Eleanor was born in 1892 to Christopher Blevins and Charlotte White in Lincoln, Nebraska. Before 1900, her parents separated and her mother moved to Los Angeles. By 1910, Eleanor was living with her mother in Los Angeles.
By 1913, Eleanor was acting in movies, usually in the role of daughter or sweetheart. None of her movies have survived but there are synopses and reviews for most of them [1]. She performed in at least thirty movies between 1913 and 1916. Most were two reels (or 20 min) but two or three of her earliest movies were one reel (or 10 min). She was in 11 movies produced by Selig Polyscope, the first major movie studio to move to California. She was in 9 movies by Lubin, 7 by Essanay, two by Biograph, and one for Vitagraph. Her earliest starring role may have been "The New Schoolmarm of Green River" that was directed by Gilbert M. 'Broncho Billy' Anderson for Essanay It was released in October 1913 when she was 21 years old. She was one of the troupe in a 1914 Tom Mix comedy Western titled "The Motion Picture Cowboy" and in a 1915 comedy directed by Hal Roach for Essanay titled "Tale of a Tire" .
In 1916, Eleanor left acting to race cars.
In December 1916, Eleanor married Herbert Betts in Philadelphia. He passed away in April 1917.
In 1924, Eleanor married Ralph Albaugh in Virginia City, Montana. They had at least one child.
In 1926, Eleanor and Ralph built a cabin called "Ziz-Ziz-Zit" southwest of Yellowstone National Park. In 2020, it was placed on The National Register of Historic Places in Idaho "an early vacation cabin / summer residence in the resort area of Island Park."
In 1972, Eleanor passed away in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Tampa Bay Times (St. Petersburg, Florida) 26 Jan 1917, Friday, page 1
GIRL AUTOIST WINS BIG BET AND A HUSBAND
Eleanor Blevins Captivates Society Man Who Aids Her
Philadelphia. Jan. 25-When Herbert D. Betts lost a $1,000 wager to a young motion picture actress a month ago, little did he realize luck would so turn in his favor. For, despite the fact that he lost the $1,000 he succeeded in winning the winner.
The actress was Miss Eleanor Blevins, formerly star with a large film company. She was known as "Peg of the Movies." The young couple were married at the homo of Mr. Bett's father, Dr. Thomas Betts, of Oak Lane. The bridegroom Is a prominent automobile man of Wilmington, Del., but is well known in Philadelphia.
The romance began early in December, when the young woman, who is an enthusiastic motorist, won the road race from Washington to New York. On the way, however, there was a breakdown, near Newark, Del., and the former Miss Blevins' mechanician, a man prominent in New York society, telephoned his friend Betts for assistance. Betts motored out from Wilmington with the necessary parts for repairing the machine and met his fate.
After the repairs had been made and Miss Blevins was about to speed on her way, the rescuer proposed a bet of $1,000 that she would not win the race. The bet was immediately accepted. Upon winning the race Miss Blevins received a check for $1,000, accompanied with a long letter of congratulation. From that time on both the winner and the loser saw much of each other, but Betts soon decided to get out of the losing class. He proposed to Miss Blevins and was accepted.
A Look Back at Eleanor Blevins, An Early Auto Racer, by Robert Tate
...One woman who made history during those early days was Eleanor Blevins (1892-1972) of Lincoln, Nebraska. Blevins was also an actress and made more than 24 films between 1913 and 1916. She also was one of the first women who enjoyed auto racing, driving many times around the Benning Racetrack near Washington, DC in 1916.
1910[2] Federal Census in Los Angeles Assembly District 70, California:
1930[3] Federal Census in Idaho Falls, Idaho:
1940[4] Federal Census in Idaho Falls, Idaho:
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