Frances Boyd Calhoun (néeBoyd; December 25, 1867 – June 8, 1909) was an American writer and teacher in Tennessee. She authored the children's book Miss Minerva andWilliam Green Hill (1909), which has been a publishing success and has gone through more than fifty printed editions.[1] She died four months after its publication.[2]
Her father William Townes Boyd was a newspaper publisher and worked for The Covington Leader, and she wrote for his paper.[5] In 1903, she married George Barret Calhoun, and he died a year later in 1904.[3] For seven years she taught at the local Covington public schools, before she quit due to chronic illness.[1][3] She was a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy (now United Daughters of the Confederacy), and at some point was a chapter president.[4]
She authored Miss Minerva andWilliam Green Hill (1909), a children's book published by Reilly and Britton (now McGraw-Hill) that became a classic of Southern fiction.[6] The book has a few prominent characters including a spindly old maid named Miss Minerva; her suitor the Major, an obese former Confederate States Army veteran; her nephew "Billy" Hill; and Billy's various friends, African American characters.[1] The depictions of African Americans have them speaking in dialect. The story was said to be based on Calhoun's young next door neighbor of the same name, William Green Hill.[7]
Calhoun also had her poems published. Sequels to her book including Billy and the Major (1918) were written by Emma Speed Sampson.[6]
She died on June 8, 1909, at age 41,[1] and is buried in Mumford Cemetery in Covington. Calhoun never got to see her books successes.[1][4] A historical marker in Covington by the Tennessee Historical Commission commemorates her life.[8]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghFlora, Joseph M.; Vogel, Amber (2006-06-21). "Frances Boyd Calhoun (1867–1909)". Southern Writers: A New Biographical Dictionary. LSU Press. p. 58. ISBN978-0-8071-4855-6.
^Wellman, Manly Wade (November 24, 2002). The County of Warren, North Carolina, 1586-1917. UNC Press Books. ISBN9780807854723 – via Google Books.
frances, boyd, calhoun, née, boyd, december, 1867, june, 1909, american, writer, teacher, tennessee, authored, children, book, miss, minerva, william, green, hill, 1909, which, been, publishing, success, gone, through, more, than, fifty, printed, editions, die. Frances Boyd Calhoun nee Boyd December 25 1867 June 8 1909 was an American writer and teacher in Tennessee She authored the children s book Miss Minerva and William Green Hill 1909 which has been a publishing success and has gone through more than fifty printed editions 1 She died four months after its publication 2 Frances Boyd CalhounBornFrances BoydDecember 25 1867Mecklenburg County Virginia U S DiedJune 8 1909Covington Tennessee U S Burial placeMumford Cemetery in Covington Tennessee U S Other namesFrannie BoydOccupation s Author teacherSpouseGeorge Barret CalhounBiography edit nbsp 1919 advertisement for books Miss Minerva and William Green Hill and the sequel Billy and the MajorFrances Boyd was born on December 25 1867 in Mecklenburg County Virginia 3 1 Her grandfather was a prominent land owned in Occoneechee now Occoneechee State Park in Virginia 4 In childhood she lived in Warrenton North Carolina for two years before moving in 1880 with her family to Covington Tennessee 1 5 She graduated from Tipton Female Academy also known as Tipton Female Seminary in 1885 1 3 Her father William Townes Boyd was a newspaper publisher and worked for The Covington Leader and she wrote for his paper 5 In 1903 she married George Barret Calhoun and he died a year later in 1904 3 For seven years she taught at the local Covington public schools before she quit due to chronic illness 1 3 She was a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy now United Daughters of the Confederacy and at some point was a chapter president 4 She authored Miss Minerva and William Green Hill 1909 a children s book published by Reilly and Britton now McGraw Hill that became a classic of Southern fiction 6 The book has a few prominent characters including a spindly old maid named Miss Minerva her suitor the Major an obese former Confederate States Army veteran her nephew Billy Hill and Billy s various friends African American characters 1 The depictions of African Americans have them speaking in dialect The story was said to be based on Calhoun s young next door neighbor of the same name William Green Hill 7 Calhoun also had her poems published Sequels to her book including Billy and the Major 1918 were written by Emma Speed Sampson 6 She died on June 8 1909 at age 41 1 and is buried in Mumford Cemetery in Covington Calhoun never got to see her books successes 1 4 A historical marker in Covington by the Tennessee Historical Commission commemorates her life 8 References edit a b c d e f g h Flora Joseph M Vogel Amber 2006 06 21 Frances Boyd Calhoun 1867 1909 Southern Writers A New Biographical Dictionary LSU Press p 58 ISBN 978 0 8071 4855 6 Wellman Manly Wade November 24 2002 The County of Warren North Carolina 1586 1917 UNC Press Books ISBN 9780807854723 via Google Books a b c d Stringer Bella Katz October 8 2017 Calhoun Frances Boyd Tennessee Encyclopedia Retrieved 2023 05 02 a b c Frances Boyd Calhoun Los Angeles Times 26 September 1909 p 48 ISSN 0458 3035 Retrieved 2023 05 03 via Newspapers com a b Frances Boyd Calhoun 1867 1909 Oxford Reference Oxford University Press Retrieved 2023 05 02 a b Flora Joseph M Vogel Amber 21 June 2006 Southern Writers A New Biographical Dictionary LSU Press ISBN 9780807148556 Obituary for William Green Hill The Commercial Appeal May 5 1964 Retrieved 2023 05 03 via Newspapers com Frances Boyd Calhoun Historical Marker Historical Marker Database HMDB External links editFindagrave entry has image of grave Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Frances Boyd Calhoun amp oldid 1194800647, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
