Stewart Holbrook
Stewart Holbrook was an American author and journalist born in Vermont during the 1890s. He had a diverse early career, initially playing semiprofessional baseball and touring Canada with a theater troupe. After returning to New England, he spent time in lumber camps before serving in the army during World War I, where he earned two battle stars in France. Following his service, Holbrook worked as a logger in British Columbia before transitioning to journalism. He eventually became the associate and later the editor of the Lumber News in Portland, Oregon. In 1934, he embarked on a successful freelance writing career, contributing to The Oregonian and authoring over thirty books by 1964. His works, which included titles such as "Far Corner" and "The Old Post Road," focused on accessible historical topics that appealed to a broad audience, leading him to refer to his style as "low-brow histories." Holbrook's writings reflect his interests in American history and culture, particularly within the context of the Pacific Northwest.
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Stewart Holbrook
Journalist
- Born: August 22, 1893
- Birthplace: Newport, Vermont
- Died: September 3, 1964
Biography
The son of a businessman, Stewart Holbrook was born in Vermont in the 1890’s. He attended public schools in Colebrook, New Hampshire. After completing high school, he began a short-lived career as a semiprofessional baseball player in Winnipeg, Manitoba. From 1911 to 1914, he traveled with a troupe of actors touring Canada. Holbrook then returned to New England where he spent the next three years working in lumber camps.
In 1917, Holbrook joined the army, earning two battle stars while stationed in France. After two years in the army, Holbrook traveled again to Canada, where he worked as a logger in British Columbia. In 1923, he became the associate editor of the Lumber News, based in Portland, Oregon. Three years later, he became the editor of the publication. In 1934, Holbrook left the Lumber News to pursue a career as a freelance writer.
He became a contributor to the newspaper The Oregonian and began publishing historical books, covering such topics as the American railroads, Wild Bill Hickok, and Ethan Allen. Between 1938 and 1964, Holbrook authored more than thirty books, including titles such as Far Corner: A Personal View of the Pacific Northwest, Machines of Plenty: Pioneering in American Agriculture, and The Old Post Road: The Story of the Boston Post Road. Holbrook covered subjects in his histories that were popular and of interest to the average reader, leading him to describe his work as “low-brow histories.”