Tuesday, July 27, 2010

A Visit to Cabela's and my Roots

Harriet Beecher Stowe


Before leaving Connecticut I have felt compelled to visit the home of one of my ancestors, Harriet Beecher Stowe. While she was widely known for her best seller "Uncle Tom's Cabin" it was interesting to learn that she thought of herself as more of a painter than a writer. Her lovely home in Hartford Connecticut is filled with her art work as well as other pieces she collected. You can learn more about her life and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center here: Harriet Beecher Stowe Center

Although I am unclear as to how I came to be one of her descendants I intend to look deeper into the genealogy materials I have collected. As a child I had an Aunt Harriet on my mother's side who had been named after Harriet Beecher Stowe. Having died in 1896, Harriet Beecher Stowe is a not really such a distant ancestor after all.



This house was actually her summer house where she and her husband lived for 5 months each year. The other 7 months they lived in Florida. Our tour guide, who was extremely knowledgeable, said she bought it for $13,000.


If you enjoy seeing a 19th century home decorated in the proper Victorian furnishings and accessories of that time I don't think you'll find a better example. This was her parlor which contains many of her paintings.


This is the master bedroom which I was surprised to learn was smaller than the guest room. That's because guests of the 1800s generally stayed a couple weeks. oh boy!

While in Hartford we also visited the Cabela's super store where we got these comfortable reclining chairs for a great end of season price.


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