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A John Fox Jr. Centenary
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This year marks the 100th anniversary of John Fox Jr’s The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. Here’s the plot summary from Wikipedia:Set in the Appalachian Mountains at the turn of the twentieth century, a feud has been boiling for over thirty years between two influential mountain families: the Tollivers and the Falins. The outside world and industrialization, however, is beginning to enter the area. Coal mining begins to exert its influence on the area, despite of the two families feuds. Entering the area, enterprising “furriner” (foreigner) John Hale captures the attention of the beautiful June Tolliver, and inadvertently becomes entangled in the region’s politics.
The novel sold one million copies. It was adapted for film 4 times between 1914 and 1936. The latter version, which starred Henry Fonda and Fred MacMurray, was the first outdoor movie filmed in technicolor. It was also made into a play that has been running since 1964 in the outdoor theater at Big Stone Gap, Virginia (which by pure coincidence is where Eugene Debs was imprisoned about the time John Fox, Jr. died there).Oops! My memory failed me there. Debs was imprisoned in Moundsville, West Virginia.But though Fox may have died in Virginia in 1919, he was born right here in Bourbon County, Kentucky in 1862. He is buried in the Paris Cemetery. To mark the centenary, Duncan Tavern, which houses the John Fox Jr. Library, will hold an open house today from 2 – 4. Visitors may tour the library (which houses Fox memorabilia), hear a short presentation about the author, and partake in refreshments.
As far as I can tell, the event is free and open to the public. That’s why it’s an Open House???
The illustration is from the first edition of the novel. Some of these original illustrations are housed at Duncan Tavern and will be included in the tour.
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Duncan Tavern, John Fox, Jr.
4 Responses to “A John Fox Jr. Centenary”
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We have two original novels from John Fox Jr. The little shepherd of kindom come copyright 1903. On the front page it is stamped Kentucky April, 1898.
The second is also an original titled The trail of the lonesome pine @ 1908. Are these books as rare as we think they are? Please write back ASAP! Thank you, The PAINTERS.
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Anybody have any advice for the Painters? I’m no good on valuing old books.
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I believe The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come was the first million-selling book in the US. Lonesome Pine was also wildly successful, and both remained in print for a long time.
If they’re signed, or first editions, or special in some other way, they might be rare; otherwise, they’re just interesting landmarks in the development of the Appalachian hillbilly mystique.
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@Rebecca, I remember at a certain age being very caught up in the romance of The Trail of the Lonesome Pine. It was only as I got older that I began to question the assumptions Fox makes.
Kids have no discernment. I also loved The Bobbsey Twins, which I am embarrassed to read now.
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