In this post I will offer an update about research relating to the author, Hulbert Footner. It should be of some use to Footner fans and those in Southern Maryland, particularly at the Calvert County Historical Society, where his works have been collected, and space dedicated to honour him. As well, those interested in the exploration of northwestern Canada during the early part of the last century, will find beneficial, a new book based on Footner's account of his travels on the "new rivers" in the area, in 1911.
What's New?
A few years ago, I published a book about Hulbert Footner, who wrote, New Rivers of the North: The Yarn About Two Amateur Explorers of the Headquarters of the Fraser, the Peace River, the Hay River, Alexandra Falls. He was also the author of many other works of non-fiction, but is best known for his detective novels. In my book, which is largely bibliographical, I gathered and annotated every reference I could find about Footner and his work. I will now add to those references, but will warn aficionados of his detective fiction, that most of what follows relates to Footner's travels in the Canadian north. To keep this short, I will resort to points and spare you my prose, of which there is always too much.
The title is: New Rivers of the North Revisited, by Hulbert Footner. It is pictured above, to the left of my book about Footner. The authors of it, both highly qualified, are David W. Leonard and Brock Silversides and it was produced with the assistance of a grant from the Alberta Ministry of Culture.
A Condensed Version
It is not a reprint of Footner's original New Rivers, all 340 pages which are freely accessible on the Internet Archive and elsewhere. The professionally produced Revisit consists of around 100 pp., the authors having decided to leave out some of the repetitive descriptive scenes.
Good Early Photos of the North and the Natives
A large number of photographs are included, some of which appeared in the original, and they have been restored by Mr. Silversides and new ones added. Most of them are found in the University of Alberta Archives, having been donated by Geoffrey Footner, the son of Hulbert (see.p.xxvi, in Revisted and p.33 in my HF.) The photographs are of special interest to those studying the Indigenous and the authors note that, "For posterity, the most important accomplishment of the journey of Hulbert Footner and Auville Eager in 1911 was the photographs they took" (p.xxv).
Helpful Background About the Canadian Northwest
The background information about the 1911 trip and several maps will be of interest to readers of the complete account and to those trying to sort out in which direction the 'new rivers' are flowing and where the explorers are heading.
Two brief essays offer observations from descendants of the original inhabitants: "A Cree Perspective," by Joanne Gontar and "A Métis Perspective," by Beverly Whalen.
Footner's Description of the Indigenous
New Rivers Revisited is also shorter because the new authors decided to leave out passages that portray the Indigenous in unflattering terms: "Footner's depiction of the Native people (both Aboriginal and Métis ) was far from accurate and, at times, excessively derogatory" (p.xxii). I disagree and think "excessively derogatory" is excessive. The issue of Footner's "racist" views in his outdoor novels has been raised before, and I also thought then that he was being unfairly judged by the standards existing in our more sensitive times (see pp. 51-54 in HF).
Any New Sources?
The new New Rivers of the North Revisited, is presented by two authors who have written books about the area and they offer some good suggestions about other works related to Alberta in the early 1900s.
I found no references about Footner, however, that are not included in my Hulbert Footner. Unfortunately the authors were unaware of my book, which would have saved them a lot of research time.
For Footner, they chiefly rely on the Wikipedia entry for him, unaware that most of the information in it was provided by Geoffrey Footner, Hulbert's son:
"For an account of Footner's life and writings see, the submissions to Wikipedia, to be taken, of course, with a grain of salt. There is apparently a lengthier biography being written by one Jerry Mulcahy, but as of this writing, it is not available." (n.1, p.XV).
Those interested in Footner and the remote areas of Alberta and British Columbia should read both this book and the original. Although I did not uncover any new sources about Footner, there is one quotation about Footner, of which I was unaware. It comes from the forward of the second printing of Footner's, Maryland, Main and the Eastern Shore. Written by Hamilton Owen, it proves, once again, that Footner is worth our consideration:
Bill Footner was a sensitive man, as conscious of ugliness as of beauty. When what he saw was unpleasing, he commented on it, and always with a special kind of tolerance. But often, when others saw only the commonplace, he found under the surface as it were, a kind of beauty -- the kind of beauty untrained men of simple honesty usually bestow upon their makings. The pretentiousness of those whose chief desire was to attract attention, he found more humorous than irritating....There was not much self-righteousness in this man (p.XV).
