by Kate Roberts Edenborg, University of Wisconsin-Stout

A recent conference session prompted me to reach out to my local historical society, and I ended up collaborating with the director to develop a year-long series of virtual presentations.

During the panel, “Did that Really Happen: Historical Fiction as 'Gateway Drug' to Historical Research” at the AJHA 2020 virtual conference, all of the participants were struck by how a variety of books, movies and other forms of popular culture had an influence on their research interests as academics. For me, it was a fictional girl named Caddie Woodlawn.

This character from a children’s book published in the 1930s is the focus of the series of conversations, activities and events I developed, sponsored by the Dunn County (Wis.) Historical Society (DCHS) throughout 2021. Through Caddie, readers get a glimpse not only of childhood in the Wisconsin woods but also of an incredibly fraught time in midwestern and United States history.

“Conversations with Caddie Woodlawn” will feature presentations and activities highlighting the world of Caddie Woodlawn, the beloved children's book character. Created by author Carol Ryrie Brink in 1935, Caddie was a pioneer girl coming of age in Dunn County during the Civil War era.

A Dunn County native, I grew up reading “Caddie Woodlawn,” and the book stuck with me, from childhood to choices I made during my academic career. In graduate school I ended up doing research related to girlhood and children’s books, and my connections to this community and Caddie were definitely the inspiration for this work. I’ve learned a lot about myself and about the community’s history throughout the years.

While Brink’s work was fiction, the book was based on her grandmother’s stories. Her grandmother was Caroline Woodhouse, the basis for the Caddie character. The book features the adventures of Caddie and her brothers Tom and Warren.

The “Conversations with Caddie Woodlawn” series will cover a variety of topics which are inspired by the book, from learning about childhood in the 1860s to discussing representations of race in historical fiction. The series will be an opportunity to bring in experts to discuss the representation, history, and context of the Native American side of the story. The book also provides a way to talk about the Civil War in Wisconsin, along with other topics, such as the expectations of how to raise girls and boys during the era.

The first event on January 9, “Caroline, Caddie and Katey: A favorite childhood book character inspires career,” introduced the series and my connection to the book. I really want people to see historical research as a personal endeavor. A book that I first took off the shelf of my elementary school library as a 10-year-old girl has opened my eyes in so many ways.

The next few events will highlight aspects of childhood and provide an opportunity to learn about the book’s writer and her place in the literary world. Caroline Woodhouse’s granddaughter became a successful author after writing a book telling her grandmother’s stories.

We are hoping to use social media to continue to collect stories about the local community’s connections with Caddie. The county has a Caddie Woodlawn park and has put on countless versions of a Caddie Woodlawn-based play over the decades. The historical society and I plan to post questions to gather more about these and other ways this book has been part of the local lore.

While the original audience for the events was the local Dunn County community, I've realized that there are fans of Caddie all across the country. All of the Zoom presentations will be recorded and available online.

Information on upcoming events, along with links to resources, can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Conversations-with-Caddie-Woodlawn-101502568487838