The Frances Ellen Watkins Harper house is one of the two Underground Railroad sites in Bella Vista. Known as “the mother of African-American journalism,” Frances Harper was a writer, poet, novelist, lecturer, and civil rights leader. Her first book of poems was published at age 20 in 1845, making her one of the first African-American published writers. She wrote and lectured on many topics, highlighting the struggles of the freed slaves and women’s suffrage. The home was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1976. Frances Harper lived here from 1870 until her death in 1911.