Kate Douglas Wiggin (September 28, 1856August 24, 1923) was an American educator, author and composer. She wrote children's stories, most notably the classic children's novel ''

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' is a classic American 1903 children's novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin that tells the story of Rebecca Rowena Randall and her aunts, one stern and one kind, in the fictional village of Riverboro, Maine. Rebecca's j ...

,'' and composed collections of children's songs. She started the first free

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

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in 1878 (the Silver Street Free Kindergarten). With her sister

Nora Nora, NORA, or Norah may refer to: * Nora (name), a feminine given name People with the surname * Arlind Nora (born 1980), Albanian footballer * Pierre Nora (1931–2025), French historian * Simon Nora (1921–2006), French politician Place ...

during the 1880s, she also established a training school for kindergarten teachers. Wiggin devoted her adult life to the welfare of children in an era when children were commonly thought of as cheap labor. Wiggin went to California to study kindergarten methods. She began to teach in San Francisco with her sister assisting her, and the two were instrumental in the establishment of over 60 kindergartens for the poor in San Francisco and

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

. When she later moved from California to New York, without kindergarten work on hand, she devoted herself to literature. She sent ''The Story of Patsy'' and ''The Bird's Christmas Carol'' to Houghton, Mifflin & Co., who accepted them at once. Besides her talent for storytelling, she was also a musician, sang well, and composed settings for her poems. She was also an excellent elocutionist. After the death of her husband in 1889, she returned to California to resume her kindergarten work, serving as the head of a kindergarten normal school. Some of her other works included ''Cathedral Courtship'', ''A Summer in a Canon'', ''Timothy's Quest'', ''The Story Hour'', ''Kindergarten Chimes'', ''Polly Oliver's Problem'', and ''Children's Rights''.

Early life

PostcardSalmonFallsMEHomeOfKateDouglasWiggin1916

Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin was born in Philadelphia, the daughter of lawyer Robert N. Smith, and of

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, of or about Wales * Welsh language, spoken in Wales * Welsh people, an ethnic group native to Wales Places * Welsh, Arkansas, U.S. * Welsh, Louisiana, U.S. * Welsh, Ohio, U.S. * Welsh Basin, during t ...

descent. Wiggin experienced a happy childhood, even though it was colored by the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and her father's death. She and her sister Nora were still quite young when their widowed mother moved her little family from Philadelphia to

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

, then, three years later, upon her remarriage, to the little village of Hollis. There she matured in rural surroundings, with her sister and her new baby brother Philip. Notably, she once met the novelist

Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and Social criticism, social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by ...

. Her mother and another relative had gone to hear Dickens read in Portland, but Wiggin, aged 11, was thought to be too young to warrant an expensive ticket. The following day, she found herself on the same train as Dickens and engaged him in a lively conversation for the course of the journey, an experience which she later detailed in a short memoir titled ''A Child's Journey with Dickens'' (1912). Her education was spotty, consisting of a short stint at a

dame school Dame schools were small, privately run schools for children aged two to five. They emerged in Great Britain and its colonies during the Early modern Britain, early modern period. These schools were taught by a “school dame,” a local woman ...

; some home schooling under the "capable, slightly impatient, somewhat sporadic" instruction of Albion Bradbury (her stepfather); a brief spell at the district school; a year as a boarder at the Gorham Female Seminary, a winter term at Morison Academy in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

; and a few months' stay at

Abbot Academy Abbot Academy (also known as Abbot Female Seminary and AA) was an University-preparatory school, independent boarding preparatory school for women boarding and day care for students in grades 9–12 from 1828 to 1973. Located in Andover, Massac ...

in Andover, Massachusetts, where she graduated with the class of 1873. Although rather casual, this was more education than most women received at the time.

Early career

In 1873, hoping to ease Albion Bradbury's lung disease, Wiggin's family moved to

Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...

