Writer Zane Grey
Below - Pearl Zane Gray was born
in Zanesville,
Ohio in 1872 and went to the University of Pennsylvania Dental School
under
name Pearl Zane Grey. Zane played baseball of the varsity team.
Graduated
1896 and moved to New York City.
He opened a dental office on West
74th Street
and lived in a small room nearby. On his office shingle his first name
is shown only as a "P".
Zane had two brothers, R. C.
and Lewis.
He marries Lina Elise Roth on August 28, 1900. He borrowed $600
from
Lina to publish Betty Zane, his first complete novel. Now as Zane Grey
he wrote Spirit of the Border, The Last Trail, the Last of the
Plainsmen,
The Short Stop, The Heritage of the Desert and the Riders of the Purple
Sage, but had difficulties having them published.
Harper's began publishing his
books and
it was mostly downhill from then on. He becomes the first American
author
millionaire. In 1911 he fished at Long Key Fishing Camp, Florida. While
there he was writing his novel "The Light of the
Western Stars."
Long Key had ocean front accommodations for 75 guests in a
two-story
lodge shown below and 30 cottages shown in the second photo down.
Long Key was a converted Flagler railroad construction area
and had
a post office, general store and boat dock on the bayside.
Long Key suited Zane Grey. He arose
early and
wrote for several hours, then with local fishing guide, Bill Partea, he
fished in the Atlantic for 8 to 10 hours and returned to write and edit
before retiring at 10 or 11 in the evening. He misses only two
seasons
at Long Key between 1911 and 1926. He stayed in a cottage named
"Hammerhead."
The Long Key Fishing Club was
formed in
1916 with Zane Grey as its first president. He continued as its
president
through 1919. Below he is shown with a record billfish catch ot two
sailfish
and two marlin.
He formed his own motion picture
company
in 1919, Zane Grey Productions, but soon sold out to Jesse Lasky. Lasky
had a partner, Adolph Zukor, and they soon formed Paramount Pictures. A
total 46 full length movies and 31 short subjects were made from Zane
Grey
writings. 99 formal books were published, 196 magazine short stories
and
59 stories published in then popular serial form.
Big game fishing was always Zane
Grey's
preferred diversion.
The Long Key Fishing Camp after the 1935 Hurricane is shown
below.
Links:
|