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Emerson Hough (June 28, 1857 – April 30, 1923) was an American writer best known for writing
western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
stories and
historical novel Historical fiction is a literary genre in which a fictional plot takes place in the setting of particular real historical events. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to oth ...
s. His early works included ''Singing Mouse Stories'' and ''Story of the Cowboy''. He was well known for his 1902 historical novel '' The Mississippi Bubble''. Many of his works have been adapted into films and serial films.


Career

Hough was born in
Newton, Iowa Newton is the county seat of, and most populous city in, Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Located east of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, Newton is in Central Iowa. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the city population was 15,760 ...
on June 28, 1857. He was in Newton High School's first graduating class of three in 1875. He graduated from the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
with a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1880 and later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1882.Wylder, 18 His first article, "Far From The Madding Crowd," was published in ''
Forest and Stream ''Forest and Stream'' was a magazine featuring hunting, fishing, and other outdoor activities in the United States. The magazine was founded in August 1873 by Charles Hallock. When independent publication ceased, in 1930, it was the ninth oldes ...
'' in 1882. He moved to
White Oaks, New Mexico White Oaks is a ghost town in Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States. Located on the outskirts of the Lincoln National Forest, it became a boomtown in 1879 following the discovery of gold and coal in the nearby Jicarilla Mountains. History ...
, practiced law there, and wrote for the White Oaks newspaper ''Golden Era'' for a year and a half, returning to Iowa when his mother was ill. He later wrote ''Story of the Outlaw, A Study of the Western Desperado'', which included profiles of
Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...
and
Pat Garrett Patrick Floyd Jarvis Garrett (June 5, 1850February 29, 1908) was an American Old West lawman, bartender and U.S. Customs, customs agent known for killing Billy the Kid. He was the Sheriffs in the United States, sheriff of Lincoln County, New Me ...
. Hough moved to New Mexico after Garrett shot Billy the Kid, and he became a friend of Garrett. He wrote for various newspapers in Des Moines, Iowa, Sandusky, Ohio, Chicago, Illinois, St. Louis, Missouri, and Wichita, Kansas. In 1889 he got a position as western editor of ''Forest and Stream'', editing the "Chicago and the West" column. He was hired by
George Bird Grinnell George Bird Grinnell (September 20, 1849 – April 11, 1938) was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and writer. Originally specializing in zoology, he became a prominent early conservationist and student of Native American life. ...
, the owner of ''Field and Stream'', who founded the
Audubon Society The National Audubon Society (Audubon; ) is an American non-profit environmental organization dedicated to conservation of birds and their habitats. Located in the United States and incorporated in 1905, Audubon is one of the oldest of such orga ...
in 1886 which, along with Theodore Roosevelt's
Boone and Crockett Club The Boone and Crockett Club is an American nonprofit organization that advocates fair chase hunting in support of habitat conservation. The club is North America's oldest wildlife and habitat conservation organization, founded in the United S ...
, was a leader in the conservation movement. Hough was also a conservationist. One of his projects for ''Forest and Stream'' was to survey Yellowstone National Park in midwinter 1893, with a guide and 2 soldiers from the nearby fort of the same name. There were supposed to be more than 500 buffalo there, but their count barely reached 100. Due to Hough's report, eastern newspapers took up the cause against poaching, and in May 1894 the U.S. Congress passed a law making poaching of game in national parks a punishable offense. Later, he and other ''Saturday Evening Post'' writers wrote a letter for
Stephen Mather Stephen Tyng Mather (July 4, 1867 – January 22, 1930) was an American industrialist and conservation movement, conservationist who was the first Director of the National Park Service, director of the National Park Service. As president and ow ...
and George Horace Latimer to sign, advocating the creation of a national park system. The National Park Service was created in 1916. In addition, he was a co-founder of the
Izaak Walton League The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. is an American environmental organization founded in 1922 that promotes natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. The organization was founded in Chicago, Illinois, by a group of sportsmen who wi ...
, an organization of outdoorsmen, in 1922. He wrote the "Out-of-Doors" column for the ''
Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...
'' and these columns later appeared in book form. In 1902, Hough began his association with
Bobbs-Merrill Company The Bobbs-Merrill Company was an American book publisher active from 1850 until 1985, and located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Company history The Bobbs-Merrill Company began in 1850 October 3 when Samuel Merrill bought an Indianapolis bookstore ...
