Hannibal Hamlin Garland (September 14, 1860 – March 4, 1940) was an American novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer,

Georgist Georgism, in modern times also called Geoism, and known historically as the single tax movement, is an economic ideology holding that people should own the value that they produce themselves, while the economic rent derived from land—includ ...

, and psychical researcher. He is best known for his fiction involving hard-working

Midwestern The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

farmers.

Biography

Hannibal Hamlin Garland was born on a farm near West Salem, Wisconsin, on September 14, 1860, the second of four children of Richard Garland of

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

and Charlotte Isabelle McClintock. The boy was named after

Hannibal Hamlin Hannibal Hamlin (August 27, 1809 – July 4, 1891) was an American politician and diplomat who was the 15th vice president of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865, during President Abraham Lincoln's first term. He was the first Republi ...

, the vice-president under

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

. He lived on various Midwestern farms throughout his young life, but settled in

Boston, Massachusetts Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

, in 1884 to pursue a career in writing. He read diligently in the

Boston Public Library The Boston Public Library is a municipal public library system in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1848. The Boston Public Library is also Massachusetts' Library for the Commonwealth (formerly ''library of last recourse''), meaning all adult re ...

. There he became enamored with the ideas of

Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist, Social philosophy, social philosopher and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in 19th-century America and sparked several reform movements of ...

, and his Single Tax Movement. George's ideas came to influence a number of his works, such as '' Main-Travelled Roads'' (1891), ''Prairie Folks'' (1892), and his novel '' Jason Edwards'' (1892). ''Main-Travelled Roads'' was his first major success. It was a collection of short stories inspired by his days on the farm. He serialized a biography of

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

in ''

McClure's Magazine ''McClure's'' or ''McClure's Magazine'' (1893–1929) was an American illustrated monthly periodical popular at the turn of the 20th century. The magazine is credited with having started the tradition of muckraking journalism ( investigative, wat ...

'' before publishing it as a book in 1898. The same year, Garland traveled to the

Yukon Yukon () is a Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada, bordering British Columbia to the south, the Northwest Territories to the east, the Beaufort Sea to the north, and the U.S. state of Alaska to the west. It is Canada’s we ...

to witness the Klondike Gold Rush, which inspired ''The Trail of the Gold Seekers'' (1899). He lived on a farm between Osage, and St. Ansgar, Iowa for quite some time. Many of his writings are based on this era of his life. In 1893, Hamlin moved to Chicago, where he lived at 6427 South Greenwood Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood. He is considered "a significant figure in the Chicago Literary Movement" and "one of Chicago's most important authors". Moccasin Ranch Park, located near address, is named in his honor. In Illinois, Garland married Zulime Taft, the sister of sculptor

Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Part of the American Renaissance movement, his monumental pieces include, ''Fountain of Time'', ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'', and ''The ...

, and began working as a teacher and a lecturer. A prolific writer, Garland continued to publish novels, short fiction, and essays. In 1917, he published his autobiography, ''A Son of the Middle Border''. The book's success prompted a sequel, ''A Daughter of the Middle Border'', for which Garland won the 1922

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prizes () are 23 annual awards given by Columbia University in New York City for achievements in the United States in "journalism, arts and letters". They were established in 1917 by the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made his fo ...

for Biography. After two more volumes, Garland began a second series of memoirs based on his diary. Garland became quite well known during his lifetime and had many friends in literary circles. He was made a member of the

American Academy of Arts and Letters The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, Music of the United States, music, and Visual art of the United States, art. Its fixed number ...

in 1918. After moving to

Hollywood, California Hollywood, sometimes informally called Tinseltown, is a List of districts and neighborhoods in Los Angeles, neighborhood and district in the Central Los Angeles, central region of Los Angeles County, California, within the city of Los Angeles. ...

