,937.2 m²) of her original property are part of a 120 acre (0.4856232 km²) historic site.
Career
In addition to writing works of natural history, Stratton-Porter became a wildlife photographer, specializing in the birds and mothsMoths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
in the Limberlost Swamp
Limberlost Swamp
The Limberlost Swamp, parts of which were also known as the Loblolly Marsh, originally covered 13,000 acres in Indiana of present-day Adams and Jay counties. The wetlands had mixed vegetation and supported a rich biodiversity, significant for local and migrating birds and insects, as well as...
, one of the last of the wetlands of the lower Great Lakes Basin
Great Lakes Basin
The Great Lakes Basin consists of the Great Lakes and the surrounding lands of the states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin in the United States, and the province of Ontario in Canada, whose direct surface runoff and watersheds form a large...
. The Limberlost and Wildflower Woods of northeastern Indiana were the laboratory for her studies and inspiration for her stories, novels, essays, photography, and movies.
There is evidence that Stratton-Porter's first book was The Strike at Shane's (a sequel to Black Beauty
Black Beauty
Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she remained in her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell dying just five months after its publication, long enough to see her first and only...
), which was published anonymously. Her first attributed novel, The Song of the Cardinal, met with great commercial success. Her novels Freckles
Freckles (novel)
Freckles is a novel written by the American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter. It is primarily set in the Limberlost Swamp area of Indiana, with brief scenes set in Chicago...
and A Girl of the Limberlost
Girl of the Limberlost
A Girl of the Limberlost, a novel written by the American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter, was first published in August 1909. The story takes place in Indiana, in and around the Limberlost Swamp, during the early 20th century.-Plot summary:...
are set in the wooded wetlands and swamps of the disappearing central Indiana ecosystems. She knew and loved these, and documented them extensively. Stratton-Porter wrote more than 20 books, both novels and natural history.
Although Stratton-Porter wanted to focus on nature books, it was her romantic novels that gained her fame and revenue. These generated the income that allowed her to pursue her nature studies. She was estimated to have more than 50 million readers, as her novels were translated into several languages, as well as Braille
Braille
The Braille system is a method that is widely used by blind people to read and write, and was the first digital form of writing.Braille was devised in 1825 by Louis Braille, a blind Frenchman. Each Braille character, or cell, is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two...
. She was an accomplished author, artist and photographer.
One of Stratton-Porter's last novels, Her Father's Daughter (1921), was set outside Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
. She had moved about 1920 for health reasons and to expand her business ventures into the movie industry. This novel presented a unique window into Stratton-Porter's feelings about World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
-era racism
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
and nativism
Nativism
Nativism may refer to:* Nativism or political nativism, a term used by scholars to refer to ethnocentric beliefs relating to immigration and nationalism; antiforeignism...
, especially relating to immigrants of Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
descent. Stratton-Porter died in Los Angeles in 1924 when her limousine was struck by a streetcar.
Legacy and honors
- Stratton-Porter's two residences, "Limberlost", a large cabin near Geneva and Limberlost Swamp, and the "Cabin in Wildflower Woods" near Rome City, IndianaRome City, IndianaRome City is a town in Orange Township, Noble County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,615 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rome City is located at ....
, were each designated Indiana State Historic Sites. They are operated by the Indiana State MuseumIndiana State MuseumThe Indiana State Museum is a museum located within White River State Park in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. The museum houses exhibits on the history of Indiana from prehistoric times up to the present day. It has one of the four IMAX theaters in the state of Indiana.-History:The museum was started...
as house museums. - A building at Purdue University CalumetPurdue University CalumetPurdue University Calumet is a school within the Purdue University system that is located in Hammond, Indiana in the Northwest Indiana portion of the Chicago metropolitan area.-Schools:Purdue University Calumet is academically organized into six schools:...
in Hammond, IndianaHammond, IndianaHammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 80,830 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Hammond is located at ....
, is named in her honor. - A rest stop along the Indiana Toll RoadIndiana Toll RoadThe Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line...
(U.S. Interstate 90) was named after her.
In popular culture
- A Girl of the Limberlost was adapted four times for film, from 1924–1990, most recently in a made-for-TV version.
- Catherine Woolley, author of the Ginnie and Geneva series of children's books, may have named her character of "Geneva Porter" after Geneva Stratton-Porter.
Novels
- The Song of the Cardinal, 1903
- FrecklesFreckles (novel)Freckles is a novel written by the American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter. It is primarily set in the Limberlost Swamp area of Indiana, with brief scenes set in Chicago...
, 1904 - At the Foot of the Rainbow, 1907
- A Girl of the LimberlostGirl of the LimberlostA Girl of the Limberlost, a novel written by the American writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter, was first published in August 1909. The story takes place in Indiana, in and around the Limberlost Swamp, during the early 20th century.-Plot summary:...
, 1909 - The Harvester, 1911
- Laddie, 1913
- Michael O'Halloran, 1915
- A Daughter of the Land, 1918
- Her Father's Daughter, 1921
- The White Flag, 1923
- The Keeper of the Bees, 1925
- The Magic Garden, 1927
Her daughter, Jeannette Stratton-Porter, published sequels to some of her mother's novels, including Freckles Comes Home, 1929
Nature Books
- What I Have Done with Birds, 1907
- Birds of the Bible, 1909
- Music of the Wild, 1910
- Moths of the Limberlost, 1912
- After the Flood, 1912
- Birds of the Limberlost, 1914
- Homing with the Birds, 1919
- Wings, 1923
- Tales You Won't Believe, 1925
Poetry and Essays
- Morning Face, 1916
- The Fire Bird, 1922
- Jesus of the Emerald, 1923
- Let Us Highly Resolve, 1927
- Field o’ My Dreams: The Poetry of Gene-Stratton Porter, 2007
External links
- Albert D. Hart, Jr., "Our Folk: Porter Family" Genealogical information, Renderplus
- Gene Stratton-Porter Photo, Renderplus
- "Gene Stratton Porter State Memorial", Indiana State Parks
- Field o’ My Dreams: The Poetry of Gene Stratton-Porter, University Press, Kent State University
- Gene Stratton-Porter, A Girl of the Limberlost, online text
- Gene Stratton-Porter: Voice of the Limberlost, a 1996 documentary produced by WIPB-TVWIPBWIPB digital channel 23 is the local Public Broadcasting Service member Public television station for Muncie, Indiana and East-Central Indiana. The station and its studios are located on the campus of Ball State University...
