Back in May, I spent the night in Pittsburgh on my way home to Connecticut from visiting my mom in Illinois. It was not by chance. I’d never been to Pittsburgh, and being a Cather fan, the city and the home above have long been on my radar. Readers new to Cather are often surprised to learn that she lived most of her adult life in New York City. Even less known is that she lived in Pittsburgh for ten years.
Cather in Pittsburgh
Cather graduated from the University of Nebraska in June 1895. In June 1896, she moved to Pittsburgh for an editorial job at The Home Monthly. The magazine folded after a year, and she went to work for the Pittsburgh Leader newspaper. She also taught Latin and English at Central High School.
Cather’s first abode in Pittsburgh, from 1896 to 1901, was this boarding house at 304 S Craig Street. The photo was taken in the 1970s and is from the Bernice Slote Papers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries Archives & Special Collections (source link).
Isabelle McClung
In 1899, Cather met Isabelle McClung, the daughter of a prominent judge. The two women hit it off, perhaps in all the ways two adults can “hit it off.” In 1901, Isabelle invited Cather to move in. She lived with the McClung family until 1906, when Cather moved to New York City for an editorial position at McClure’s Magazine.
The McClung home is in the affluent Squirrel Hill neighborhood at 1180 Murray Hill Avenue. It is a private home, so I didn’t get too close or lurk for long. Isabelle’s bedroom was on the second floor. Cather had a writing space on the third floor in the sewing room. Readers of The Professor’s House can imagine the influence this room had on Cather.
Willa and Isabelle in 1923, long after their Pittsburgh years, in Ville d’Avray, France. Isabelle was one of the major loves of Cather’s life and a significant supporter of her work. Whatever their earlier relationship may have entailed, Willa and Isabelle remained close friends until the end. (Philip L. and Helen Cather Southwick Collection, Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. Source link.)
If you’d like to learn more about Cather’s association with Isabelle and the McClung home, check out Sue Hallgarth’s excellent post: Romantic Notions: Willa Cather and Isabelle McClung Hambourg.
Ten Years that Really Mattered
The ten years that Cather lived in Pittsburgh were formative for her as both a writer and an independent woman. She proved she could take care of herself, hold down jobs, and work on her own writing after hours. Her first two books, April Twilights (1903) and The Troll Garden (1905), were born of her time in Pittsburgh. Her short fiction began to be published in prominent national magazines. Isabelle’s emotional and critical support, and the comfortable, quiet space she gave Cather, were no doubt crucial to this productivity.
It was a lovely, drizzly morning the day I visited. I would have enjoyed a long walk through this beautiful neighborhood, but I was at the tail end of a trip and ready to get home. One of the things I’d like to do on a future trip to Pittsburgh is take this self-guided walking tour based on “Paul’s Case,” one of Cather’s most popular short stories.
Are there other Pittsburgh sights I should add to my list for subsequent visits?
I also visited the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on this trip.
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