Individual Details
(7 Mar 1871 - 23 Feb 1962)
Writer. Louise was the author of 21 novels, published both in the United States and in England. Her works include: Shining Armor; Time and a Mulberry Leaf; Black Butterflies; House of Heart's Content; Leatherman's Cave; Singing Stone; Wishing Tree Jingles; It Couldn't Happen to Me; and Boy from Bokam. In addition, Louise served as an editor/writer for various national publications in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including: The Ladies' Illustrated Journal; The Woman's Home Companion; The Ladies Home Journal; Smart Styles; How to Grow Flowers; Pets and Animals; and The Ladies' World. Writing for McClure's Newspaper Syndicate, she once toured the U.S. in the locomotive of a freight train, and her experiences were published in syndication across the country. In 1899 Louise was sent on a tour of the world by Chicago newspapers and became the first female foreign newspaper correspondent. As part of the tour, she was the first woman to ride the new aerial tramway from Hong Kong up 1,800 feet to Victoria Peak. She subsequently wrote for various syndicates in China, Japan, England, France and Germany. She also wrote short stories for adults and juveniles, nature essays, and poetry. Louise was known as "the Flower Lady" to hundreds of children in the slums of the lower East Side of New York City, where she had written an article about the Italian section. She went down the alleyways planting hollyhock seeds to bring beauty to the area. Numerous children there were subsequently named Louise or Louis in her honor. Spouse: Clarence H. Watrous, married 1926, died 1945. Parents: Henry and Harriet (Longwood) Dew. Louise' adventurous life and writings were major inspirations to her niece, writer/reporter Gwen Dew (Gwendolyn Dew Buchanan), who followed in her footsteps years later.
Events
| Birth | 7 Mar 1871 | Saint Johns, Clinton, Michigan, United States | | | |
| Marriage | 1926 | Clarence H. Watrous | | | |
| Death | 23 Feb 1962 | Preston, New London, Connecticut, United States | | | |
| Burial | | Indian River Cemetery, Middlesex, Connecticut, United States | | | |
Families