(then Bowen-Merrill), which published his first best-seller, '' The Mississippi Bubble''. Hough began a trilogy on America when he published ''54-40 or Fight'' in 1909, dedicated to Theodore Roosevelt. He dedicated the second volume, ''Purchase Price'', to U.S. Senator
Albert Beveridge Albert may refer to: Companies * Albert Computers, Inc., a computer manufacturer in the 1980s * Albert Czech Republic, a supermarket chain in the Czech Republic * Albert Heijn, a supermarket chain in the Netherlands * Albert Market, a street mar ...
of Indiana in 1910 and the third, ''John Rawn'', to Woodrow Wilson in 1912. He nevertheless campaigned for Theodore Roosevelt, candidate of the
Bull Moose Party The Progressive Party, popularly nicknamed the Bull Moose Party, was a Third party (U.S. politics), third party in the United States formed in 1912 by former president Theodore Roosevelt after he lost the 1912 Republican Party presidential prim ...
, in the 1912 presidential election. Reviewers noted the political nature of Hough's Western fiction. One reviewer wrote that ''John Rawn'' was "not a novel at all; it is an arraignment; it is propaganda" for progressive Republicans or the Democrats. It condemned protective tariffs and presented consistently negative portrait of money-driven characters. The review was positive, praising the novelist's portrait of his main character, but little else. Hough "makes his point, and hammers it hard. He leaves nothing for the reader to guess....He goes at it all with bludgeon and battle-ax....He has, as a fighter, a strong style. His book is well worth reading. But it is not art." Hough responded at length and with good humor, citing widely divergent views of the novel. He explained that a story of "blackguards and traitors" should not lead anyone to the conclusion that he believes such characters typify American society, rather that "imitation of blackguards and traitors is not a fit ambition for Americans." He took a public position during the election of 1916, adding his name to a letter sent on behalf of the Roosevelt Authors' League pledging support to Theodore Roosevelt because "the international crisis makes your re-election to the Presidency essential to the ultimate welfare of our country." It praised "the splendid fight you are making for Americanism" and had harsh words for the administration of Woodrow Wilson. His other notable works included ''Story of the Cowboy'', "which received a high recommendation from President Theodore Roosevelt," ''Way of the West'', ''Singing Mouse Stories'', and ''The Passing of the Frontier''. Among his historical novels, ''The Magnificent Adventure'' in 1916 was set at the time of the Louisiana Purchase and the Lewis and Clark Expedition and told, said one reviewer, "a good stirring tale." In 1889 Hough wrote ''Madre D'Oro'', a four-act spectacular drama about the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. With
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 ...
, author of ''
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' is a 1900 children's novel written by author L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow. It is the first novel in the Oz series of books. A Kansas farm girl named Dorothy ends up in the ma ...
'', he created two play treatments: ''The Maid of Athens: A College Phantasy'' and ''The King of Gee-Whiz''. Neither was ever completed or staged. He also wrote autobiographical works, such as "Getting a Wrong Start", published anonymously as a serial in the ''
Saturday Evening Post ''The Saturday Evening Post'' is an American magazine published six times a year. It was published weekly from 1897 until 1963, and then every other week until 1969. From the 1920s to the 1960s, it was one of the most widely circulated and influ ...
'' in 1913. It appeared in book form two years later. He then wrote "Emerson Hough Himself-by Himself" for the ''Post'' in 1917. Hough wrote the official account of the activities of the
American Protective League The American Protective League (1917–1919) was an organization of private citizens sponsored by the United States Department of Justice that worked with federal law enforcement agencies during the World War I era. Its mission was to identify sus ...
(APL), a voluntary organization that attempted to enforce patriotism and stifle dissent during
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. Called ''The Web: A Revelation of Patriotism'', it told the history of that controversial organization in glowing terms and called for a program of "selective immigration, deportation of un-Americans, and denaturalization of 'disloyal' citizens and anarchists." It said: "We must purify the source of America's population and keep it pure." When the APL organized teams of vigilantes to enforce the military draft, Hough described the places the organization was most needed: "We find that the great states of each coast are practically foreignNew York most of all." During the war he wrote a pamphlet for a similar organization, the
American Defense Society The American Defense Society (ADS) was a nationalism, nationalist American political group founded in 1915. The ADS was formed to advocate for American intervention in World War I against the German Empire. The group later stood in opposition to ...
, called ''The Indefinite American Attitude Toward the War and When Shall It End''.