, where her stepfather died three years later. A kindergarten training class was opening in Los Angeles under

Emma Marwedel Emma Jacobina Christiana Marwedel, also known as Emma Marwedel (February 27, 1818 – November 17, 1893), was a German-American educator, known for her establishment of schools based upon Friedrich Fröbel's ideas. Early life Marwedel was born on ...

(1818–1893), and Wiggin enrolled. After graduation, in 1878, she headed the first free kindergarten in California, on Silver Street in the slums of San Francisco. The children were "street Arabs of the wildest type", but she had a loving personality and dramatic flair. By 1880 she was forming a teacher-training school in conjunction with the Silver Street kindergarten. In 1881, she married (Samuel) Bradley Wiggin, a San Francisco lawyer. According to the customs of the time, she was required to resign her teaching job. Still devoted to her school, she began to raise money for it through writing, first ''The Story of Patsy'' (1883), then ''

The Birds' Christmas Carol ''The Birds' Christmas Carol'' is a novel by Kate Douglas Wiggin printed privately in 1886 and published in 1888 with illustrations by Katharine R. Wireman. Wiggin published the book to help fund the Silver Street Free Kindergarten in San Franc ...

'' (1887). Both privately printed books were issued commercially by

Houghton Mifflin The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...

in 1889, with enormous success. Wiggin had no children. She moved to New York City in 1888. When her husband died suddenly in 1889, she relocated to

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

. For the rest of her life she grieved; but she also traveled as frequently as she could, dividing her time between writing, visits to Europe, and giving public reading for the benefit of various children's charities. She traveled abroad and back from

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

at least three times. Records from the

Ellis Island Ellis Island is an island in New York Harbor, within the U.S. states of New Jersey and New York (state), New York. Owned by the U.S. government, Ellis Island was once the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United State ...

logs show that she arrived back in New York City from

in October 1892, July 1893, and July 1894. On the logs for the 1892 trip, Wiggin describes her occupation as "wife", despite her former husband having died three years prior. In 1893 and 1894, she describes herself as an "authoress". On her way to England in 1894, Wiggin met George Christopher Riggs, an importer of dry goods, specifically linen. The pair are said to have hit it off and to have agreed to marry even before the ship docked in England. In the

logs from Wiggin's 1894 trip back to New York from

, the two signed their names next to each other, indicating their closeness. They married in New York City on March 30, 1895, at All Souls Church. Riggs soon became one of Wiggin's biggest advocates as she became more successful. She continued to write under the name of Wiggin after the marriage. Her literary output included popular books for adults. With her sister, she published scholarly work on the educational principles of

Friedrich Fröbel Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel or Froebel (; 21 April 1782 – 21 June 1852) was a German pedagogue, a student of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi, who laid the foundation for modern education based on the recognition that children have unique nee ...

: ''Froebel's Gifts'' (1895), ''Froebel's Occupations'' (1896), and ''Kindergarten Principles and Practice'' (1896). In 1903 she wrote the classic children's novel ''

'', which became an immediate best-seller, as did ''Rose o' the River'' in 1905''.'' ''Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm'' and '' Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1911) were adapted to the stage. Houghton Mifflin collected Wiggin's writings in 10 volumes in 1917. Picture of Kate Douglas Wiggin

For a time, Wiggin lived at Quillcote, her summer home in Hollis, Maine (now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

). Quillcote is around the corner from the town library, the Salmon Falls Library, which she founded in 1911. She also founded a

Dorcas Society A Dorcas society is a local group of people, usually based in a church, with a mission of providing clothing to the poor. Dorcas societies are named after Dorcas (also called Tabitha), a person described in the Acts of the Apostles (). Dorcas so ...

in Hollis and the adjacent town of

Buxton, Maine Buxton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 8,376 at the 2020 census. Buxton includes the villages of Salmon Falls/Tory Hill, Chicopee, Groveville, Bar Mills, West Buxt ...

in 1897. The Tory Hill Meeting House in Buxton inspired her book (and later play) ''The Old Peabody Pew'' (1907).

