Burt Harwood

BURT HARWOOD Elihu Burritt Harwood was born in Charles City, Floyd county, Iowa, in 1855. According to a document called "Certificate of Registration of American Citizen" created by the Consul General of the United States of America, in Paris France, Burt Harwood is an American Citizen who was born 26 November 1855 in Charles City, Iowa. It further states that Burt arrived in France April 24, 1908 for the purpose of "study." It said he was married to Elizabeth Case who was born in "Charles City, Ia." They lived at 65 Boulevard Arago in Paris.

In the 1890's, according to one source, Burt and his wife, Elizabeth, moved to France in order to further his artist career. They remained there for about 20 years, coming back to the United States in 1916, and settling to Taos. Actually, from Charles City, Iowa, Burt moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a time, before moving to France, and apparently later moved to Taos, New Mexico and then for a time back in Minneapolis before returning to Taos, where he died.

Burt died from what was probably tuberculosis, in 1922, at the age of only 67. Within about a year after his death, his wife converted their residence into the Harwood museum. The home/museum is located at 238 Ledoux Street, on the corner of Ledoux and Ranchitos Road. The Harwoods had bought the house shortly after coming to Taos. It had been owned by Smith H. Simpson's heirs; Simpson, who had been an aide to Kit Carson, and Taosena Josepha Valdez had build the house in the 1860's. It was long known as El Pueblito, because it looks a lot like the Taos Pueblo.

http://iagenweb.org/floyd/bios/harwood/harwoodburt.htm