Emerson Hough
Emerson Hough was an influential American author born in 1857 in Newton, Iowa. He grew up in a family engaged in various professions, which instilled in him a love for reading, particularly for Western history. After graduating from the University of Iowa with a law degree, Hough found his passion lay in writing, initially contributing articles about the outdoors and hunting to magazines. He practiced law briefly in New Mexico but eventually shifted focus to journalism and writing. Hough's literary career flourished with the publication of notable works, including "The Covered Wagon" (1922), which celebrated the spirit of pioneer life and became a bestseller, later adapted into a film. He was a fervent conservationist, and his writings often promoted the preservation of the American wilderness. Hough's contributions were pivotal in shaping the Western genre in both literature and film, with his works reflecting the values and experiences of the American frontier. He passed away in 1923, leaving behind a legacy that integrated the traditions of the West into American culture.
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Emerson Hough
Writer
- Born: June 28, 1857
- Birthplace: Newton, Iowa
- Died: April 30, 1923
- Place of death: Evanston, Illinois
Biography
Emerson Hough was born to Joseph and Elizabeth Hough in Newton, Iowa, in 1857. His father worked at a variety of jobs, including schoolteacher, county clerk, county surveyor, and lumber merchant. Plagued by a variety of illnesses during his childhood, Emerson spent a great deal of time reading. He was particularly interested in the Historical Collections of the Great West (1851) written by Henry Howe. After graduating from high school in 1875, Hough attended the University of Iowa, where he played football, edited the college newspaper, and graduated with a law degree in 1880. As a diversion from law, Hough began writing short articles about the outdoors and hunting for some eastern magazines. He was admitted to the bar in Iowa in 1882, but moved to White Oaks, New Mexico, in June, 1883, to practice law with a friend, Eli H. Chandler.
Feeling that the practice of law was rather boring, Hough spent his spare time bear hunting and working as a reporter and editor for the weekly newspaper in White Oaks, The Golden Era. Between 1883 and 1884, he published a number of short articles in American Field Magazine about his travels and adventures in the Southwest. Hough returned to Iowa in February 1884 to work as the business manager of the Des Moines Times and to take care of his ill mother. After serving as the associate editor of the Register in Sandusky, Ohio, he moved to Chicago in 1889 to work for American Field Magazine. He traveled all over the Western United States to gather information and stories for his articles. In late 1889, he also became the western representative for Forest and Stream Magazine, a New York sporting journal. As a fervent conservationist, Hough used his writings to promote the preservation of the American wilderness.
After marrying Charlotte Cheesebro in 1897, Hough wrote his first book, a nonfiction account of the Western cowboy titled The Story of the Cowboy. Although his first novel, The Girl at the Halfway House (1900), was not a success, his next novel, The Mississippi Bubble (1902), was fourth on the best-seller list of 1902. Between 1902 and 1905, Hough wrote a series of humorous western stories for the Saturday Evening Post. Although writing novels, short stories, and magazine articles provided Hough a comfortable living, it was not until 1922 that he again wrote a novel of the caliber of The Mississippi Bubble. Concentrating on the patriotism and older, simpler values of the pioneers who migrated along the Oregon Trail in the 1840’s, The Covered Wagon (1922) was an immediate success. Although not cited for its literary merit, writing critics praised the book for Hough’s graphic portrayal of the pioneer advance into the West. The book was made into a movie in 1923.
A few months after completing his twenty-seventh novel, North of Thirty-Six, Hough passed away following surgery in Evanston, Illinois, in 1923. North of Thirty-Six (1923) was a compelling story of the cattle trail days of the 1870’s. With The Covered Wagon and North of Thirty-Six, Hough accomplished his major writing goal of integrating the tradition of the West into the fabric of American identity. His works were prominent in establishing the Western genre in literature and in the movies.