John Fox Jr. (December 16, 1862 – July 8, 1919) was an American journalist, novelist, and short story writer.

Biography

Born in

Stony Point, Kentucky Stony Point is an unincorporated community in Bourbon County, Kentucky, in the United States. History Stony Point was a station on the Kentucky Central Railroad Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the ...

, to John William Fox Sr. and Minerva Worth Carr, Fox studied English at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

. He graduated in 1883 before becoming a reporter in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. After working for both ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' and the ''

New York Sun ''The New York Sun'' is an American online newspaper published in Manhattan; from 2002 to 2008 it was a daily newspaper distributed in New York City. It debuted on April 16, 2002, adopting the name, motto, and masthead of the earlier New York ...

'', he published a successful serialization of his first novel, ''A Mountain Europa'', in ''Century'' magazine in 1892. Two moderately successful short story collections followed, as well as his first conventional novel, ''The Kentuckians'' in

1898 Events January–March * January 1 – New York City annexes land from surrounding counties, creating the City of Greater New York as the world's second largest. The city is geographically divided into five boroughs: Manhattan, B ...

. Fox gained a following as a war correspondent, working for ''Harper's Weekly'' in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

during the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (cl ...

of 1898, where he served with the "

Rough Riders The Rough Riders was a nickname given to the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, one of three such regiments raised in 1898 for the Spanish–American War and the only one to see combat. The United States Army was small, understaffed, and di ...

." Six years later he traveled to Asia to report on the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

for ''

Scribner's Charles Scribner's Sons, or simply Scribner's or Scribner, is an American publisher based in New York City, known for publishing American authors including Henry James, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Kurt Vonnegut, Marjorie Kinnan ...

'' magazine. Though he occasionally wrote for periodicals, after 1904, Fox dedicated much of his attention to fiction. '' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (published in

1903 Events January * January 1 – Edward VII is proclaimed Emperor of India. * January 19 – The first west–east transatlantic radio broadcast is made from the United States to England (the first east–west broadcast having been ...

) and '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (published in

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 4 ...

) are arguably his most well known and successful works, entering the ''New York Times'' top ten list of bestselling novels for 1903, 1904, 1908, and 1909 respectively. In ''The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'', the character Devil Judd Tolliver was based on the real life of "Devil John" Wesley Wright, the sheriff of Wise County, Virginia. Many of his works reflected the naturalist style, his childhood in Kentucky's Bluegrass region, and his life among the coal miners of

Big Stone Gap, Virginia Big Stone Gap is a town in Wise County, Virginia, United States. The town was economically centered around the coal industry for much of its early development. The population was 5,643 at the 2010 census. History The community was formerly kno ...

. Many of his novels were historical romances or period dramas set in that region. John Fox Jr. died in

1919 Events January * January 1 ** The Czechoslovak Legions occupy much of the self-proclaimed "free city" of Pressburg (now Bratislava), enforcing its incorporation into the new republic of Czechoslovakia. ** HMY ''Iolaire'' sinks off the ...

of pneumonia in

, and was buried in the family plot in

Paris, Kentucky Paris is a home rule-class city in Bourbon County, Kentucky. It lies northeast of Lexington on the Stoner Fork of the Licking River. Paris is the seat of its county and forms part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. As ...

. His marriage to Austrian opera singer

Fritzi Scheff Fritzi Scheff (born Friederike Scheff; August 30, 1879 – April 8, 1954) was an American actress and singer. Biography Born Friederike Scheff in Vienna to Dr. Gottfried Scheff and Anna Yeager, she studied at the Hoch Conservatory in Frank ...

in 1908 lasted just over four years. He had no children. The John Fox Jr. House in Big Stone Gap was turned into a museum after the death of John's sister in 1970.John Fox Jr. Museum
. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1974.

