Mary Hartwell Catherwood

Born in Luray, Ohio, on December 16, 1847, Mary Hartwell Catherwood became a popular American author of historical romances, short stories, and poetry. Early in her career she published as Mary Hartwell and sometimes as "Lewtrah," a playful reversal of her surname. Her work is especially associated with the Midwest, and she developed a reputation for lively storytelling rooted in regional history and atmosphere.

She published fiction and poetry in major magazines of her day, including Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and Lippincott’s Magazine. Readers were drawn to her blend of romance, adventure, and carefully imagined historical settings, especially stories connected with the old Northwest and French colonial America.

Catherwood died in Chicago on December 26, 1902. Though not as widely known now as she once was, she was an important literary voice of the late nineteenth century and remains of interest for her richly detailed historical fiction and her strong sense of place.