Harold Bell Wright
One of the most distinguished authors of the first half of the twentieth century was Harold Bell Wright. His books have sold millions of copies and one in particular, The Shepherd of the Hills, has had a profound effect on the Ozarks. His story of mountain folk and their relationships has inspired movies, theme parks, and a play that has been performed nightly during Branson summers for more than thirty years. His is a classic rags-to-riches story.
Harold was born on May 4, 1872 in Rome, New York. He and his three brothers were raised in poverty. Their father was an alcoholic carpenter who moved the family frequently in search of work. Their mother tried to instill a love of the arts in her boys by encouraging them to read, write, and paint. However, she died when Harold was eleven and this spelled the end of the Wright family. Two days after her death, Harold's father sent the boys to live with friends and family. Although he would reunite with his father on occasion, Harold spent most of the next few years with foster families. Most of these foster homes expected Harold to do the work of a full-grown man. At age eleven he became a farmhand. At other times he drove a delivery wagon, worked in a cheese factory, sold magazine subscriptions, and painted houses. By his middle teens Harold decided to head out on his own so he hopped a train out of town.
Harold eventually started his own business as a house and sign painter in Hiram, Ohio. While printing signs for a revival, he became curious about the church. He went to revival services where he listened to the message and became a Christian. This led him to want to become a preacher. So, Harold enrolled in the Disciples' Hiram College in an effort to overcome his lack of schooling. After some time in school, he became disillusioned with the education he was receiving and took a year off to travel. During this year he developed a severe case of pneumonia, the first of many serious illnesses that included malaria and tuberculosis.
Harold was unable to work during his recovery, so he decided to take a canoe trip to the Missouri Ozarks to visit relatives. While there, he was asked to fill in one Sunday for a preacher who had failed to show up. The sermon was so well received that Harold became the full-time preacher and subsequently moved on to several other churches. During his ministry Harold began to express himself in writing. His first works were religious essays that drew some attention. A financial backer offered to publish Harold's first novel, That Printer of Udell's in 1903. Although not a best seller, the book did well enough that Harold decided he could minister to a larger audience through writing than he could through preaching. So, Harold left his church in Kansas City and became a full-time writer.
Harold married Frances Long in 1899. After Harold left Kansas City, he and Frances returned to the Ozarks believing that the country life would be good for their health and provide inspiration for Harold's writing. They set up camp on a hillside near Mutton Hollow, on the western end of today's Branson, Missouri. Harold talked to the local folks, listened to their stories, and began writing. The result was The Shepherd of the Hills published in 1907. It became an enormous best seller. In fact, Harold Bell Wright was the first Amencan author to sell more than a million copies of a novel. The Shepherd of the Hills still sells more than 50,000 copies annually.
From 1903-1942 Harold published nineteen books, many scripts, and numerous magazine articles. At least fifteen of his stories have been made into movies. Harold was the best-selling author of his time and made millions of dollars in royalties. But his health continued to bother him so he moved to the southwest, hoping that the dry, warm climate would help. He also divorced and remarried in 1920, which disillusioned many of his readers. Sales of his works leveled off in the late 1920s and 1930s but Harold still made a good living from his writing and was able to enjoy living in Arizona and California.
Harold contracted pneumonia and died on May 24, 1944 in San Diego, California. His books continue to sell and inspire today.
Works Consulted
Photograph of Jim Lane's cabin courtesy of Lyons Memorial Library, College of the Ozarks.
Tagg, Lawrence V. Harold BellWright: Storyteller to America. Tucson, AZ: Westernlore Press, 1986.
Van Buskirk, Kathleen. "Shepherd of the Hills Country." In the Heart of Ozark Mountain Country: A Popular History of Stone and Taney Counties, including branson, Missouri. Reeds Spring, MO: White Oak Press, 1992. pp. 23-35.
