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The Visalia Belle that Became a Princess
The Visalia Belle that Became a Princess
Words and Photos Provided by Terry Ommen
Tulare County has been home to many women of great fame and accomplishments. From being the first woman to reach the top of Mt. Whitney, to surviving the ill-fated Donner Party tragedy, to winning public office, women of the county have often risen to great heights. But there is one who soared even higher—she was an internationally recognized stage actor who later became a princess. Eleanor Hulda Calhoun’s meteoric rise from a toddler playing on Visalia streets to an actress who became royalty is a story worth telling.
Eleanor, or Nellie as she was nicknamed, was born into a family with an impressive pedigree. Her father, Ezekiel Ewing Calhoun, was the second cousin of John C. Calhoun, the famous American statesman who served as a U.S. Senator, Secretary of War, and Vice President of the United States in America’s early years. Her father had come to Visalia from Kentucky in 1855 as a young lawyer. Well-educated, Calhoun quickly became an influential man in Tulare County politics and had much to do with shaping events in the town. He served as County Clerk and for three years held the office of County Judge. In 1858, Calhoun created the first official map of Visalia. Eleanor’s mother, Laura, was the daughter of Poker Davis of Farmersville and was a recognized biologist who would go on to write short stories about life in California. Ezekiel and Laura married in 1861, and the following year, Eleanor was born.
Nellie was a bright girl, and much of her early education came from her parents while the family lived in their Court Street home in Visalia. For fun, the toddler would run barefoot in her neighborhood and cool off in Mill Creek on hot summer days.
When Kern County was formed in 1866, Eleanor’s father was chosen to be the new Kern County district attorney. So when Nellie was about four years old, her family moved from Visalia to Havilah, the county seat of the newly formed Kern County. The family also lived in various other places including Bakersfield, Caliente, and Calhoun’s Valley near Tehachapi.
When Eleanor reached college age, she attended San Jose Normal School with plans of becoming a teacher, even though her first love was performing on stage. She had enjoyed her rural upbringing, but as a young girl, she “longed and thirsted too for the great life that lay somewhere beyond the great ranges…I was hungry for human beings and knowledge of their thoughts and their ways…,” she wrote. She yearned for travel and the sophisticated life of a stage actor—the exact opposite of the harsh and crude life offered by the American West.
During summer vacation from Normal School in 1879, Nellie and her talented pianist friend, Lola Lawrey, traveled throughout California visiting friends and performing along the way. The duo stopped in Visalia and gave several performances at Centennial Hall, located on Court Street between Main and Center—the building still stands today. Both young ladies were well-received, but 17-year-old Nellie was clearly the hometown favorite. The audience cheered with pride after each act. Her dramatic readings were outstanding, and the local reviews were very complimentary. “She is an exceptionally good elocutionist, her manner of delivery being perfectly natural and not artificial like that of most schoolgirls. She possesses an excellent voice…and makes a prepossessing appearance on the stage, her figure being shapely, her features pleasing, and eyes bright and impressive,” reported the Visalia Weekly Delta newspaper. They added, “If she follows the stage as a profession, as she contemplates doing after completing her education, we bespeak for her a bright future.”
While in school at San Jose, Eleanor caught the attention of Phoebe Hearst, who financed a trip for her to France to pursue her acting career. Some said that Hearst paid for her trip so she would not marry her son William Randolph Hearst. It was said that the Hearsts felt that Eleanor was not good enough for their son.
The expense-paid trip to France was perfect for her. She was clearly on a path to a bright stage career. Although trained as a teacher, she instead went on to become a famous international actor performing throughout the United States and Europe. She was especially popular in England and France.
Visalians followed her career closely, and in 1899, the Tulare County Times newspaper reported, “From England comes glowing reports of the success on the stage achieved by Eleanor Calhoun.” She had become world-famous. Her career was given a big boost when she served as an understudy for Lily Langtry, and in doing so, caught the eye of the well-known playwright George Bernard Shaw, who praised her performance.
While playing Juliet in the "Romeo and Juliet" stage play in London in 1903, she was introduced to Prince Lazarovich-Hrebelianovich, heir to the throne of Serbia. They fell in love and were married. Nellie became Princess Eleanor Lazarovich-Hrebelianovich of Serbia. She gave up acting, and her new obsession became supporting her exiled husband in his attempt to return to his native land as head of state. After her husband died, Eleanor continued the fight to free Serbia. She authored three books: “The Serbian People” in 1910, “Pleasures & Palaces” in 1915, and “The Play” in 1926.
Her remarkable life had taken her from the small town of Visalia to the most opulent theaters of Europe and then on to the life of royalty. The Calhoun family had once again produced greatness. Later in her life, Eleanor made several trips back to Visalia. In January 1957, she died at her home in New York City at the age of 95.
