Mrs. Elsinore Robinson Crowell in May 1912
Elsinor Robinson Crowell, later Fremont, seems to have lived a very full life according to one newspaper article and ancestry.com. She went by the name of "Elsie" and in registrations and censuses listed herself as a writer, or writer and illustrator, and once as an artist. She was a writer and artist for a newspaper at some period of time in San Francisco.
She was born in Benicia, California (1883-1956). In March 1903 at the age of 19, she married 30 year old Christie B. Crowell and lived in Brattleboro, Vermont near the Crowell family mansion. The Crowells built the local reservoir, and Christie was the superintendent of the water works. George (1904-1926) was born soon after the marriage. This photograph was taken during this period of her life.
By December 1916, she had moved back to San Francisco with her son, and began divorce proceedings. The Mariposa Gazette carried almost weekly summons announcements for well over a year. Finally, the trial was set for January 1918.
In 1918, at age 45, Christie was drafted into WWI, and he listed his mother Mary as "nearest relative".
This is where a surprise event (for me!) happened. After hours of research, I had wrapped up this biographical sketch when I discovered that Elsie had a brief marriage to Raphael Demoro (Damoro). The only documentation were the San Francisco city directories. The 1927 directory listed Raphael (Elsie) at her longtime Edgewood address, and the 1928 directory listed Mrs. Damoro with S.F. at that same address. Who's Who of California says that the marriage was annulled.
In 1933 Elsie remarried the last time in a secret ceremony at the courthouse. Note that stepson John (Jack) was born the same year that George died. She continued to live in her house at Edgewood at least through 1940. She was buried in the Benicia Cemetery beside her father.
She wrote several magazine articles, largely for western periodicals such as "The Overland Monthly" and "Sunset". I have read a few of the articles, and she had a very poetic style written with an artist's eye. She illustrated a few of the articles.
A partial list of articles that Elsie wrote
:
"Foothill Fall" in The Overland Monthly 1917
"Little Ovens" or "Hornitos, a Ghost Town of California" with two small b/w decorations Sunset 1916
"Beef on the Hoof," Breezy Stories Mar 1922
" Buck Calhoun’s Woman"Breezy Stories Feb 1919
"Desert Dust"Breezy Stories Apr 1922
“Hold ’Em, Harvard!”Metropolitan Magazine Jan 1921
" Miss Melissa Raises Cain"Snappy Stories Dec #1 1921
"Transaction in a Hotel Lobby"The Smart Set Aug 1918; sketch
She illustrated a few books such as:
"Within the deep dark woods " (1913)
"Life and Literature Readers, First Reader" (1914)
"Behind the Garden Wall" (1913)
You will find several examples of "Behind the Garden Wall" on this photostream.
Who's Who in California lists "Wanted Out!" in 1934. Do not know length of this writing, or the name it was published under.