Emilie and Marie Stapp were natives of Iowa, where Emilie began writing children's books and Marie worked for a newspaper. After living in Boston, they moved to Wiggins because of family ties to the Finkbine Lumber Company. There they established Friendship Farm and built the Dolls' House to hold their collection of 400 dolls. In 1966, the dolls and Emilie's manuscripts were placed in the de Grummond Collection of the McCain Archives at USM.