Friends of the Limberlost
  • Home
  • Resources
    • Maps
    • Teachers
    • Mobile app and iBook
    • Programs >
      • Birds >
        • Beneficial Birds
        • Chimney Swifts
        • Eagles
        • Extreme Birds
        • Indiana's Raptors
        • Owls of Limberlost
        • Peregrine Falcons
        • Vultures
      • Insects >
        • Dragonflies
        • Moths
      • Rent-a-Naturalist
    • News
  • Blog
  • Videos
  • Bird's Eye View
  • Contact Us

The Bird Woman of Geneva

4/10/2016

 
By Terri Gorney

Gene Stratton-Porter drew inspiration from the Limberlost Swamp that was around Geneva. It was her outdoor classroom for 25 years. She wrote both fiction and non-fiction books. Even in her fiction books, she put facts about herself and others she knew in her writings.

Gene made herself the Bird Woman in both “Freckles” and “A Girl of the Limberlost.” The Limberlost cabin that Gene and Charles built in 1894-5 was the Bird Woman’s home in those books. Gene was proud of the home that she created with the help of an architect.

When Freckles met the Bird Woman, “she was staggering under a load of cameras and paraphernalia” and she also carried a gun. Gene carried a gun to the swamp and she owned four cameras plus the equipment. 

Freckles lived in the swamp and did not want to call at the Bird Woman’s front door, so he used the conservatory door. Once inside he “parted the heavy curtains that separated the conservatory from the company.” Freckles was surprised that while entertaining the Bird Woman wore “silks and laces” and her neck and arms “flashed from rare jewels.” Gene did have finery and jewelry given to her by her husband, Charles. The inspiration for the character of Freckles was her stable boy Ray Boze. Gene saw Ray frequently at that same door.  

In “A Girl of the Limberlost,” Elnora sees a sign in the bank window in bold black letters that stated, “Wanted: Caterpillars, cocoons, chrysalides, pupae cases, butterflies, moths, Indian relics of all kinds, highest scale of prices paid in cash.” Gene’s husband, Charles, founded the Bank of Geneva and this sign was in the bank window. Charles and Gene did
purchase items. Charles would sometimes run an ad for Indian relics in the “Geneva Herald.”

Elnora decides to call on the Bird Woman. The Limberlost cabin was a short walk from the bank. There is a good description of the entry hall and dining room of the cabin in “A Girl of the Limberlost.” “Elnora followed down the hall and entered a long room with high paneled wainscoting, old English fireplace with an over mantel and closets of peculiar china filling the corners. At a bare table of oak, yellow and gold, sat a woman Elnora often had watched and followed covertly around the Limberlost. The Bird Woman was holding out a hand of welcome.” 

In Gene’s book, “The Harvester,” the Dream Girl’s porch is the porch off the east side of the cabin.Gene wrote about what she knew and loved. We hope you will visit the Bird Woman of Geneva’s Limberlost Cabin.
Picture

Comments are closed.

    Author

    The volunteers and staff of Limberlost

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.