Valley Girl Views: When Walt Whitman Came To Lewisburg

Monday, February 3, 2020

When Walt Whitman Came To Lewisburg

The Lewisburg Hotel was built in 1834. It was known as the Klein Hotel and the Lewisburger Hotel. The hotel had easy access to the Pennsylvania Canal, and the Old East-West Turnpike, along with two major railroads. It quickly became an important way-stop for thousands of travelers.

The hotel was home of the first President of the Lewisburg University and the first graduation exercises were held on the premises in 1851. Members of the board of trustees in attendance included U.S. Senator Simon Cameron and James Buchanan. Buchanan became the fifteenth President of the United States within five years of his visit.

Following its purchase by William Cameron in 1874, the hotel was known as Cameron House for over sixty years.

"The guest register, after the turn of the century, included sports figures Jim Thorpe, John McGraw and Christy Mathewson, and from the performing arts, such notable poets as Walt Whitman and singer Marian Anderson, as well as most of the “Big Bands” of the 1930’s, 40’s and 50’s. " https://lewisburghotel.com/our-history/ More recent guests are said to have included Ralph Nader, Kevin Costner, and Tony Hawk.

According to this undated newspaper clipping, Walt Whitman stayed here, and wrote one of his most famous works after viewing the Susquehanna River.

Walt Whitman, born in 1819, published his first novel in 1842.

Leaves of Grass, a collection of twelve poems, was his most notable work, and was published in 1855. He revised and republished the collection six times, finishing the "deathbed edition", the 1892 version he wanted to supersede all previous ones, a few months before his death.

I cannot guess what "famous work" was inspired by the Susquehanna River, nor do I know what year he was in Lewisburg.