Literature Network Biography as well as an index of her publications and their complete text online. http://www.online-literature.com/kate-wiggin/ Kate Douglas Wiggin (1856-1923), American author and educator, wrote Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm (1903)...A proponent of early childhood education, Wiggin is also now noted for establishing the first free kindergarten in San Francisco, California...Wiggin was involved with teaching for most of her life and lecturing and writing articles and essays on education. Many were published in newspapers and magazines including The Atlantic Monthly. In an effort to raise funds for her Kindergarten efforts, Story of Patsy (1883) and The Birds' Christmas Carol (1887) were her first books published. eBooks on CD Collection of 22 ebook versions of Kate Douglas Wiggins works on a CD for sale at around $12.00 (as of 12/13/2007). http://samizdat.stores.yahoo.net/wiggin.html The text of the story. http://www.online-literature.com/kate-wiggin/story-of-patsy/ The Silver Street Kindergarten. This site has pictures! It also talks about archaeological finds at the site. http://www.sonoma.edu/asc/sfarchaeology/Neighborhood/Schoolyard/index.htm The Silver Street Kindergarten was the first free Kindergarten west of the Rocky Mountains. Organized 1878 by philanthropist Felix Alder, Kate Douglas Wiggin was hired to run the school. Although Mrs. Wiggin may best be known as the author of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, the expansion of free kindergartens may be a more noteworthy legacy. The Silver Street Kindergarten was used as the model for the development of other free kindergartens in the neighborhood. One of the reasons for the school's success was the large number of small children who lived nearby on Perry and Silver streets.