Later life and death

Wiggin was an active and popular hostess in New York and in the community of Upper Largo, Scotland, where she had a summer home and where she organized plays for many years, as detailed in her autobiography ''My Garden of Memory.'' Wiggin was

anti-suffrage Anti-suffragism was a political movement composed of both men and women that began in the late 19th century in order to campaign against women's suffrage in countries such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. To ...

, she testified before a Congressional committee on

women’s suffrage Women's suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. In Sweden, conditional women's suffrage was in effect during ...

, stating that if women were as strong as they ought to be, they should be regularly consulted, to advise, collaborate, and contribute alongside men wherever their unique strengths were valuable. In her view, if women fully embraced and exercised these roles, they would not require the right to vote. Speaking to a group of anti-suffragists in

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

in April 1912, she added that she preferred women to be “strong enough to remain slightly in the background,” arguing that “the limelight never makes anything grow.” According to ''The Western Sentinel'' of

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...

, Wiggin believed that it was “more difficult to be an inspiring woman than to be a good citizen or an honest voter.” In 1921, she and her sister edited an edition of

Jane Porter Jane Porter (3 December 1775 – 24 May 1850) was an English historical novelist, dramatist and literary figure. Her bestselling novels, '' Thaddeus of Warsaw'' (1803) and ''The Scottish Chiefs'' (1810) are seen as among the earliest historical ...

's ''

The Scottish Chiefs Jane Porter (3 December 1775 – 24 May 1850) was an English historical novelist, dramatist and literary figure. Her bestselling novels, '' Thaddeus of Warsaw'' (1803) and ''The Scottish Chiefs'' (1810) are seen as among the earliest historical ...

'', an 1809 novel of

William Wallace Sir William Wallace (, ; Norman French: ; 23 August 1305) was a Scottish knight who became one of the main leaders during the First War of Scottish Independence. Along with Andrew Moray, Wallace defeated an English army at the Battle of St ...

, for the Scribner's Illustrated Classics series, illustrated by

N.C. Wyeth Newell Convers Wyeth (October 22, 1882 – October 19, 1945), known as N. C. Wyeth, was an American painter and illustrator. He was a student of Howard Pyle and became one of America's most well-known illustrators. Wyeth created more than 3,000 ...

. During the spring of 1923, Wiggin traveled to England as a New York delegate to the

Dickens Fellowship The Dickens Fellowship was founded in 1902, and is an international association of people from all walks of life who share an interest in the life and works of Victorian era novelist Charles Dickens. The Dickens Fellowship's head office is based ...

. There she became ill and died, at age 66, of bronchial pneumonia. At her request, her ashes were brought home to Maine and scattered over the Saco River. Wiggin's autobiography was published after her death. In sorting through material for it, she put many items in a box she and her sister labelled "posthumous", and from these materials her sister later published her own reminiscences of Wiggin, titled ''Kate Douglas Wiggin as Her Sister Knew Her''. Wiggin was also a songwriter and composer. For "Kindergarten Chimes" (1885) and other collections for children, she wrote some of the lyrics, music, and arrangements. For "Nine Love Songs and a Carol", (1896), she composed all of the music.

Legacy

In the 1980s and 1990s, Wiggin's first husband's distant cousin Eric E. Wiggin published updated versions of some of the books in her

series. He later published his own addition to the series, entitled ''Rebecca Returns to Sunnybrook''. Eric E. Wiggin extended her series after years of writing Christian literature, newspaper articles, and other children's books. His books sold best among his target audience of homeschoolers; with their help, his updated novels and his new addition to the series have sold more than 50,000 copies. Many of Wiggin's novels were made into movies. Perhaps the most famous film adaptation of her books is the 1938 film "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm", starring

Shirley Temple Shirley Temple Black (born Shirley Jane Temple; April 23, 1928 – February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, and diplomat, who was Hollywood's number-one box-office draw as a child actress from 1934 to 1938. Later, she was na ...

