Emilie Blackmore Stapp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Emilie Blackmore Stapp
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Emilie Blackmore Stapp (around 1915)
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Children's author |
Emilie Blackmore Stapp (1876–1962) was an American author who wrote many books for children. She was also a philanthropist, which means she loved to help others and gave a lot of her time and money to good causes. Emilie was born in Madison, Indiana on July 4, 1876. She passed away on June 29, 1962, in Wiggins, Mississippi, where she is buried. Her very first book, Bread and ‘Lasses: Sketches of Child Life, was published in 1902.
Contents
Emilie's Early Life and Career
Emilie Stapp's family moved to Des Moines, Iowa in 1883. This included her parents, David and Carrie, and her older siblings. When Emilie was 17, her mother sadly passed away. After finishing high school, Emilie started working for a weekly newspaper in Des Moines. Soon, she became the editor of the literary page for the Des Moines Capital newspaper.
In 1902, her first book, Bread and ‘Lasses: Sketches of Child Life, came out. She continued writing, publishing The Trail of the Go-Hawks in 1908, Uncle Peter-Heathen in 1912, The Squaw Lady in 1913, and Little Billy Bowlegs in 1916.
The Go-Hawks Happy Tribe
In 1913, Emilie Stapp started a special group called the Go-Hawks Happy Tribe. It was a national organization for both boys and girls, much like today's Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The group grew very quickly, with over 80,000 children and adults joining!
Anyone could become a member, no matter their race or background, as long as they did at least one kind act every day. The group's motto was: "To Make The World A Better Place." Two famous adult members were James Whitcomb Riley, a poet, and Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book.
Emilie Stapp once wrote to James Whitcomb Riley, asking him to be the head of the Go-Hawks Happy Tribe. She told him the group was for "good little Indians from 7 to 77 who are discovering that the only real happiness in life lies in service." Riley happily agreed, saying he was glad to be the chief of both children and those with a childlike spirit. Emilie replied that she was glad he hadn't grown up, and neither had she, adding, "I still believe in fairies."
Helping During World War I
When World War I was happening in Europe in 1917, Emilie Stapp used her Go-Hawks Happy Tribe to help. They worked hard to raise money to feed the widows and orphans in Europe. They collected over 4.3 million pennies, which was more than $43,000!
Because of her amazing efforts to help those affected by the war, Emilie Blackmore Stapp received special honors from the governments of France and Belgium. King Albert I of Belgium gave her the Queen Elizabeth Medal for her selfless service to the people of Belgium. France also gave her the French Medal for Distinguished Service for helping their orphans and widows.
Life After World War I
In 1921, Emilie Stapp moved to Boston and started a new job as Children's Editor at the Houghton Mifflin Company, a publishing house. In Boston, she continued her helpful work by starting The World Neighbor Club in 1923, working with the American Red Cross. This club aimed to connect children from different countries and create libraries around the world where kids could learn English. Children from places like Albania sent thank-you letters for the books she sent.
Emilie worked at Houghton Mifflin until 1925, when she had to leave due to poor health. After that, she wrote Little Streets of Beacon Hill, published in 1928. Around this time, she and her sister Marie moved to a small town called Wiggins, Mississippi. They bought a large piece of land and named it Friendship Farm. Here, Emilie could focus on her writing.
On Friendship Farm, Emilie and Marie planted a pecan orchard and built their home, which they called The Dolls’ House. It was named after their collection of over 400 historic dolls from their travels around the world.
Soon after arriving in Wiggins, Emilie and Marie became very involved in their new community. In 1932, they donated land and a clubhouse to the Women’s Club of Wiggins. They also gave over 4,000 books to start the first lending library in Stone County, Mississippi. They even paid for a new post office to be built for Wiggins because the old one was in bad shape.
During the 1930s, Emilie Stapp wrote regularly for many popular children’s magazines like Little Folks Magazine and St. Nicholas. She also worked as Children's Editor for The Christian Science Monitor. In 1935, she wrote the novel Penny Wise, about a teenage detective named Penelope Wiseman.
By 1936, Emilie and Marie's Dolls' House was opened to the public as a tourist attraction. People could visit by appointment to see their amazing doll collection.
Helping During World War II
Emilie Stapp and her stories played a big part in helping during World War II. In 1940, she wrote Isabella, The Wise Goose, about a large white goose who could lay golden eggs. The book was very popular.
In 1942, the United States Government asked Emilie and her famous goose, Isabella, to help sell war bonds. War bonds were like loans people gave to the government to help pay for the war. Emilie launched "Isabella’s Victory Flight" and sold bonds through letters she wrote to people.
Emilie Stapp and Isabella took part in four bond drives. From her home in Wiggins, Mississippi, Emilie Blackmore Stapp and Isabella raised an amazing $3,339,429 for the American war effort! This was a huge amount of money, equal to about $42 million today.
Later Life and Legacy
After the war, Emilie Stapp wrote more books about Isabella, including Isabella’s Big Secret (1946), Isabella the Bride (1947), and Isabella, Queen of Gooseland (1948). She wrote two more Isabella books, Isabella’s Goose Village (1950) and Isabella’s New Friend (1952).
In the mid-1950s, Emilie Stapp's writing career ended when she broke her hip. She was in pain and stayed in bed for seven years until she passed away in 1962, just before her 86th birthday. She is buried next to her sister Marie in Wiggins, Mississippi.
Emilie and Marie Stapp never went to college themselves, but they helped many young people achieve their dream of a college education by paying for it.
Emilie Blackmore Stapp truly lived by the Go-Hawks Tribe motto: "To Make The World A Better Place." Through her kind actions and her amazing efforts during both World Wars, she made a positive difference in the lives of thousands of children and adults, without seeking fame for herself.
Books by Emilie Blackmore Stapp
- Bread and 'Lasses Sketches of Child Life (1902)
The Go-Hawk Series
- The Trail of the Go-Hawks (1908)
- Uncle Peter-Heathen (1912)
- The Squaw Lady (1913)
Other Books
- Little Billy Bowlegs (1916)
- Happyland's Fairy Grotto Plays for Children (1922)
- Little Streets of Beacon Hill (1928)
- Penny Wise (1935)
The Isabella Series
- Isabella, The Wise Goose (1940)
- Isabella’s Big Secret (1946)
- Isabella, The Bride (1947)
- Isabella, Queen of Gooseland (1948)
- Isabella’s Goose Village (1950)
- Isabella’s New Friend (1952)
Images for kids
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Emilie Blackmore Stapp's headstone in Woodlawn Cemetery, Wiggins, Mississippi