Personal life

He married Charlotte Chesebro of
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 ...
in 1897 and made that city his home. During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he served as a captain with the Intelligence Service.''New York Times''
"Emerson Hough Dies; Author-Explorer," May 1, 1923
accessed March 24, 2010
He died in
Evanston, Illinois Evanston is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, situated on the North Shore (Chicago), North Shore along Lake Michigan. A suburb of Chicago, Evanston is north of Chicago Loop, downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skok ...
, on April 30, 1923, a week after seeing the Chicago premiere of the movie ''
The Covered Wagon ''The Covered Wagon'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Epic film, epic Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a 1922 novel of the same name by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers tr ...
'', based on his 1922 book. ''Covered Wagon'' was his biggest best-selling novel since ''Mississippi Bubble'' in 1902. ''North of 36'', another Hough novel, later became a popular silent film as well, "making him one of the first Western authors to enter into the motion picture industry." He is buried in
Galesburg, Illinois Galesburg is a city in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The city is northwest of Peoria, Illinois, Peoria. At the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, its population was 32,195. It is the county seat of Knox County and the principal cit ...
. Asked in 1918 to provide some details of his own life, he replied in the context of World War I: "This is no time for autobiography of men of letters. This is the day of biography for men who have been privileged to act in the great scenes of today. It is the time for boys of 23. At least we can bless them and back them the best we know. I will not tell about myself. It is of no consequence." Hough died in Evanston on April 30, 1923.


Later recognition

Hough's hometown,
Newton, Iowa Newton is the county seat of, and most populous city in, Jasper County, Iowa, United States. Located east of Des Moines, Iowa, Des Moines, Newton is in Central Iowa. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the city population was 15,760 ...
, has honored him in several ways. A school named for him opened in 1926.
Emerson Hough Elementary School Emerson Hough Elementary School is a historic complex located in Newton, Iowa, United States. It was the first school in the state to employ the Platoon system of education with where students spent half of their day studying fundamental subject ...
was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 2002. His boyhood home bears a marker provided by the
Daughters of the American Revolution The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (often abbreviated as DAR or NSDAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a patriot of the American Revolutionary War. A non-p ...
. The school grounds include a playground with a western theme called Fort Emerson Hough. The local chapter of the
Izaak Walton League The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc. is an American environmental organization founded in 1922 that promotes natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. The organization was founded in Chicago, Illinois, by a group of sportsmen who wi ...
also bears his name, as does a street, Emerson Hough Avenue, in
Lambs Grove, Iowa Lambs Grove is a city in Jasper County, Iowa, United States. The population was 174 as of the 2020 Census, down from 225 recorded in 2000. Geography Lambs Grove is located at (41.701199, -93.078282). According to the United States Census Bu ...
, a suburb of Newton. In March 2010, the school board voted to close Emerson Hough Elementary School.WHOtv.com
School Closing," March 23, 2010
, accessed July 5, 2010
Efforts to prevent its closure included a fund raising and a Facebook page. Although the building was closed to students, it was still in use serving as the school's administration complex, the alternative high school Basics and Beyond, the AEA and the Newton preschool program. Before the start of the 2016 - 2017 school year, board members reconfigured the district's buildings to allow for four K-4 elementary schools and a 5-8 middle school. The move included reopening Emerson Hough Elementary School as a school.


