Off the Shelf

H.J. “Lutcher” Stark likely read many children’s books while growing up in The W.H. Stark House. Lutcher Stark came of age at the turn of the twentieth century in rapidly changing world. Reforms in child labor and education laws, as well as evolving trends in childrearing and motherhood all influenced the experience of childhood in this time. These education and labor movements often found their way into children’s books. Books like these not only told stories, but also taught children about the world and how they were expected to behave. The books on display in Off the Shelf: Children's Literature from The W.H. Stark House date from 1881 to 1924 and were owned by the Stark family. They reveal how literature may have impacted young Lutcher Stark and his childhood in Orange, Texas.