I associate Carl Sandburg with the city of Chicago and the Midwest, what brought him to North Carolina?
Carl Sandburg was born and raised in Galesburg, Illinois, a small town 200 miles southwest of Chicago. His literary career is most often associated with Chicago and the Midwest as much of his early writing emerged from his experiences there. However, Sandburg first is an American and his writing is not limited to geography. His writing reflects the issues of humanity, democracy, and freedom. The move to North Carolina was at the request of his wife, Paula, for the benefit of the goat farm operation. Greener pastures and a longer browsing season for the goats was the primary purpose for choosing to leave their home on the shores of Lake Michigan where they had been for 17 years. The Asheville area was familiar to Mrs. Sandburg because her brother Edward Steichen had spent time there and simply recommended it as a place to investigate.
Why is this place named Connemara?
The Sandburg family did not name their home Connemara. They simply kept the name that the former owners (Ellison Smyth) had given it. It is from a region in Ireland. Mrs. Sandburg used the name for her dairy farm, Connemara Farms.
What books were in Sandburg's library?
The Sandburg's moved to Connemara with over 16,000 volumes. Over 11,000 are still at the park today. You can search his book collection here: https://museum.nps.gov/ParkIndex.aspx. This database also includes Mrs. Sandburg's dairy goat prize ribbons, Carl Sandburg's guitars, plant specimens from the park, the Atlas to Accompany the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies (1894) and much more.
How much did it cost the Sandburg's to buy this property?
In the fall of 1945, the Sandburg's paid $45,000 for 248 acres of land, a three-story house with over 7,700 square feet, farm structures, and several outbuildings. Carl Sandburg commented they had bought a "village" and Mrs. Sandburg a "million acres of sky."
Did Carl Sandburg give an address at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy?
Carl Sandburg did NOT give an address at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, that was Robert Frost. Sandburg did work on the campaign to elect Kennedy and he wrote the preface to Kennedy's book of speeches entitled To Turn the Tide.
When did Carl Sandburg die?
Carl Sandburg's lifetime spanned much of the 20th century. He was born in Galesburg, Illinois to Swedish immigrant parents on January 6, 1878. He would die at his home in Flat Rock, North Carolina on July 22, 1967 at the age of 89. His wife would follow ten years later. Both of their remains were cremated and their ashes buried at Carl Sandburg's birthplace in Galesburg, Illinois beneath a large boulder named after Carl Sandburg's first and only novel, Remembrance Rock.
Who do I contact to receive permission to use Carl Sandburg's works and images?
If you find a resource in the collection of the Carl Sandburg Home NHS please contact the park to determine permissions by email. To request permission to use publications, audio recordings and other materials by Carl Sandburg, please contact the following:
The Barbara Hogenson Agency, Inc.
165 West End Ave. Suite 19C
New York, NY 10023
Telephone: 212-874-8084
Fax: 212-595-6748
Email
Where else can I learn about Carl Sandburg?
Carl Sandburg State Historic Site preserves the birthplace and burial site of Carl Sandburg. The Site's collection includes first editions of many of Sandburg's works, photos, and objects from the Sandburg family. The Visitors' Center orientation DVD and exhibits document Sandburg's time in Galesburg and beyond. www.sandburg.org.
