Eleanor Stackhouse was born in 1863 during the U.S. Civil War. She made her living as a teacher before getting a job as a journalist on the Chicago 'Tribune'. She married journalist Francis Blake Atkinson in 1891. The couple had two daughters. Used to writing to deadlines, she took her time gathering information for her classic novel 'Greyfriars Bobby'. Published in 1912, the book dedicated to her husband was an instant success especially in the U.S.A. The Disney film 'Greyfriars Bobby'released in 1961 was based on her novel.

When the couple were divorced in the 1920's the novelist went to live with her eldest daughter in New York. Eleanor Stackhouse Atkinson died at Rockland State Hospital, Orangetown, New York State in 1942. Her memorial stone stands in Milroy Park, Renssalaer, Jasper County, Indiana, U.S.A. the birthplace of the famous author.