Harriet Beecher Stowe

"Under Palmetto Leaves"

Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896)

Harriet Beecher Stowe spent many of her later years living in Florida. Although she is most famous for her novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,' she is also noteworthy for a collection of stories about Florida. These stories were inspired by Harriet's own experiences, shortly after the Civil War, when she 'wintered' in Mandarin, Florida along the banks of the St. John's River. First printed serially in national journals, public demand insured the stories would be reprinted as a book, 'Palmetto Leaves.'

Harriet became one of the top promoters for the state of Florida with 'Palmetto Leaves.' What she proposed, she practised. The tourist industry was greatly stimulated by the publication and the Stowe house in Mandarin, Florida became an attraction, as well.