Charles Finger
Charles Joseph Finger was an English-American author born on December 25, 1867, in Middlesex, England. He had a diverse and adventurous life, marked by an early interest in exploration and literature, which led him to study at King's College in London and later to travel extensively in South America. After his family immigrated to the United States in 1887, Finger worked in various capacities, including as a sheep herder and a guide for ornithological expeditions.
In the U.S., he established the San Angelo Music Conservatory and contributed articles to regional newspapers while also pursuing writing. Finger authored children's adventure novels inspired by his experiences and the stories of the local people he encountered. His literary contributions were recognized by prestigious awards, including the Newbery Medal for *Tales from Silver Lands* in 1925. He lived in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he focused on writing until his death on January 7, 1941. Finger's works and achievements reflect a rich blend of his adventurous spirit and commitment to storytelling, making him a notable figure in children's literature.
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Subject Terms
Charles Finger
Author
- Born: December 25, 1867
- Birthplace: St. George, Middlesex, England
- Died: January 7, 1941
- Place of death: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Biography
According to British birth and census records, Charles Joseph Finger was born on December 25, 1867, at Hanover Square, St George, in Middlesex, England, to Charles Finger and Julia Connolly Finger. As a boy, he read adventure books and dreamed of traveling to exotic places. Finger studied at private schools and then at King’s College in London and took music classes at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 1887, Finger’s parents immigrated to the United States. He stayed in England to work, allying with the Fabian Society and embracing socialism.
Finger became a crew member of a ship bound for Valparaiso, Chile, in 1890. En route, he decided to leave the ship at Punta Arenas near the Straits of Magellan. For the next five years, Finger stayed in southern South America, earning money by herding sheep and other employment in addition to seeking gold and hiking the AndesMountains. By 1893, he secured a position as a guide with the Franco-Russian Ornithological Expedition when it explored Tierra del Fuego.
In 1896, Finger visited his parents, who had settled in New York. Restless, he booked passage on a steamer headed to Galveston, Texas. Moving inland to western Texas, Finger lived at San Angelo. He received United States citizenship, and by 1898, he had opened the San Angelo Music Conservatory. He contributed articles to the San Angelo Standard, the Houston Labor Journal, and periodicals.
On June 7, 1902, Finger married Eleanor B. Ferguson, whose father owned a sheep ranch; they later had two daughters and three sons. By 1904, Finger accepted a position with the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad Company at Alamagordo, New Mexico. He moved to Ripley, Ohio, in 1905, to work as the auditor for the Ohio River and Columbus Railway Company. He later became general manager of the Ohio Southeastern Railroad in Columbus.
Finger wrote short stories in his free time, publishing several in 1919 in Reedy’s Magazine, which Finger briefly edited for its owner, William Reedy. By 1920, Finger lived at Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he seriously pursued a writing career at his home, Gayeta Lodge. He developed a periodical, All’s Well: Or, The Mirror Repolished, to showcase literary writing, which was published from 1920 to 1935. Finger also wrote adventure novels for children based on his experiences in South America and the southwestern United States, sharing stories from natives and other people he had encountered. In addition, he created twenty-nine Little Blue Books, a series featuring popular subjects, and wrote for magazines. Finger suffered from influenza and had a heart attack, dying on January 7, 1941, at Gayeta Lodge.
Finger gained acclaim for the writing inspired by his adventurous life. In 1925, the American Library Association presented its Newbery Medal to Tales from Silver Lands. His Courageous Companions received the Longmans Juvenile Fiction Award in 1929. The New York Herald Tribune named Give a Man a Horse a Spring Book Festival Awards Honor Book. Finger also received honorary doctorates in 1931 from Knox College and in 1932 from the University of Arkansas.