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| Zane Grey holding a Kuala bear in Australia around 1939 |
The bookstores and libraries across the country line themselves with novels of the American, taking us back to a time when cattle roamed the free range. Cowboys were popular heroes, depicting the independent American way of life. Of course, the stories themselves are romantic depictions of the West, capturing imagination more then historical fact. Most readers don't care though, they make a great story, and what is America but a great story anyway?
This was understood by a man named Zane Grey, perhaps the most popular author of these novels. Born Pearl Grey of Zanesville, Ohio in 1872, Zane used much of his childhood as inspiration for his career. Not only did he take his hometown as his name, but he took memories from his childhood to use as a standard plot. In most of his books, the finale battle is a moral one, in which the bad guy is ruined because of inability to become good, and the good guy is the one who is willing to change his ways. Zane's father was both a farmer and a preacher, and his mother was a devout Quaker. The Spirit of the Border was a retelling of Grey family's journey to America.
What did not come from childhood came from his travels, mostly those from his trips out West. Zane loved adventure, and life out West was full of it. Zane got to know the members of Indian trips, how they lived, what they believed. He saw for himself the great landmarks of the Southwest states. His mind drew pictures of the open sky, cowboys, and broncos. Zane took those images, and formed his stories of romance, adventure, and a vibrant life.
There is something else very interesting about Zane Grey, something I didn't know until recently. For a short while - no one can say for sure how short - he lived right here in Findlay. It was most likely in 1904 or 1905. It was during this time that he left New York City and began his writing career. Perhaps Zane was looking for a more exciting life then the one he left as a practicing dentist. (Yes, the great Western adventurer started life as a dentist.) Perhaps he was seeking a career as a baseball player. Zane was reportedly playing for the Browns, a semi-professional baseball team here in Findlay. We don't really know. What we do now, or can at least speculate on, is that Zane Grey used his time in Findlay to formulate one of his first books - The Shortstop.
We may never know when or why Zane Grey came to Findlay, or it could be that reading this article, you know of someone who does. Perhaps you are that person. If so, I'd love to hear what you have to say. What we do know, is that of all the people who have played baseball in Findlay - Del Drake, Tot Presnell, Dummy Hoy, Grant Johnson - Zane Grey is the most mysterious, and the most articulate on paper.
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| Zane Grey holding a Kuala bear in Australia around 1939 |