Selected works

The Romance of a Christmas Card - Cover - Project Gutenberg eText 17456

* ''The Story of Patsy'' (1883) * ''

'' (1887) * ''A Summer in a Canyon: A California Story'' (1889) * ''Timothy's Quest'' (1890), illustrated by

Oliver Herford Oliver Herford (2 December 1860 – 5 July 1935) was an Anglo-American writer, artist, and illustrator known for his pithy ''bon mots'' and skewed sense of humor. He was born in Sheffield, England on 2 December 1860 to Rev. Brooke Herford a ...

* ''Polly Oliver's Problem'' (1893) * ''A Cathedral Courtship, and Penelope's English Experiences'' (1893) * ''The Village Watch-Tower'' (1895) * ''Penelope's Progress'' (1898) * ''Penelope's Travels in Scotland'' (1898) * ''Penelope's Irish Experiences'' (1901)
''The Diary of a Goose Girl''
(1902), illus. Claude A. Shepperson * ''

'' (1903) * ''Half-a-Dozen Housekeepers'' (1903) * ''Rose o' the River'' (1905) * ''New Chronicles of Rebecca'' (1907) * ''Homespun Tales'' (1907) * ''The Old Peabody Pew'' (1907) * ''Susanna and Sue'' (1909) * '' Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1911) * ''Robinetta'' (1911) * Introduction to Diary of a Free Kindergarten by

Lileen Hardy Lileen Hardy (1872–1947) was an Anglo-Scottish educator, social reformer and the founder of a kindergarten for the children of Edinburgh’s Canongate slums. Biography Hardy was born in Alderbury, Wiltshire, in 1872, and her father was a ...

(1912) * ''A Child's Journey with Dickens'' (1912) * ''The Story of Waitstill Baxter'' (1913) * ''The Romance of a Christmas Card'' (1916) * ''Marm Lisa'' * ''My Garden of Memory'' (autobiography, published posthumously in 1923) ; With Nora A. Smith * ''The Story Hour: a book for the home and kindergarten'' (1890),

LCCN The Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) is a serially based system of numbering cataloged records in the Library of Congress, in the United States. It is not related to the contents of any book, and should not be confused with Library of ...

br>14-19353
* ''Golden Numbers: a book of verse for youth'', eds. (1902),

br>02-27230
* ''The Posy Ring: a book of verse for children'', eds. (1903) – "companion volume",

br>03-5775
* ''The Fairy Ring'', eds. (1906); truncated as ''Fairy Stories Every Child Should Know'' (1942), illus. Elizabeth MacKinstry * ''Magic Casements: A Second Fairy Book'', eds. (1907) * ''Pinafore Palace: a book of rhymes for the nursery'', eds. (1907) * ''Tales of Laughter: A Third Fairy Book'', eds. (1908) * ''The Arabian Nights: their best-known tales'', eds. (1909), illus.

Maxfield Parrish Maxfield Parrish (July 25, 1870 – March 30, 1966) was an American painter and illustration, illustrator active in the first half of the 20th century. His works featured distinctive saturated hues and idealized neo-classical imagery. The ...

* ''Tales of Wonder: A Fourth Fairy Book'', eds. (1909) * ''The Talking Beasts: a book of fable wisdom'', eds. (1911) * ''An Hour with the Fairies'' (1911) * ''Twilight Stories: more tales for the story hour'', eds. (1925),

br>25-17938
* ''The Story Hour. A Book for the Home and Kingergarten'' * ''Children's Rights'' * ''The Republic of Childhood'' (3 volumes) * ''Marm Lisa'' ;About Kate Douglas Wiggin * ''Kate Douglas Wiggin as Her Sister Knew Her'' (1925)

Filmography

*''

A Bit o' Heaven ''A Bit o' Heaven'' is a 1917 American drama film directed by Lule Warrenton. The now-lost film was distributed by the Frieder Film Corporation in Chicago, whose California branch was headed by Warrenton. The film was based on the 1888 novel ''T ...