There Is More: New Rivers Previewed in the Journal - Alberta History.
To announce the publication of New Rivers of the North Revisited, Leonard produced an extract in the journal, Alberta History, pictured above to the right of my book. The article contains some of the maps and photos and the proper citation is as follows: "The Euro-American Discovery of the Hay River," by David W. Leonard, Alberta History, Spring 2024, Vol. 72, No.2, pp. 2-12.
Hulbert Footner, Author of Adventure Novels, Detective Novels and Historical Nonfiction: A Bibliographic Account of His Life and Workby Jerry Mulcahy
Amazon: Bolton, ON, 2021. 300 pp. $22.00
In 1912, the Outing Publishing Company of New York brought out New Rivers of the North: The Yarn of Two Amateur Explorers, by Hulbert Footner. This was a substantial book, richly illustrated with photographs, detailing an audacious canoe trip down the Peace River and almost to Great Slave Lake via the Hay River. Such adventure literature was popular with the reading public, now and then, producing classics of natural history such as those by Warburton Pike, David T. Hanbury, or Stewart Edward White. But just who was Hulbert Footner? Jerry Mulcahy retired Emeritus Librarian at the C.B. "Bud" Johnston Library, Western University, determined to find out. It was not his purpose to write a full biography, although the first third of his study provides a review of the main details of Footner's life and achievements. The remaining sections provide a thorough listing of his works, their various editions, and annotated commentaries on those works. As the author implies, his book is all spadework for anyone seeking to prepare a full biography. (51-74) His commentaries reveal the possibilities provided by the tools now available to researchers in our new age of the computer.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, William Hulbert Footner (1879-1944) was a prolific and well-published writer of fiction, drama, and non-fiction, with his books numbering over 70 titles. More than 150 stories and reviews appeared in at least 36 reputable magazines. Today, he has become a rather obscure figure, although new editions of his works have been appearing in recent years. The family had significant connections in Montreal but moved to New York City around 1889. Footner attended school and gradually involved himself in theatre and journalism. In 1901 his first fiction appeared in Argosy. Memories of Canada lingered, however. He became adept at canoeing in the harbours of New York City. Seeking adventure in 1902, he and a friend paddled up the Hudson River and headed into Canada. An account of the trip was published in Forest and Stream in 1903. The year 1906 found him north again in the new province of Alberta, testing out journalism with the Albertan and Bob Edwards of the Calgary Eye-Opener. (27-30) From Edmonton, he made a canoe trip to the Peace River country but no record of it has been found. By 1908. Footner had relocated from New York to Maryland, taking up residence on Solomon's Island at the mouth of the Patuxent River. Auville Eager, a local friend, became his travelling companion on the 1911 trip into the Peace River Country, the event behind New Rivers of the North. Well received, in 1922, Federal Surveyors found the book useful as a source of landscape information. In the High Level area, they named Footner Lake, and years later, a large surrounding tract was established as Footner Lake Forest. (32-34)
The author had already made use of the trip in other directions, for it inspired the first of his adventure novels, Two on the Trail (1911). His early engagements with journalism and the theatre had, meanwhile, been giving way to the writing of short stories brought out by leading publishers. Over fifty pieces appeared in American magazines by 1912. (109-113) Several historical adventure novels were inspired by the northern trips, such as Jack Chanty (1914) and The Fur Bringers (1916), set in the Lake Athabasca country. His mounting popularity is reflected in the pre-1929 years of silent movies, with several of his novels made into films, including Jack Chanty. (98-106)