Bibliography

* ''A Cumberland Vendetta and Other Stories'' (1895) * ''Hell-fer-Sartain and Other Stories'' (1897) * ''The Kentuckians'' (1898) * ''A Mountain Europa'' (serialized 1892, published 1899) * ''Crittenden: A Kentucky Story of Love and War'' (1900) * ''Blue-grass and Rhododendron: Outdoors in Old Kentucky'' (1901) * '' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'' (1903) * ''Christmas Eve on Lonesome and Other Stories'' (1904) * ''Following the Sun Flag: A Vain Pursuit Through Manchuria'' (1905) * ''A Knight of the Cumberland'' (1906) * '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'' (1908) * ''The Heart of the Hills'' (1913) * ''In Happy Valley'' (1917) * ''Erskine Dale'' (1920) * ''A Purple Rhododendron and Other Stories'' (1967)

Filmography

*'' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'', directed by

Cecil B. DeMille Cecil Blount DeMille (; August 12, 1881January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cin ...

(1916, based on the novel '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'') *''

Heart o' the Hills ''Heart o' the Hills'' is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by Joseph De Grasse and Sidney Franklin, written by Bernard McConville based on John Fox, Jr.'s novel of the same name. Plot Jason Honeycutt ( Harold Goodwin) is a young b ...

'', directed by

Joseph De Grasse Joseph Louis De Grasse (May 4, 1873 – May 25, 1940) was a Canadian film director. Born in Bathurst, New Brunswick, he was the elder brother of actor Sam De Grasse. Biography Joseph De Grasse had studied and was a first-class graduate of acc ...

and Sidney Franklin (1919, based on the novel ''The Heart of the Hills'') *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'', directed by

Wallace Worsley Wallace A. Worsley, Sr. (December 8, 1878 – March 26, 1944) was an American stage actor who became a film director in the silent era. During his career, Worsley directed 29 films and acted in 7 films. He directed several motion pictures sta ...

(1920, based on the novel ''The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'') *''

A Cumberland Romance ''A Cumberland Romance'' is a 1920 American silent drama film written and directed by Charles Maigne and starring Mary Miles Minter and Monte Blue, based on the 1899 novel ''A Mountain Europa'' by John Fox Jr. It is one of approximately a doz ...

'', directed by

Charles Maigne Charles Maigne (November 11, 1879 – November 28, 1929) was an American screenwriter and film director of the silent era. He wrote for 32 films between 1916 and 1928. He also directed 18 films between 1918 and 1923. He was born in Richmond ...

(1920, based on the novel ''A Mountain Europa'') *''

The Kentuckians ''The Kentuckians'' is a lost 1921 American silent drama film directed by Charles Maigne and written by Frank Tuttle based upon the novel of the same name by John Fox, Jr. The film stars Monte Blue, Wilfred Lytell, Diana Allen, Francis Joyne ...

'', directed by

(1921, based on the novel ''The Kentuckians'') *'' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'', directed by

(1923, based on the novel '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'') *''The Hill Billy'', directed by George Hill (1924, based on a story by John Fox Jr.) *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'', directed by

Alfred Santell Alfred Allen Santell (1895–1981), was an American film director and film producer. Santell directed over 60 films, beginning in 1917, most of which were two-reel comedy short subjects for Hal Roach and other productions companies. Taking up f ...

(1928, based on the novel ''The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'') *'' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'', directed by

Henry Hathaway Henry Hathaway (March 13, 1898 – February 11, 1985) was an American film director and producer. He is best known as a director of Westerns, especially starring Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He directed Gary Cooper in seven films. Backgro ...

(1936, based on the novel '' The Trail of the Lonesome Pine'') *'' The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'', directed by

Andrew V. McLaglen Andrew Victor McLaglen (July 28, 1920 – August 30, 2014) was a British-born American film and television director, known for Westerns and adventure films, often starring John Wayne or James Stewart. According to one obituary "His career ...

(1961, based on the novel ''The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come'')

References

External links

* * *
Guide to the John Fox Jr., Duncan tavern papers, 1883-1919
housed at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, John Jr. 1862 births 1919 deaths 19th-century American novelists American male journalists Harvard University alumni People from Bourbon County, Kentucky Novelists from Kentucky War correspondents of the Russo-Japanese War American war correspondents Deaths from pneumonia in Virginia People from Big Stone Gap, Virginia 20th-century American novelists American male novelists American male short story writers 19th-century American short story writers 19th-century American male writers Infectious disease deaths in Virginia 20th-century American short story writers Journalists from Virginia Novelists from Virginia 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers Members of the American Academy of Arts and Letters