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Zane Grey papers

 Collection
Identifier: Ax 462

Scope and Contents note

The collection contains four original hand-written manuscripts by western author Zane Grey. It also contains three published stories. The manuscripts are hand-written drafts for "Where Rolls the Rogue," "At the Mouth of the Klamath," "Down the Rogue," and "Deer Creek, Washington". The stories in the collection are particular to the Rogue River in Oregon. The published stories include "Tales of Freshwater Fishing," "Rogue River Feud," and "Shooting the Rogue," a story published in Country Gentleman.

Dates

  • 1923-1929

Creator

Conditions Governing Access note

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Conditions Governing Use note

Property rights reside with Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries. Copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their heirs. All requests for permission to publish collection materials must be submitted to Special Collections and University Archives. The reader must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Biographical/Historical note

Zane Grey was born Pearl Zane Grey on January 31, 1872 in Zanesville, Ohio to Lewis Grey and Alice Josephine (Zane) Grey. Growing up, he had the typical boyhood. He had a gang of friends, excelled in athletics, but was not interested in school work. Grey was a talented baseball player and was highly recruited by various colleges. Despite his dislike for academic life, he managed to earn a degree in dentistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1896.

From 1898 to 1904 he lived in New York City and had an unsuccessful dentistry practice. It was unsuccessful primarily due to his lack of interest. At this time, he wrote his first book Betty Zane about his Ohio ancestors, which was rejected by numerous publishers and finally published by Grey himself. In 1904 he moved to Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, where he met Lina Elise Roth. They were married in 1905. She was one of Grey's primary supporters of his efforts to become a professional writer.

In 1908, Grey accompanied Col. C.J. "Buffalo" Jones to the west. Grey was amazed by the stories of the colonel. As a result of the trip, he wrote The Last of the Plainsmen. From all the material he acquired during this trip, more novels were written. Grey was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed fishing and hunting, and that outdoor life is portrayed in many of his books. He often enjoyed hunting along the Rogue River in Oregon. When he was not adventuring in the outdoors, he was writing at his home in Atlanta, Georgia.

Grey became famous for his western novels and literature. In his lifetime, he wrote well over sixty books as well as numerous short stories. His literature helped to create the idea of the Western as a literary genre. An acclaimed and highly-successful novelist, Grey died on October 23, 1939.

Extent

0.5 linear feet (1 container)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

The collection contains four original hand-written manuscripts by western author Zane Grey. It also contains three published stories. The stories in the collection are particular to the Rogue River in Oregon.

Arrangement note

Collection is organized into the following series: Manuscripts; Published Works.

General Physical Description note

1 container

Processing Information

Collection processed by staff.

This finding aid may be updated periodically to account for new acquisitions to the collection and/or revisions in arrangement and description.

Title
Guide to the Zane Grey Papers
Status
Complete Description
Author
Finding aid prepared by Jenny Palm
Date
©2004
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Repository Details

Part of the University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives Repository

Contact:
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR 97403-1299 USA