Encouraged by an editor to try detective fiction, The Fugitive Sleuth appeared in 1916 in All-Story Weekly, republished as a novel in 1918. Set in New York City, this tale marked his shift to the American scene as a setting. President Woodrow Wilson became one of his many readers. As favored by many fiction publishers today, Footner developed a series approach. The first, based around Madame Rosika Storey, was introduced in 1922, with the last, The Casual Murderer, appearing in 1937. The heroine of this series did not remain in New York City but went on tour to Japan, China, and other places visited by Footner and his wife. A second series, centred around a more Sherlockian figure, Amos Lee Mappin, commenced in 1930 with The Mystery of the Folded Paper. That series concluded with the posthumous Orchids to Murder (1945). Mappin, as a personality, reflected what Mulcahy calls Footner's 'clubbable' side, as revealed by the author's regular sociable restaurant meetings in Baltimore with writers such as H.L. Mencken. (51, 66-67)
Going in search of Hulbert Footner, Mulcahy did not, as mentioned, set out to write a full biography. It was the character of the author as much as his achievements that fed his curiosity. In early 1911, a New York journalist asked Footner why he was going back to the Peace River country. Footner stated that he was not going to Alberta for a long time but 'for a good time' (243). In the pleasing sketch of his life provided, Mulcahy finds this to be an important key to his personality. Mulcahy gives us glimpses of not just a compulsive and successful writer, but of one who saw life as a dare and a gift to be enjoyed. These traits are well revealed in his fiction and the later non-fiction works which detail the rivers of Maryland and the history of his colonial home on Solomon's Island, Charles' Gift: Salute to a Maryland House of 1650. Mulcahy's study will be a fundamental reference for any prospective biographer of Footner or for anyone who wants to explore the works of this many-sided writer.
Graham A. MacDonald has worked as a teacher, librarian, historian for the Ontario Parks Branch and Parks Canada, and as a heritage consultant. His books include: Where the Mountains Meet the Prairies: A History of Waterton Country (2000) and The Beaver Hills Country: A History of Land and Life (2009). ---------------------------------------- Notes:
New Rivers of the North Revisited was launched at the Grand Prairie Museum in late September, 2024. Information about the launch is available on the Facebook Page of the Museum. There are some related articles, for example: "New Book to Showcase Unseen Photos of the Peace Region Before Large Number of Settlers Arrived," CTV News Edmonton, Sept. 20, 2024. "Local historian David W. Leonard is releasing a book that gives a glimpse of the Peace Country through many unpublished photos just before a large scale of settlers arrived in the area. New Rivers of the North Revisited includes excerpts from the original 1912 book New Rivers of the North by Hulbert Footner, who documented his journey through the region in 1911. “As a historian, I'm very interested in this period of time in the Peace River country, right when large-scale settlement was about to take place but hadn't yet occurred, and how the natives lived right on the eve of large-scale settlement, and no one had any idea that there'd be such widespread settlement over the next few years, and so capturing these people right on at that point in time was especially meaningful for me,” said Leonard. “The reason we wanted to reprint it is that we have discovered in the University of Alberta (U of A) archives the entirety of Footner’s photos that he took on his trip of 1911 throughout the Peace Country and up to all the way to Fort Vermillion, Hay River and Alexandra Falls,” said Leonard." The book is available for purchasing online and here is one description from a vendor:
The Author: Dr. David William Leonard (R.I.P.)
Other Footner-Related Posts in Mulcahy's Miscellany
"Kathleen "Kit" Coleman" July 5, 2023
(The famous Canadian journalist. It was announced that Footner was to marry her daughter, but it never happened.)
"Surely You Joust" July 11, 2023
(An account of the "Ring Tournaments" held in southern Maryland, drawn from Footner's, Maryland Main and the Eastern Shore.)
(Footner was very popular in Australia and New Zealand.)
"Canoeing on the Hudson" June 23, 2024
(The complete account of Footner's canoe trip up the Hudson to Canada, based on his article in Forest and Stream in 1903.)
"Armed Services Editions July 11, 2024
(One of Footner's books was included among the "Books For The Troops".)
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