Woman of the Century/Elizabeth Martha Olmsted

OLMSTED, Mrs. Elizabeth Martha, poet, born in Caledona, N. Y., 31st December, 1825. Her ELIZABETH MARTHA OLMSTED. ancestral stock was from Pittsfield, Mass. Her father, Oliver Allen, belonged to the family of Ethan Allen. She was educated carefully and liberally. She was a child of strong mental powers and inquiring mind. Her poetic trend was apparent in childhood, and in her youth she wrote poems of much merit. She became the wife, in February, 1853, of John R. Olmsted, of Le Roy, N. Y., and she has ever since resided in that town. The Olmsleds are descended from the first settlers of Hartford, Conn., and pioneers of the Genesee valley. Mrs. Olmsted has contributed to the New York "Independent" and other papers. During the Civil War she wrote many spirited war lyrics, among which are the well-known "Our Boys Going to the War" and "The Clarion." Her poem, "The Upas," first appeared in the "Independent" of 16th January, 1862. She has published a number of sonnets of great excellence. Her productions are characterized by moral tone, fine diction and polish.