Edith Ogden Harrison (16 November 1862 – 22 May 1955) was a writer of

children's books A child () is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The term may also refer to an unborn human being. In English-speaking countries, the legal definition of ''chi ...

and

fairy tale A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, household tale, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful bei ...

s in the early decades of the 20th century. She was the wife of Carter Harrison, Jr., five-term

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

Biography

Edith Ogden was born to Judge Robert N. Ogden, Jr. and Sarah L Beattie,Wheeler, William Ogden, Lawrence Van Alstyne, and Charles Burr Ogden. 1907. ''The Ogden family in America, Elizabethtown branch, and their English ancestry; John Ogden, the Pilgrim, and his descendants,'' 1640-1906. Philadelphia: Printed for private circulation by J.B. Lippincott Co. pp 468-70
/ref> and raised in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

; she was a "belle of cultured, aristocratic habits who acquitted herself well in the parlors of the

Potter Palmer Potter Palmer (May 20, 1826 – May 4, 1902) was an American businessman who was responsible for much of the development of State Street (Chicago), State Street in Chicago. Born in Albany County, New York,Marshall Field Marshall Field (August 18, 1834January 16, 1906) was an American entrepreneur and the founder of Marshall Field's, Marshall Field and Company, the Chicago-based department stores. His business was renowned for its then-exceptional level of qua ...

s" and other Chicago notables. Her grandfather was Judge Ogden Sr., nephew of Senator

Aaron Ogden Aaron Ogden (December 3, 1756April 19, 1839) was an American soldier, lawyer, United States Senator and the fifth governor of New Jersey. Ogden is perhaps best known today as the complainant in '' Gibbons v. Ogden'' which destroyed the monopoly ...

, later Governor of New Jersey, and her granduncle was Justice

Abner Nash Ogden Abner Nash Ogden (September 19, 1809 – August 11, 1875) was a justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court from May 4, 1853, to July, 1855. Born in Hillsborough, North Carolina, Ogden's father was judge Robert Ogden and his maternal grandfather was N ...

. She married

Carter Harrison IV Carter Henry Harrison IV (April 23, 1860 – December 25, 1953) was an American newspaper publisher and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who served a total of five terms as mayor of Chicago (1897–1905 and 1911–1915) b ...

on December 14, 1887. Their first child died in infancy in 1889; they had two surviving children, Carter Henry Harrison V, born June 28, 1891, and Edith Ogden Harrison II, born January 21, 1896. (Their son was the fifth of that name because his father was, formally, Carter Henry Harrison IV. He was known in his political career as "Junior" because his father, Carter Henry Harrison III, had preceded him in office and had been one of Chicago's most famous mayors. Confusion arises when "Junior" is erroneously referred to as "Carter Harrison II.") The couple celebrated the fiftieth wedding anniversary in 1937. In the first phase of her literary career, Edith O. Harrison concentrated on children's literature; later she wrote travel books and autobiographical works. Her early book '' Prince Silverwings'' was adapted by family acquaintance

L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', part of a series. In addition to the 14 ''Oz'' books, Baum penned 41 other novels ...

for a dramatization that never made it to the stage. (All Chicago theaters were closed after the Iroquois Theater fire on 30 December 1903 caused 570 fatalities.) In the process, influences from Harrison's book appear to have found their way into Baum's works. She did not abandon her theatrical ambitions: over a number of years Harrison and Baum tried to establish a children's theater in Chicago. They were still working on the project as late as 1915, but without success. Harrison's 1912 novel ''The Lady of the Snows'' was made into a film of the same title in 1915.

Works

* '' Prince Silverwings and other fairy tales'', illustrated by Lucy Fitch Perkins (

A. C. McClurg A. C. McClurg was a stationer, publisher, and book wholesaler for over 120 years in Chicago, Illinois. The business began in 1844 as Chicago's first stationery store and first retail bookstore', changing hands several times, often as the result of ...

, 1902) * ''The Star Fairies and other fairy tales'', illus. Perkins (1903) * ''The Moon Princess, a fairy tale'', illus. Perkins (1905) * ''The Flaming Sword and other legends of the earth and sky'', illus. Perkins (1908) * ''Ladder of Moonlight; Cotton Myth'', illus. Perkins (McClurg, 1909) – Biblical stories retold for children * ''The Mocking-bird; Sunrise and Sunset'', illus. Perkins (McClurg, 1909) – Biblical stories retold for children * ''Polar Star; Aurora Borealis'', illus. Perkins (McClurg, 1909) – Biblical stories retold for children * ''Princess Sayrane: a romance of the days of Prester John'', illus. Harold H. Betts (1910) * ''The Glittering Festival'', illus. Clara Powers Wilson (1911) * ''The Lady of the Snows'', illus.

J. Allen St. John James Allen St. John (October 1, 1872 – May 23, 1957) was an American author, artist and illustrator. He is especially remembered for his illustrations for the novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, although he illustrated works of many types. He ta ...

(1912) * ''The Enchanted House and other fairy stories '', illus.

Frederick Richardson Frederick Richardson (1862 – 15 January 1937) was an American illustrator of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, best remembered for his illustrations of works by L. Frank Baum. Life and career A native Chicagoan, Richardso ...

(1913) * ''Clemencia's Crisis'', illus. Fred J. Arting (1915) * ''Below the Equator: the story of a tour through the countries of South America'' (McClurg, 1918) * ''All the Way 'Round: the story of a fourteen months' trip around the world'' (1922) * ''Lands of the Sun: Impressions of a visit to tropical lands'' (McClurg, 1925) * ''Gray Moss'' (Chicago: Ralph Fletcher Seymour Publisher, 1929) * ''The Scarlet Riders'' (Seymour, 1930) * ''"Strange to Say": Recollections of persons and events in New Orleans and Chicago'' (Chicago: A. Kroch, 1949) Written by husband Carter H. Harrison * ''Stormy Years: the autobiography of Carter H. Harrison, five times mayor of Chicago'', illus. Edith Ogden Harrison (Bobbs-Merrill, 1935), * ''Growing up with Chicago'' (Seymour, 1944) – sequel to ''Stormy Years''

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Edith Ogden 20th-century American novelists American children's writers American fantasy writers American women novelists 1862 births 1955 deaths American women children's writers American women science fiction and fantasy writers 20th-century American women writers Harrison family (Virginia) First ladies and gentlemen of Chicago