'' (1917), directed by

Lule Warrenton Lule Warrenton (June 22, 1862 – May 14, 1932) was an American actress, director, and producer during the silent film era. She appeared in more than 80 films between 1913 and 1922. She was born in Flint, Michigan and died in Laguna Beach, C ...

, based on the novel ''

'' *''

'' (1917), starring

Mary Pickford Gladys Louise Smith (April 8, 1892 – May 29, 1979), known professionally as Mary Pickford, was a Canadian-American film actress and producer. A Canadian pioneers in early Hollywood, pioneer in the American film industry with a Hollywood care ...

, directed by

Marshall Neilan Marshall Ambrose "Mickey" Neilan (April 11, 1891 – October 27, 1958; also credited Marshall Neilon) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, whose work in films began in the early Silent film, silent era. Early life Born ...

(based on the novel ''

'') *''

Rose o' the River ''Rose o' the River'' is a 1919 American drama silent film directed by Robert Thornby and written by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Will M. Ritchey. The film stars Lila Lee, Darrell Foss, George Fisher, Robert Brower, Josephine Crowell, and Sylvia Ash ...

'' (1919), directed by

Robert Thornby Robert Thornby (March 27, 1888 – March 6, 1953) was an American film director, director and actor of the silent film, silent era. He directed 75 films between 1913 and 1927. He also appeared in 48 films between 1911 and 1930. He was born i ...

(based on the novel ''Rose o' the River'') *'' Timothy's Quest'' (1922), directed by

Sidney Olcott Sidney Olcott (born John Sidney Allcott; September 20, 1872 – December 16, 1949) was a Canadian-born film producer, director, actor and screenwriter. Biography Born John Sidney Allcott in Toronto, he became one of the first great dire ...

(based on the story ''Timothy's Quest'') *''

'' (1932), directed by

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

(based on the novel ''

'') *'' Timothy's Quest'' (1936), directed by Charles Barton (based on the story ''Timothy's Quest'') *''

'' (1938), starring

, directed by

Allan Dwan Allan Dwan (born Joseph Aloysius Dwan; April 3, 1885 – December 28, 1981) was a pioneering Canadian-born American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Early life Born Joseph Aloysius Dwan in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Dwan was ...

(based on the novel ''

'') *'' Mother Carey's Chickens'' (1938), directed by Rowland V. Lee (based on the novel '' Mother Carey's Chickens'') *'' Summer Magic'' (1963), a

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney ( ; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the Golden age of American animation, American animation industry, he introduced several develop ...

production starring

Hayley Mills Hayley Catherine Rose Vivien Mills (born 18 April 1946) is an English actress. The daughter of Sir John Mills and Mary Hayley Bell and younger sister of actress Juliet Mills, she began her acting career as a child and was hailed as a promisi ...

, directed by James Neilson (based on the novel '' Mother Carey's Chickens'') *''Christmas World'': "The Bird's Christmas Carol" (2019), a Once Upon a Tale Entertainment presentation, directed by James Arrow (uncreditedly, based on the novel ''

'')

References

Bibliography

* *

External links

* * * * * *
Bowdoin collection and brief biography

The Dorcas Society of Hollis & Buxton, Maine

free online sheet music of ''Nine Love Songs and a Carol'' by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Full text of ''The Diary of a Goose Girl''
Houghton Mifflin Company, 1902.
Kate Wiggin Papers
Dartmouth College Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Wiggin, Kate Douglas 1856 births 1923 deaths Writers from Philadelphia American children's writers People from Hollis, Maine Schoolteachers from California American women educators American people of Welsh descent 19th-century American women writers American women children's writers 20th-century American women writers 19th-century American writers 20th-century American writers Abbot Academy alumni Wikipedia articles incorporating text from A Woman of the Century Elocutionists American anti-suffragists