Where:

332 Center Street
Mankato, Minnesota

(507) 345-8103

www.betsy-tacysociety.org

Mankato, Minnesota has a deep love and appreciation for its own Maud Hart Lovelace, the author of the Betsy-Tacy series and many other books. Maud's work shows that since her childhood she loved Mankato, as well.

She was born to Thomas and Stella Hart on April 26th, 1892, the second of three daughters. Maud loved writing as a child: stories, poems, and plays. In summer, she liked to climb her backyard maple tree to write her stories. She also wrote in her bedroom, on her uncle's trunk, just as Betsy did in her stories. Her characters were created after her own family, childhood friends, and neighbors. The turn-of-the-century settings were Mankato scenes, renamed. The plots, recounted childhood adventures.

The first Betsy-Tacy book appeared in 1940, and what Maud had thought would be a single book turned out to be a series of 10. These books are beloved to this day, and the Betsy-Tacy Society keeps her legacy alive and available.

Maud Hart Lovelace wrote eighteen books for children, (one co-authored by her husband Delos Lovelace), and six historical fiction adult novels, (two with Delos), all set in Minnesota. She died in Claremont, California on March 11, 1980. Services were held in the Episcopal Church in Mankato, and she was buried in Glenwood Cemetery, where visitors can see her gravesite.

You'll See:

Tacy's' house was the first property acquired by the Betsy-Tacy Society, and is currently being restored by its members. The address is 332 Center Street in Mankato. Many Society events are held there.

Betsy's house is located across the street, at 333 Center Street, still in the very early stages of restoration.

Just up the hill is a small Stone Bench, where visitors can take a lunch, just as Betsy and Tacy did in the stories.

The Blue Earth County Library (100 E. Main Street, Mankato) houses a wealth of information about Maud Hart Lovelace. The Children's Wing is named for her, and there is a mural painted by Marian Anderson just inside the door. The library will also supply you with a walking map of twenty-two "Deep Valley" locations.

The Blue Earth County Historical Society Museum (415 Cherry Street) has some of the Lovelace artifacts on display.

Tacy's House is open Saturday afternoons from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. Tours by appointment. Call 507-345-8103.

Kid Interest Level:

All readers of the Betsy-Tacy series would be thrilled to visit the Deep Valley sites. Check the Betsy-Tacy Society website for scheduled events to make your visit more exciting. Many of the events are planned for children and their adults.

Length of Visit:

If you tour, plan for an afternoon. Events usually last a couple of hours.

Be Prepared:

Do read several of the Betsy-Tacy books before you visit Mankato. It will be helpful to know the names of Betsy's friends, as all of them were based on real people that Maud Hart Lovelace knew.

Learn more about Maud Hart Lovelace in her author bio.

Learn more about Maud's books for young people.

Visit the Betsy-Tacy Society website.

Journey to the website for the Maud Hart Lovelace Society.

Books You'll
Find Useful:

Thanks to Jan Neubert Schultz for submitting this helpful destination guide.