Hattie Horner was born at Muscatine, Iowa,[1][a] but lived nearly all her life in Whitewater, Butler County, Kansas.
Louthan taught for five years, and served as principal of the Arkansas City and El Dorado high schools.
It was written as the last train for the relief of the Ohio flood sufferers left the depot at El Dorado, aud was a comparison between the grasshopper year and the present time of plenty.
It was through the medium of her "Letters" written while traveling for her health during vacation, and comprising four series, from Wisconsin, New Orleans, Colorado, New Mexico and California.
While engaged in writing these letters, the Kansas Publishing House issued the first volume of poems; it was successful.