Elizabeth Letts to talk about Mainer Annie Wilkins and her journey by horse across America

Sat, 06/11/2022 - 7:30am

    Lincoln County Historical Association will host a zoom presentation with #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Elizabeth Letts on June 16 at 6 p.m. Ms. Letts's recent book, “The Ride of Her Life,” profiles the remarkable true story of Annie Wilkins, her horse, and their last-chance journey across America. This presentation is one of many programs related to Women Writers of Lincoln County offered by LCHA this year.

    Determined to see the Pacific Ocean before she died, Annie ignored her doctor's advice to “take it easy,” choosing instead to purchase a cast-off horse named Tarzan, dress in men's dungarees, and with her faithful mutt, Depeche Toi (French for “hurry up”) in tow, head south in mid-November of 1954, hoping to beat the snow. Personifying the very best of the American spirit — determination, grit, bravery, adventure, good humor — Annie and her four-legged companions captured the hearts (and media attention!) of people everywhere. In a decade when car ownership nearly tripled, television’s influence was quickly expanding, rotary phones became widely embraced by the masses, and when homeowners began locking their doors, this motley crew of loveable misfits inspired an outpouring of kindness and hospitality in a rapidly changing world. 

    Later, Ms Wilkins wrote of her adventures in “The Last of the Saddle Tramps,” then retired to Whitefield, Maine, taking her place as one of dozens of varied and talented women writers of Lincoln County.

    To register for this special opportunity to hear from Elizabeth Letts, please visit www.lincolncountyhistory.org, navigate to "events" and find it listed under "upcoming events" - a simple form will request email address and registrants are given the option to make a donation.