Harold William Felton (April 1, 1902 – July 12, 1991) was an American writer and folklorist, an author of many children's books and books of American

tall tale A tall tale is a story with unbelievable elements, related as if it were true and factual. Some tall tales are exaggerations of actual events, for example fish stories ("the fish that got away") such as, "That fish was so big, why I tell ya', it ...

s, among others.Harold W. Felton, Papers
, archive description at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (retrieved October 11, 2015) Harold Felton Born in

Neola, Iowa Neola is a city in Pottawattamie County, Iowa, United States. The population was 918 at the time of the 2020 census. History Neola got its start in the year 1869, following construction of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad through ...

. After one year at

Creighton University Creighton University () is a private research university in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. In 2015 the university enrolled 8,393 graduate ...

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

, Nebraska, he transferred to the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

to earn the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1928. After graduation, Felton practiced law in Omaha for 5 years and then worked at the

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting Taxation in the United States, U.S. federal taxes and administerin ...

until retirement (1933–1970). On 23 August 1933 he married Hildegard (Helen) Kessler. Later the Felton's moved to Manhattan, New York City.

Books

Bowleg Bill Bowleg Bill is an American fakelore folk hero, a Wyoming cowboy hand who went seafaring. Books * Jeremiah Digges, ''Bowleg Bill, The Sea-Going Cowboy'', Viking Press. NY. 1938. First edition , **Also printed as ''Bowleg Bill, the sea-going cowboy ...

; Seagoing Cowpuncher. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, 1957. *(With Edward S. Breck) Cowboy Jamboree: Western Songs and Lore. New York, Knopf, 1951. * Fire Fightin' Mose. New York, Knopf, 1955. **Big Mose, Hero Fireman, 1969 *

John Henry John Henry most commonly refers to: *John Henry (folklore) John Henry may also refer to: People Artists and entertainers * John Henry (actor) (1738–1794), Irish and early American actor *Seán Ó hEinirí (1915–1998), known in English as John ...

and His Hammer. New York, Knopf,

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

*(With Richard Bennett) Legends of

Paul Bunyan Paul Bunyan is a giant lumberjack and folk hero in American and Canadian folklore. His tall tales revolve around his superhuman labors, and he is customarily accompanied by Babe the Blue Ox, his pet and working animal. The character originate ...

. New York, A. A. Knopf, 1947. *Lemuel Haynes. Falls Village, CT, Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society, 1989. *Mike Fink, Best of the Keelboatmen. New York, Dodd, Mead,

960 Year 960 ( CMLX) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. It was the 960th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 960th year of the 1st millennium, the 60th year of the 10th century, and the firs ...

*True Tall Tales of Stormalong: Sailor of the Seven Seas,1968 *New Tall Tales of

Pecos Bill Pecos Bill ( ) is a fictional cowboy and folk hero in stories set during American westward expansion into the Southwest of Texas, New Mexico, Southern California, and Arizona. These narratives were invented as short stories in a book by Tex O ...

. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, Prentice-Hall,

958 Year 958 (Roman numerals, CMLVIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * October / November – Battle of Raban: The Byzantine Empire, Byzantines under John I Tzimiskes, Jo ...

*Pecos Bill, Texas Cowpuncher. New York, Knopf,

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

*Pecos Bill and the Mustang, 1965 *

Uriah Phillips Levy Uriah Phillips Levy (April 22, 1792 – March 22, 1862) was a naval officer, real estate investor, and philanthropist. He was a veteran of the War of 1812 and the first Jewish Commodore of the United States Navy.At the time, Commodore was the hig ...

. New York, Dodd, Mead,

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

*(With Ed Grant) The World's Most Truthful Man; Tales Told by Ed Grant in Maine. New York, Dodd, Mead,

1961 Events January * January 1 – Monetary reform in the Soviet Union, 1961, Monetary reform in the Soviet Union. * January 3 ** United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower announces that the United States has severed diplomatic and cons ...

Nancy Ward ''Nanyehi'' (Cherokee: ᎾᏅᏰᎯ), known in English as Nancy Ward (c.1738 – c.1823), was a Beloved Woman and political leader of the Cherokee. She advocated for peaceful coexistence with European Americans and, late in life, spoke out for ...

, Cherokee *Ely S. Parker, spokesman for the Senecas *Canaan: A small New England town during the American Revolutionary War *Gib Morgan, oil driller *James Weldon Johnson *Mumbet: The Story of Elizabeth Freeman *Deborah Sampson: Soldier of the Revolution *Jim Beckwourth, Negro mountain man *Sergeant O'Keefe and his mule Balaam *Edward Rose; Negro trail blazer *William Phips and the treasure Ship *A Horse Named Justin Morgan

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Felton, Harold 1902 births 1991 deaths American folklorists University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni 20th-century American writers 20th-century American male writers