Works

*Singing Mouse Stories, 1895 *Story of the Cowboy, 1897 *Girl at the Halfway House, 1900 * The Mississippi Bubble, 1902 *Way to the West, 1903 *Law of the Land, 1904 *Heart's Desire, 1905 *King of Gee-Whiz, 1906 *Story of the Outlaw, 1906 *The Way of a Man, 1907 *
54-40 or Fight The Oregon boundary dispute or the Oregon Question was a 19th-century territorial dispute over the political division of the Pacific Northwest of North America between several nations that had competing territorial and commercial aspirations in ...
, 1909 *The Sowing, 1909 *Young Alaskans, 1910 *The Purchase Price, 1910 *John Rawn, 1912 *Lady and the Pirate, 1913 *Out of Doors, 1913 *Young Alaskans in the Rockies, 1913 *Young Alaskans on the Trail, 1914 *Getting a Wrong Start (Autobiography), 1915 *The Man Next Door, 1916 *Magnificent Adventure, 1916 *Let Us Go Afield, 1916 *The Broken Gate, 1917 *The Way Out, 1918 *Passing of the Frontier, 1918 *Young Alaskans in the Far North, 1918 *The Web, 1919 *The Sagebrusher, 1919 *Maw's Vacation 1921 *An Appreciation of Yellowstone National Park, 1922 *The Covered Wagon, 1922 *Young Alaskans on the Missouri, 1922 *North of 36, 1923 *Mother of Gold, 1924 * The Ship of Souls, 1925


