
LETTERS ON AN ELK HUNT - By a - Woman Homesteader
Elinore Pruitt Stewart
LETTERS ON AN ELK HUNT - By a Woman Homesteader
I. CONNIE WILLIS
II. THE START
III. EDEN VALLEY
IV. CRAZY OLAF AND OTHERS
V. DANYUL AND HIS MOTHER
VI. ELIZABETH’S ROMANCE
VII. THE HUNT
In this vivid collection of letters, a pioneering woman shares the everyday rhythms and unexpected encounters of life on the Wyoming frontier. Through candid correspondence, she describes the harsh yet beautiful landscape, the camaraderie of fellow homesteaders, and the simple joys that sustain her—like a spirited conversation with a young dishwasher whose voice seems to lift the whole room. Her observations capture both the arduous labor of building a home and the moments of tenderness that arise amid the endless plains.
The narrative turns toward an ambitious elk hunt, offering a glimpse into the preparation, anticipation, and the raw challenge of tracking such a majestic creature in untamed wilderness. While the hunt itself remains a work in progress, the letters reveal the author’s determination, the practical ingenuity of frontier women, and the subtle ways community and self‑reliance intertwine. Listeners will feel the wind‑blown dust, hear the clatter of campfires, and be drawn into a world where every letter carries the pulse of a life lived on the edge of the American West.
Language
en
Duration
~2 hours (143K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by D Alexander, Juliet Sutherland and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Release date
Apr 21, 2009
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

b. 1878
Best known for her lively letters about homesteading in Wyoming, this frontier writer turned hard work, humor, and sharp observation into unforgettable stories of life in the early American West. Her writing helped preserve a rare first-person view of a woman building a life on the frontier.
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