Clara D. Pierson facts for kids

Clara Dillingham Pierson (born March 11, 1868, died 1952) was a popular American author who wrote books for children in the early 1900s. She is best known for her stories about animals.

An illustration from Clara D. Pierson's book, Among the Farmyard People (1899).

A page from Clara D. Pierson's book, Among the Meadow People (1901 edition).

Growing Up and Learning

Clara Eleanor Dillingham was born in 1868 in Coldwater, Michigan. She was the only child of Jennie Lincoln Dillingham and Captain Lucius Abell Dillingham. Clara was mostly taught at home when she was young.

Later, she went to Chicago, Illinois, to train as a kindergarten teacher. After finishing her training, she taught at Alma College for a few years. She even became the head of the college's Training Department.

Writing Books for Kids

Pierson became a very successful author of children's books. Her most popular stories were about animals, often sounding like real nature stories. Her "Among the People" series of animal books came out between 1897 and 1902. These books made her one of the top nature story writers of her time.

This series is still popular today and is available again. Like other animal tales, her stories often taught a lesson. You can see this in titles like "The Thrifty Deer-Mouse." The "Among the People" books had pictures drawn by F.C. Gordon.

Clara Pierson also wrote another series of books. These stories followed the adventures of three children from the Miller family. They lived in a house called Pencroft. This was also the name of the summer home Pierson built in Omena, Michigan, with the money she earned from writing.

Her Life and Family

Clara married John Williams Smith Pierson in 1894. He owned a hardware store. They lived in Stanton, Michigan, in the early 1900s. They had a child who passed away soon after birth. Later, they adopted two sons, John Howard Pierson and Harold Dillingham. Their home in Stanton, built in 1904, is now a church.

In 1930, Pierson and her husband moved to Grand Rapids. She lived there until she passed away in 1952. Her writings, including story ideas, letters, and a book about her own life that was never published, are kept at the University of Michigan.