author
Elizabeth C. Barney (Elizabeth Cynthia Barney) Buel
1868–1943
A writer and local historian from Litchfield, Connecticut, she connected everyday objects and community stories to the larger sweep of American history. Her best-known work, The Tale of the Spinning Wheel, reflects the same mix of patriotism, craft, and curiosity that shaped much of her public life.
1 Audiobook
The Tale of the Spinning Wheel
by Elizabeth C. Barney (Elizabeth Cynthia Barney) Buel
About the author
Born in New York City in 1868, Elizabeth Cynthia Barney Buel became a prominent figure in Connecticut cultural and civic life. Records about her papers at the Litchfield Historical Society identify her as Elizabeth C. Barney Buel and note her work as Honorary State Regent for the Connecticut D.A.R., while memorial and genealogical records place her life between February 16, 1868, and November 2, 1943.
Buel was more than an author: she was deeply involved in historical and patriotic organizations in Litchfield and across Connecticut. Contemporary memorial information describes her as an organizer of the Mary Floyd Tallmadge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a longtime leader in state and national D.A.R. work. She also served the Litchfield Historical Society, later becoming its president.
Her writing often grew out of that historical interest. The Tale of the Spinning Wheel, first published in 1903, is one of her best-known books, turning the spinning wheel into a lively window onto women’s work, domestic craft, and Revolutionary-era memory. Archival listings also show her writing and compiling historical and civic material, including a D.A.R. manual for citizenship and talks on local industries and American history.