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In the 1990s the
Sterling North Society bought the house. They removed the asbestos siding and restored the house to its 1917 appearance, making it a museum. A bronze sign in front of the home, marking North's significance in the history of this southern Wisconsin community, was dedicated in October
279:, in southwestern Wisconsin. His daughter, Sarah Elizabeth Nelson, was Sterling North's mother. She married David Willard North, also the product of a pioneering local family, whose brother ran the family farm. Sarah died when Sterling was seven years old.
362:, North wrote that comics were "a poisonous mushroom growth of the last two years" and that comic book publishers were "guilty of a cultural slaughter of the innocents". These charges were echoed over the following 15 years by other public figures like
290:, in 1906. Surviving a near-paralyzing struggle with polio in his teens, he grew to young adulthood in the quiet southern Wisconsin village of Edgerton, which North transformed into the "Brailsford Junction" setting of several of his books.
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When
Sterling North was 11 (in 1917, which would have been the year of his maternal grandfather's 100th birthday), several of his uncles wrote extended biographies about their parents and their pioneer farm life. One of these uncles was
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the same year. By 1918, when
Sterling was twelve, he and his father were living in this house at 409 W. Rollin St., and the stage was set for many of the situations that he would eventually form into the book
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After the Norths left, the house served as a boarding house, mainly for teachers. Later it was converted to two apartments, and the weatherboard siding was covered by more modern asbestos siding.
443:'s North Star Books. This firm published biographies of American heroes for young adult readers. Although uncredited, North's wife, Gladys Buchanan North, also contributed to the editing process.
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The house was built in 1894 by
Sterling's grandfather Thomas North Jr. when he retired from farming and moved in to Edgerton. It is a rambling 2-story house in a modest version of the
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also highlights his loving relationship with his attorney father, dreamer David
Willard North, and the aching loss represented by the death of his mother, Elizabeth Nelson North.
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literary editor, North was one of the first public figures to denounce the newly popular medium of comic books. Barely two years after the introduction of
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1984. Money for the sign was donated by the school children of Rock County, the
Edgerton Area Chamber of Commerce, and friends of Sterling North.
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in August 1963. It is a remembrance of a year in his childhood when he raised a baby raccoon, which he named "Rascal". It received a
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North's hometown of
Edgerton celebrated his 100th birthday during a book festival October 21 and 22, 2006. Journalist
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385:, published in 1929, was a narrative of the life of Harry Dean, an African-American sea captain. A 1934 North novel,
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appeared. Since then, there have been annual book festivals held in
Edgerton honoring the memory of Sterling North.
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that was popular in 1894. Hallmarks of the style seen in this house are the complex roof,
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Article about the
Centennial Celebration and the naming of Edgerton as "Booktown"
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The house where
Sterling spent his later childhood, also the setting for much of
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led to the mid-1950s self-censorship and rapid shrinkage of the comics industry.
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North's maternal grandparents, James Hervey Nelson and Sarah Orelup Nelson, were
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North was born on the second floor of a farmhouse on the shores of
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in the family; and a brother, Herschel, who survived World War I.
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who was an author, poet, and editor; Theo (Theodora), who was the
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780:"Sterling North, 68, Famed Author Dies in Whippany Nursing Home"
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in 1969. Additionally, it was made into a 52-episode Japanese
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Sterling's grandfather died in 1913, and his mother died of
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The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the Eighteen-Seventies
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in 1977. The success of the anime was responsible for the
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and may have been an early literary inspiration to North.
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In addition to chronicling North's raising of a raccoon,
861:"The 1900s: 10 biggest events from 100 years in comics"
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introduction of the North American raccoon into Japan
232:(November 4, 1906 – December 21, 1974) was an
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453:North's best-selling and best-known work,
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536:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
439:In 1956, he became the general editor of
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
408:in 1949. The film was nominated for the
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293:North had three siblings: two sisters,
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886:"National Register Information System"
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422:Abe Lincoln: Log Cabin to White House
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891:National Register of Historic Places
410:Academy Award for Best Original Song
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873:"Gladys Buchanan North, Editor, 81"
1053:20th-century American male writers
969:The Sterling North Society website
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863:, CBGXtra.com (December 12, 2005).
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1058:People from Koshkonong, Wisconsin
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513:Sterling North Home and Museum
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517:United States historic place
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338:New York World-Telegram
261:Putnam County, New York
940:Sterling North Society
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910:"Sterling North House"
376:Congressional hearings
1048:Newbery Honor winners
896:National Park Service
833:National Park Service
615:42.83722°N 89.06778°W
399:Midnight and Jeremiah
327:University of Chicago
251:Early life and family
230:Thomas Sterling North
136:Thomas Sterling North
753:Whippany, New Jersey
528:Sterling North House
325:After attending the
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217:Jessica Nelson North
165:Whippany, New Jersey
43:improve this article
984:Rascal history site
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588:Edgerton, Wisconsin
469:Sequoyah Book Award
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288:Edgerton, Wisconsin
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265:Rochester, New York
221:Justus Henry Nelson
207:Arielle North Olson
148:Edgerton, Wisconsin
634:less than one acre
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356:Chicago Daily News
332:Chicago Daily News
259:pioneers. Born in
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788:. Retrieved
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725:Helen Thomas
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160:(1974-12-21)
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41:Please help
36:verification
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1018:1974 deaths
1013:1906 births
846:ten photos.
690:bay windows
618: /
594:Coordinates
467:in 1964, a
277:South Wayne
99:August 2015
1007:Categories
759:References
650:Queen Anne
603:42°50′14″N
391:Grant Wood
341:, and the
267:, then to
219:(sister),
172:Occupation
141:1906-11-04
69:newspapers
701:pneumonia
487:entitled
414:Burl Ives
273:Milwaukee
257:Wisconsin
246:Biography
213:Relatives
662:96001579
606:89°4′4″W
582:Location
374:, until
360:Superman
299:martinet
234:American
203:Children
175:Writer,
945:June 7,
920:June 7,
838:June 7,
223:(uncle)
83:scholar
706:Rascal
696:ends.
679:Rascal
508:Legacy
502:Rascal
477:Disney
448:Rascal
335:, the
315:Rascal
239:Rascal
196:Rascal
167:, U.S.
150:, U.S.
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747:Death
694:gable
639:Built
485:anime
479:film
183:Genre
90:JSTOR
76:books
947:2021
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792:2019
642:1894
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155:Died
133:Born
62:news
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657:No.
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