Plum Grove and Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd

It is worth a couple of hours to visit Plum Grove in Iowa City, but not for the reason you may think. The property was the retirement home of Robert Lucas, the first governor of the Iowa Territory and this is what most people associate with Plum Grove. It was also the birthplace, in 1868, of Iowa author Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd. During my visit to the historical site, I neither saw nor heard any mention of Brainerd, although the staff likely knows her history well. Such is often the fate of historical Iowa figures who were women.

Brainerd lived from 1868 to 1942 and to call her an Iowa author is a bit of a stretch as most of her writing was done in New York and Connecticut.  She published in magazines and wrote at least ten novels. Check out Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd’s bibliography here. Below is a sample of her writing from Concerning Belinda, published in 1905:

“Facing her, sat a slender young woman gowned in black. The black frock, the black hat, the black gloves were simple, unobtrusive, altogether suitable for an impecunious instructor of youth; but there was a subtle something about them that would have whispered "French" to a worldly-wise observer, even if their wearer had not been speaking the purest of Parisian French in a voice calculated to impart melody to any language.” 1.

It is somewhat syrupy for my taste, but indicative of the insular view of society during the period. In an time when the work of Jane Austen is very popular, readers may find value in knowing Brainerd’s work as well. Concerning Belinda is available for free on Kindle format from Amazon.com.

So take a little time this summer, visit Plum Grove, and be sure to ask them about Eleanor Hoyt Brainerd.

Plum Grove is located at 1030 Carroll Street in Iowa City. It is open Memorial Day through Labor Day, Wednesday through Sunday from 1PM until 5PM. Check out the web site here.

1. Brainerd, Eleanor Hoyt (2011). Concerning Belinda (Kindle Locations 468-471). Kindle Edition.