Harriet Mann Miller facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Harriet Mann Miller
Born	Harriet Mann (1831-06-25)June 25, 1831 Auburn, New York, U.S.
Died	December 25, 1918(1918-12-25) (aged 87) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Pen name	Olive Thorne, Olive Thorne Miller
Language	English
Nationality	American
Subject	nature, birds
Spouse	Watts Todd Miller ​ ​ (m. 1854; died 1904)​
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Harriet Mann Miller (born June 25, 1831 – died December 25, 1918) was an American writer and a special expert on birds. She used the pen names Olive Thorne and Olive Thorne Miller. She was one of the first three women to become an elected member of the American Ornithologists' Union. This was a big achievement for women in science at the time.

Harriet wrote many stories for popular magazines. At first, her articles were signed "Olive Thorne." After she got married, she started using "Olive Thorne Miller." Her books include Little Folks in Feathers and Fur (1879) and Birds’ Ways (1885). She also wrote a story called "Nimpo’s Troubles" for St. Nicholas Magazine in 1874.

Growing Up: Harriet's Early Life

Harriet Mann was born in Auburn, New York, on June 25, 1831. She was the oldest of four children. Her father, Seth Hunt Mann, was a banker. Her mother was Mary Field (Holbrook) Mann.

Harriet's family moved a lot when she was young. They lived in different cities from New York to Missouri. They stayed in each place for about three to five years. Her homes included places in Western New York, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Illinois.

When Harriet was eleven, her family was living in Ohio. She went to private schools there for five years. Harriet loved books from a very young age. She was a real "bookworm." She was also very shy and preferred to spend time reading. She didn't always find people who understood her love for books.

Harriet always wanted to be a writer. But she didn't like writing assignments at school. She would try to avoid them if she could!

Harriet's Writing Journey Begins

Harriet didn't start sending her writing to publishers until she was almost twenty. She began by writing short, unsigned letters to daily newspapers. These letters were about things happening at the time.

In 1854, when she was twenty-three, she married Watts Todd Miller. She then added Miller to her name. They had four children together. From 1858 to 1869, she stopped writing to focus on raising her kids. The family lived in Chicago, Illinois, and later in Brooklyn, New York.

Harriet only started writing again when her youngest child was older. She began by writing occasional letters to newspapers. She used the name "Olive Thorne" for these writings. Later, when this name became well-known, she added her married name, becoming "Olive Thorne Miller."

Writing for Young Readers

Harriet first started writing for children. For several years, all her articles were for young readers. Her very first article for children was about how china is made. It was published in 1870.

Slowly, she started writing about nature and animals. She had a special way of describing birds and other creatures. She made them seem like real friends. Kids found her stories very interesting. These early stories were published in many places. In the mid-1870s, they were collected into a book called Little Folk in Feathers and Fur. This book sold well for a long time. Later, she made another collection of her animal stories called Queer Pets at Marcy's.

She also wrote her first long story, "Nimpo's Troubles." This story was published in parts in St. Nicholas Magazine. A few years later, she wrote her last book for children, Little People of Asia. She first used the full name "Olive Thorne Miller" in 1879.

Olive Thorne Miller (1889)

Becoming a Bird Expert

In 1880, Harriet became very interested in watching birds. Sara A. Hubbard, who led the Illinois Audubon Society, helped her get started. Harriet studied birds both in cages and in the wild. She took many trips across the country between 1883 and 1903 to observe them.

Her bird studies were published in magazines like The Atlantic. Later, they were put into several books. Her first book about birds, Bird Ways, came out in 1885. In Nesting Time followed soon after. Besides writing about birds, she also wrote for the Audubon Society's journal.

Harriet was a strong supporter of protecting birds. She wanted to stop people from hunting birds just for their feathers. These feathers were often used to decorate hats. In 1901, Harriet, along with Mabel Osgood Wright and Florence Merriam Bailey, made history. They were the first three women elected to the American Ornithologists' Union.

Harriet also wrote articles for religious newspapers and other publications. These included Harper's Weekly and the Chicago Tribune. Throughout her career, she wrote about 780 articles, one small book on birds, and 24 full books. Scientists who study biology respected her work. They found her research and observations very accurate.

After her husband passed away in 1904, Harriet moved to Los Angeles, California. She died there on December 25, 1918.

Harriet's Books

An illustration from Little Folks in Feathers and Fur, and Others in Neither (1875)

An illustration from The first book of birds (1899)

Here are some of the books Harriet Mann Miller wrote:

• Sick and in Prison (1873)
• Nimpo's Troubles (1880)
• The Bird of Solitude (1884)
• A Bit of Bird-life (1885)
• A Ruffian in Feathers (1885)
• Queer Pets and their Doings (1885)
• Flutterbudget (1887)
• The Woman's Club: a Practical Guide and Hand-book (1891)
• Kristy's Surprise Party (1905)
• Kristy's Rainy Day Picnic (1906)
• What Happened to Barbara (1907)
• The Children's Book of Birds (1915)