In Part 2 of my series about at how writers utilize personal experiences to develop setting in their stories, I looked to one of the most notable Nebraska authors, Willa Cather. Although her early childhood was spent in Virginia, her life in the small town of Red Cloud, Nebraska is evident in many of her novels. Cather won the Pulitzer Prize for One of Ours, but arguably, her two best known works are My Antonia and O Pioneers! These novels explore the struggles of homesteading the prairies of eastern Nebraska. Cather’s unique experiences in Red Cloud greatly influenced how she developed the setting for her pioneer novels.
Over the 4th of July weekend, I visited Red Cloud and toured places significant to Cather, her family, and her friends. In town, visitors can see various buildings Cather frequented. And in the rural areas of the county, there is a self-guided tour to see locations discussed in her books. The buildings are maintained by the Willa Cather Foundation. The State of Nebraska provides some funding, but the majority of money used to maintain the buildings and preserve the Cather exhibits comes from private donations. The Foundation is in the process of restoring additional buildings to create a much larger home for the many artifacts associated with Cather and her work.
Welcome to Red Cloud, Nebraska– Catherland
Dr. Cook’s Drug Store – As a teenager, Cather worked for Dr. Cook in his drug store. She developed an interest in medicine and even wanted to be a doctor, in spite of the fact that all doctors at that time were men. Rather than receiving regular pay, Cather often took her pay in books and in the wall paper that she hung in her small bedroom at home.
Farmers’ and Merchants’ Bank – This bank was built in 1889 by Silas Garber (the fourth governor of Nebraska). Cather utilizes this building and the Garber family in A Lost Lady. The building was restored by the Cather Foundation and several items of interest are on display.
Miner General Store – In My Antonia, Cather writes about the Harling family. In the real town of Red Cloud, the Harlings are actually the Miner family. The family owned a general store in town, not far from where Willa’s father, Charles, had his real estate office.
Childhood Home – After a short time living on a farmstead, the family moved to town in 1884. The home’s two-stories included a living area, kitchen and pantry, a small passway used as a bedroom for Cather’s grandmother, and the parents’ bedroom. Upstairs was an attic space used by a hired girl the Cather’s brought with them from Virginia, a dorm-style bunk room where the younger children slept, and Willa’s small bedroom under the eaves of the house. She describes her bedroom in complete detail in The Song of the Lark. The children would hang a quilt from the rafters to create a curtain and perform music and plays for each other.
Harling House – In My Antonia, Antonia Shimerda (Cather’s real-life friend Anna Pavalka) works as a hired girl for the Harling family. The Harling House is actually the home of the Miner family where Anna Pavelka lived and worked. It was in this home where Cather and Pavelka met. Anna had a small bedroom off of the kitchen.
Burlington Train Depot – In many of Cather’s novels, the train station plays an important role. Character come and go through town, symbolizing new beginnings. The Red Cloud train depot was a stop along the route between Omaha and Denver. While the depot from Cather’s time was replaced with the current building (the third depot built in the area), the importance of the depot to the town remains.
St. Juliana Falconieri Church – This small Catholic Church was where Cather’s friend, Anna Pavelka was married and had her first child baptized. The church is located on the south side of what Cather called Division Street, the dividing line in town between those with financial means and those without. The church members could not afford to hire a full-time priest, so an itinerant priest performed mass when he came through town on the train.
Red Cloud Baptist Church – Cather and her family were members of this church when they first moved to Red Cloud.
Second Cather Home – The Cather family moved to this second home in 1904. Her parent’s lived here until their deaths, and Cather often spent time here when she returned from college and from New York.
Episcopal Church – Cather’s family joined the Episcopal Church in Red Cloud when Cather was an adult. She continued to support the church with regular donations. She also provided funding to help add stained glass windows to the church in honor of her parents.
Opera House – The Red Cloud opera house was the center of life in town and is still in use today. In Cather’s time, the opera house was used for community plays and musical performances, some of which Cather performed in a variety of roles. Today, the opera house hosts concerts, plays, lectures, and can be rented for community events. The Willa Cather Foundation is also located in the ground floor.
Coming Up: In the next part of my series on setting, I’ll continue my look at Willa Cather’s world around Red Cloud, Nebraska. There are a number of locations in the rural areas around town that also figured into Cather’s writing.
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