, in 1929, he devoted his remaining years to investigating psychic phenomena, an enthusiasm he first undertook in 1891. In his final book, ''The Mystery of the Buried Crosses'' (1939), he tried to defend such phenomena and prove the legitimacy of psychic mediums. A friend, Lee Shippey, columnist for the ''Los Angeles Times,'' recalled Garland's regular system of writing:

. . . he got up at half past five, brewed a pot of coffee and made toast on an electric gadget in his study and was at work by six. At nine o'clock he was through with work for the day. Then he breakfasted, read the morning paper and attended to his personal mail. . . . After luncheon he and Mrs. Garland would take a long drive . . . . Sometimes they would drop in on
Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...
,
Will Durant William James Durant (; November 5, 1885 – November 7, 1981) was an American historian and philosopher, best known for his eleven-volume work, '' The Story of Civilization'', which contains and details the history of Eastern and Western civil ...
,
Robert Benchley Robert Charles Benchley (September 15, 1889 – November 21, 1945) was an American humorist, newspaper columnist and actor. From his beginnings at ''The Harvard Lampoon'' while attending Harvard University, through his many years writing essays ...
or even on me, for their range of friends was very wide. . . . After dinner they would go to a show if an exceptionally good one were in town, otherwise one of their daughters would read aloud.

Garland died at age 79, at his home in Hollywood on March 4, 1940. A memorial service was held three days later near his home in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

. His ashes were buried in Neshonoc Cemetery in West Salem, Wisconsin, on March 14; his poem "The Cry of the Age" was read by Reverend John B. Fritz. The Hamlin Garland House in West Salem was designated as a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1971.

Works

*'' Main-Travelled Roads'' (1891) *'' Jason Edwards: An Average Man'' (1892) *'' A Member of the Third House'' (1892) *''A Little Norsk'' (1892) *''A Spoil of Office'' (1892) *''Prairie Folks'' (1893) *''Prairie Songs'' (1893) *'' Crumbling Idols'' (1894) *''Rose of Dutcher's Coolly'' (1895) *''Wayside Courtships'' (1897) *''The Spirit of Sweetwater'' (1898) *''Ulysses S. Grant: His Life and Character'' (1898) *''Boy Life on the Prairie'' (1899) *''The Trail of the Gold Seekers'' (1899) *''The Eagle's Heart'' (1900) *''Her Mountain Lover'' (1901) *''Delmar of Pima'' (1902) *''The Captain of the Gray-Horse Troop'' (1902) *''Hesper'' (1903) *''The Light of the Star'' (1904) *''The Tyranny of the Dark'' (1905) *''Witch's Gold'' (1906) *''The Long Trail'' (1907) *''Money Magic'' (1907) *''The Shadow World'' (1908) *''The Moccasin Ranch'' (1909) *''Cavanagh, Forest Ranger'' (1910) *''Other Main-Travelled Roads'' (1910) *''Victor Ollnee's Discipline'' (1911) *''The Forester's Daughter'' (1914) *''They of the High Trails'' (1916) *''A Pioneer Mother'' (1922) *''The Book of the American Indian'' (1923) *''The Westward March of American Settlement'' (1927) *''Prairie Song and Western Story'' (1928) *''Iowa, O Iowa'' (1935) *''Joys of the Trail'' (1935) *''Forty Years of Psychic Research'' (1936) *''The Mystery of the Buried Crosses'' (1939)

Middle Border series

* ''A Son of the Middle Border'' (1917) * ''A Daughter of the Middle Border'' (1921) (1922

Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography The Pulitzer Prize for Biography is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. The award honors "a distinguished and appropriately documented biography by an American author." Award winners receive ...

) * ''Trail-Makers of the Middle Border'' (1926) * ''Back-Trailers from the Middle Border'' (1928)

Memoirs

* ''Roadside Meetings'' (1930) * ''Companions on the Trail'' (1931) * ''My Friendly Contemporaries'' (1932) * ''Afternoon Neighbors'' (1934)

References

External links