Elinore Pruitt Stewart facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elinore Pruitt Stewart
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The Stewart family in 1913: Elinore; Clyde; Clyde, Jr.; Calvin; and Jerrine.
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| Born |
Elinore Pruitt
June 3, 1876 White Bead Hill, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory
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| Died | October 8, 1933 (aged 57) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Elinore Rupert |
| Occupation | Wyoming homesteader and writer |
| Years active | 1909–15 |
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Notable work
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Letters of a Woman Homesteader |
Elinore Pruitt Stewart (born Elinore Pruitt; June 3, 1876 – October 8, 1933) was an American homesteader and writer. She lived in Wyoming and wrote many letters between 1909 and 1914. These letters described her life on a homestead to a former boss in Denver, Colorado. They showed her as an adventurous, smart, and capable woman. Her letters were later published in two books in 1914 and 1915. The first book, Letters of a Woman Homesteader, was even made into a movie called Heartland in 1979.
Contents
Elinore's Early Life
Elinore Pruitt was born on June 3, 1876. Her birthplace was White Bead Hill, which was then part of the Chickasaw Nation in Indian Territory. Today, this area is in Garvin County, Oklahoma.
Elinore's father passed away in the late 1870s while serving in the Army. Her mother, Josephine, then married her father's brother, Thomas Isaac Pruitt. Elinore gained eight younger half-siblings from this marriage.
She went to school for a few years at Pierce Institute. This school was near White Bead Hill. However, it closed in 1889. In 1893, her mother died after childbirth. The next year, her stepfather died in a work accident. Elinore became responsible for her younger siblings. Her grandparents were her only support.
Moving to Wyoming
Around 1902, Elinore married Harry Cramer Rupert. He was 48 years old. Sadly, he died in a train accident before their daughter, Mary Jerrine, was born in 1906. Elinore then moved to Denver, Colorado. She worked as a laundress and later as a housekeeper.
In early 1909, a man named Henry Clyde Stewart placed an advertisement in The Denver Post. He was a widower and needed a housekeeper for his homestead in Burntfork, Wyoming. Elinore answered the ad and was hired.
She arrived in Wyoming in March 1909. Soon after, she decided to claim her own piece of land next to Clyde's. This was allowed under the Homestead Acts. On May 5, she and Clyde got married.
Writing Her Famous Letters
Around the time she got married, Elinore started writing letters to her former boss, Mrs. Coney. These letters continued until 1914. They shared her experiences and adventures on the Wyoming homestead.
These letters were first printed in Atlantic Monthly magazine. Later, they were put together into two books. The first book was Letters of a Woman Homesteader (1914). The second was Letters on an Elk Hunt (1915).
For some time, Elinore kept her marriage a secret in her letters. She wanted to show that she could be independent. She also wanted to make sure she could claim her own land. In 1912, she gave up her land claim to her mother-in-law. This was to avoid losing the land, as the Homestead Acts had rules for single women claiming land.
By the early 1920s, Elinore was famous as the "Woman Homesteader." She was very practical. She used the money she earned from her books to buy supplies and equipment for her family's homestead.
Family Life and Legacy
Elinore and Clyde had five children together. Their names were Helen (who was stillborn), James Wilber (who died young), Henry Clyde, Jr., Calvin Emery, and Robert Clinton. Elinore's daughter from her first marriage, Jerrine, lived until 1987.
Elinore passed away on October 8, 1933, in Rock Springs, Wyoming. She is buried in Burntfork Cemetery, next to her husband Clyde.
Her books, especially Letters of a Woman Homesteader, are known for being "frank, vivid, eloquent and perceptive." While her writings were mostly about her own life, she sometimes changed details to make the stories more interesting for readers.
The 1979 movie Heartland was based on Elinore's first book. It was directed by Richard Pearce.
In 1985, the Elinore Pruitt Stewart Homestead was recognized as an important historical place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This is where Elinore and her family lived and worked.
Images for kids
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The Stewart family in 1913: Elinore; Clyde; Clyde, Jr.; Calvin; and Jerrine.
