E. W. Howe
Encyclopedia
Edgar Watson Howe sometimes referred to as E. W. Howe, was an American
novel
ist and newspaper
and magazine
editor
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was perhaps best known for his magazine, E.W. Howe's Monthly. Howe was well traveled and known for his sharp wit in his editorial
s.
Howe was born in 1853 in Wabash County, Indiana
, in a community now known as Treaty. He is known to have begun his journalistic career as far back as March 22, 1873, when as a 19-year-old he came to Golden, Colorado
, from Platte City, Nebraska, and partnered with William F. Dorsey to acquire the Golden Eagle newspaper. Renaming it the Golden Globe, it was the second main newspaper of Golden
and served a Republican
readership and political bent. Howe, who took over complete ownership by the end of the year, quickly gained a sharp-witted editorial reputation in the community that would preview his national fame. Within a couple of years Howe sold the Globe to his brother A.J. Howe and partner William Grover Smith, and moved to Falls City, Nebraska
in 1875, where he established a new Globe newspaper, affectionately called the "Little Globe". In 1875 he merged this with the Nemaha Valley Journal and it became the Globe-Journal. In 1877 Howe established and edited the Atchison, Kansas
, newspaper Globe, which he continued for twenty-five years, retiring in 1911. Having been raised Methodist, he described himself as identifying with Methodism but is essentially a cultural Christian
, according to his writing. Howe's most famous novel is The Story of a Country Town
. A 1919 edition of his Ventures in Common Sense featured a foreword by celebrated American writer (and cynic) H.L. Mencken.
Howe died in 1937, at the age of 84, near Atchison.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
ist and newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
and magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was perhaps best known for his magazine, E.W. Howe's Monthly. Howe was well traveled and known for his sharp wit in his editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
s.
Howe was born in 1853 in Wabash County, Indiana
Wabash County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,960 people, 13,215 households, and 9,395 families residing in the county. The population density was 85 people per square mile . There were 14,034 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
, in a community now known as Treaty. He is known to have begun his journalistic career as far back as March 22, 1873, when as a 19-year-old he came to Golden, Colorado
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
, from Platte City, Nebraska, and partnered with William F. Dorsey to acquire the Golden Eagle newspaper. Renaming it the Golden Globe, it was the second main newspaper of Golden
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
and served a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
readership and political bent. Howe, who took over complete ownership by the end of the year, quickly gained a sharp-witted editorial reputation in the community that would preview his national fame. Within a couple of years Howe sold the Globe to his brother A.J. Howe and partner William Grover Smith, and moved to Falls City, Nebraska
Falls City, Nebraska
Falls City is a city in Richardson County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 4,671 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Richardson County.-Geography:Falls City is located at ....
in 1875, where he established a new Globe newspaper, affectionately called the "Little Globe". In 1875 he merged this with the Nemaha Valley Journal and it became the Globe-Journal. In 1877 Howe established and edited the Atchison, Kansas
Atchison, Kansas
Atchison is a city situated along the Missouri River in the eastern part of Atchison County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 11,021. It is the county seat and most populous city of Atchison County...
, newspaper Globe, which he continued for twenty-five years, retiring in 1911. Having been raised Methodist, he described himself as identifying with Methodism but is essentially a cultural Christian
Cultural Christian
A cultural Christian is a secular or irreligious individual who still significantly identifies with Christian culture. The term is used, for example, by atheist Richard Dawkins in reference to himself...
, according to his writing. Howe's most famous novel is The Story of a Country Town
The Story of a Country Town
The Story of A Country Town is a novel by E. W. Howe, published in 1883. It was an immediate success, going through many printings, and reviewed favorably by Mark Twain and William Dean Howells. The action of the novel was placed in Twin Mounds, a fictional city in the American Midwest....
. A 1919 edition of his Ventures in Common Sense featured a foreword by celebrated American writer (and cynic) H.L. Mencken.
Howe died in 1937, at the age of 84, near Atchison.
Works
- The Story of a Country Town (1883)
- The Mystery of the Locks (1885)
- The Moonlight Boy (1800)