Bernie Babcock
Encyclopedia
Julia Bernelle Smade Babcock (born April 28, 1868, Union, Ohio
; died Petit Jean, Arkansas
, June 14, 1962) was an American
author who wrote over 40 novels, as well as numerous essays and newspaper articles. After being widowed at age 29 with five children to support, she began working as a writer. Her first book, the pro-Prohibition
The Daughter of the Republican (1900), sold over 100,000 copies.
Babcock was society page editor of the Arkansas Democrat and later owned and edited The Arkansas Sketch Book, the first venture of its kind in the state. She wrote Mammy, a drama read at Chautauqua
and on lyceum
circuits. She is also the author of:
Babcock founded The Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities in Little Rock
, and worked as a folklore editor for the Federal Writers' Project
. In 1953, she retired to a home on Petit Jean Mountain
, where she continued to write, publishing a volume of poetry, The Marble Woman, at age 91 in 1959. She died at her home on June 14, 1962; a neighbor found her with a manuscript still in her hand.
Union, Ohio
Union is a city in Montgomery and Miami Counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. The population was 6,419 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Union is located at ....
; died Petit Jean, Arkansas
Petit Jean State Park
Petit Jean State Park is a state park in central Arkansas managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.Petit Jean State Park is located atop Petit Jean Mountain on the Arkansas River in the area between the Ozark and Ouachita mountain ranges, in Conway County, Arkansas.-Legend and...
, June 14, 1962) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author who wrote over 40 novels, as well as numerous essays and newspaper articles. After being widowed at age 29 with five children to support, she began working as a writer. Her first book, the pro-Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
The Daughter of the Republican (1900), sold over 100,000 copies.
Babcock was society page editor of the Arkansas Democrat and later owned and edited The Arkansas Sketch Book, the first venture of its kind in the state. She wrote Mammy, a drama read at Chautauqua
Chautauqua
Chautauqua was an adult education movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua brought entertainment and culture for the whole community, with...
and on lyceum
Lyceum
The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies between countries; usually it is a type of secondary school.-History:...
circuits. She is also the author of:
- Yesterday and To-Day in Arkansas (1917)
- The Coming of the King (1921)
- The Soul of Ann Rutledge, Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
's Romance (1919) - The Soul of Abraham LincolnAbraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
(1923)
Babcock founded The Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities in Little Rock
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
, and worked as a folklore editor for the Federal Writers' Project
Federal Writers' Project
The Federal Writers' Project was a United States federal government project to fund written work and support writers during the Great Depression. It was part of the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program...
. In 1953, she retired to a home on Petit Jean Mountain
Petit Jean State Park
Petit Jean State Park is a state park in central Arkansas managed by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.Petit Jean State Park is located atop Petit Jean Mountain on the Arkansas River in the area between the Ozark and Ouachita mountain ranges, in Conway County, Arkansas.-Legend and...
, where she continued to write, publishing a volume of poetry, The Marble Woman, at age 91 in 1959. She died at her home on June 14, 1962; a neighbor found her with a manuscript still in her hand.