Filmography

*''
The Broken Coin ''The Broken Coin'' is a 1915 American adventure- mystery film serial directed by Francis Ford. This serial is presumed to be lost. Cast * Grace Cunard - Kitty Gray * Francis Ford - Count Frederick * Eddie Polo - Roleau * Harry Schumm ...
'', directed by Francis Ford (1915, serial, based on a story by Emerson Hough) *', directed by Francis Ford (1915, based on a story by Emerson Hough) *''
The Sagebrusher ''The Sagebrusher'' is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Roy Stewart, Marguerite De La Motte and Noah Beery.Goble p.229 Plot Cast * Roy Stewart as Dr. Barnes * Marguerite De La Motte as Mary Warren ...
'', directed by
Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1883, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an England, English silent film Film director, director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 fi ...
(1920, based on the novel ''The Sagebrusher'') *''
The Broken Gate ''The Broken Gate'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Paul Scardon and starring Bessie Barriscale. It was distributed jointly by W. W. Hodkinson and Pathé Exchange. Plot Cast *Bessie Barriscale as Aurora Lane *Joseph Kilgour a ...
'', directed by
Paul Scardon Paul Scardon (6 May 1874 – 17 January 1954) was an actor, a producer, and a director on both Australian and New York stages. When he was 15, Scardon debuted on stage as a contortionist in vaudeville. He progressed from that to pantomime and t ...
(1920, based on the novel ''The Broken Gate'') *''
The Covered Wagon ''The Covered Wagon'' is a 1923 American silent film, silent Epic film, epic Western film released by Paramount Pictures. The film was directed by James Cruze based on a 1922 novel of the same name by Emerson Hough about a group of pioneers tr ...
'', directed by
James Cruze James Cruze (born Jens Cruz Bosen;Sadoul, Georges (1972). Dictionary of Films'. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 53. . See also: * Parish, James Robert; Pitts, Michael R. (1974). Film Directors: A Guide to Their American Fi ...
(1923, based on the novel ''The Covered Wagon'') *'' The Man Next Door'', directed by
Victor Schertzinger Victor L. Schertzinger (April 8, 1888 – October 26, 1941) was an American composer, film director, film producer, and screenwriter. His films include ''Paramount on Parade'' (co-director, 1930 in film, 1930), ''Something to Sing About (1937 fi ...
(1923, based on the novel ''The Man Next Door'') *''
The Way of a Man ''The Way of a Man'' is a 1924 American silent Western film serial directed by George B. Seitz. Pathé Exchange also released it as a 9-reel film later in 1924. Both the serial and the film version are considered to be lost. Plot As describ ...
'', directed by
George B. Seitz George Brackett Seitz (January 3, 1888 – July 8, 1944) was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, such as '' The Perils of Pauline'' (1914) and ''The Exploits of ...
(1924, serial, based on a story by Emerson Hough) *''
North of 36 ''North of 36'' is a 1924 American silent Western film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film is based on the novel, ''North of 36'', by Emerson Hough. The film was directed by Irvin Willat and stars ...
'', directed by
Irvin Willat Irvin V. Willat (November 18, 1890 – April 17, 1976) was an American film director of the silent film, silent film era. A short biography reprinted from ''Blue Book of the Screen'' (1923). He directed 39 films between 1917 and 1937. Early i ...
(1924, based on the novel ''North of 36'') *'' The Ship of Souls'', directed by Charles Miller (1925, based on the novel '' The Ship of Souls'') *''
One Hour of Love ''One Hour of Love'' is a 1927 American silent romantic drama film directed by Robert Florey and starring Jacqueline Logan, Robert Frazer and Montagu Love. The film's sets were designed by the art director Edwin B. Willis. Cast * Jacqueline ...
'', directed by
Robert Florey Robert Florey (September 14, 1900 – May 16, 1979) was a French-American director, screenwriter, film journalist and actor. Florey directed more than 50 films, the best known likely being the Marx Brothers first feature ''The Cocoanuts'' (1929 ...
(1927, based on a story by Emerson Hough) *''
The Broken Gate ''The Broken Gate'' is a 1920 American silent drama film directed by Paul Scardon and starring Bessie Barriscale. It was distributed jointly by W. W. Hodkinson and Pathé Exchange. Plot Cast *Bessie Barriscale as Aurora Lane *Joseph Kilgour a ...
'', directed by James C. McKay (director) (1927, based on the novel ''The Broken Gate'') *''
The Conquering Horde ''The Conquering Horde'' is a 1931 American pre-Code Western directed by Edward Sloman and written by Emerson Hough, Grover Jones and William Slavens McNutt. The film stars Richard Arlen, Fay Wray, Claude Gillingwater, Ian Maclaren, Frank Rice ...
'', directed by
Edward Sloman Edward Sloman (19 July 1883, London - 29 September 1972, Woodland Hills, California) was an England, English silent film Film director, director, actor, screenwriter and radio broadcaster. He directed over 100 films and starred in over 30 fi ...
(1931, based on the novel ''North of 36'') *''
The Texans ''The Texans'' is a 1938 American Western film directed by James P. Hogan and starring Joan Bennett and Randolph Scott. The screenplay was written by Bertram Millhauser, Paul Sloane and William Wister Haines and is based on the novel ''Nort ...
'', directed by James P. Hogan (1938, based on the novel ''North of 36'')


Notes


Sources

* ''Emerson Hough'' by Delbert Wylder (1981)


External links


Emerson Hough Elementary School
located at Newton Iowa *
Papers of Emerson Hough held at the University of Wyoming

Emerson Hough papers
are held at the
University of Iowa The University of Iowa (U of I, UIowa, or Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized int ...
* Johnson, Carole M.
'Emerson Hough's American West'
, ''Books at Iowa'' 21 (November 1974)


Online editions

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hough, Emerson 1857 births 1923 deaths 19th-century American male writers 19th-century American novelists 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American novelists American male novelists Novelists from Iowa People from Lincoln County, New Mexico People from Newton, Iowa Pulp fiction writers University of Iowa alumni American Western (genre) novelists New Mexico Progressives (1912)