Alvin Fay Harlow (March 10, 1875 – November 17, 1963) was an American writer and biographer. A historian, Harlow's writing focused often on America infrastructure, including transportation and communication, and New York history. He was also biographer, serving as official biographer of

Eddie Foy Sr. Edwin Fitzgerald (March 9, 1856 – February 16, 1928Cullen, Frank; Hackman, Florence; and McNeilly, Donald. ''Vaudeville, Old and New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America''. Routledge Press, September 2006, . pp. 406–410), k ...

and

Jefferson De Angelis Thomas Jefferson De Angelis (November 30, 1859 – March 20, 1933), born in San Francisco was an American century stage actor who specialized in comedy and acrobatic clowning and who achieved fame in vaudeville and on Broadway. He was also a ...

. He also wrote hundreds of entries for the ''

Dictionary of American Biography The ''Dictionary of American Biography'' was published in New York City by Charles Scribner's Sons under the auspices of the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS). History The dictionary was first proposed to the Council in 1920 by h ...

'' and ''Dictionary of American History''. His style was described as "homespun" and "factual."

Early life and education

Alvin Fay Harlow was born in

Sedalia, Missouri Sedalia is a city located approximately south of the Missouri River and, as the county seat of Pettis County, Missouri, United States, it is the principal city of the Sedalia Micropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had ...

on March 10, 1875. Harlow's father was an express messenger for the

Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railway was a Class I railroad company in the United States, with its last headquarters in Dallas, Texas. Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railway, Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive ra ...

. As a child, Harlow was interested in the history of the American West, including the

James–Younger Gang The James–Younger Gang was a notable 19th-century gang of United States, American outlaws that revolved around Jesse James and his brother Frank James. The gang was based in the state of Missouri, the home of most of the members. Membership f ...

. As a little boy, his family moved to Kentucky, living in Covington. The family moved to

North Vernon, Indiana North Vernon is a city in Jennings County, Indiana, United States. The population was 6,608 as of the 2020 census. History North Vernon was originally called Tripton, sometimes referred to as “The Gem of the Midwest” and under the latter na ...

when Harlow was 12. He attended Franklin College, graduating in 1899.

Career and life

After college, he worked at an engraving company in Indianapolis. In 1908, he became secretary-treasurer of the Grand View Coal & Timber Company. During his time with the Company, he worked in Appalachia, where he created educational films about Appalachian people. He started working in advertising and journalism in 1913. He wrote business news articles and advertising copy for magazines. Harlow shifted his writing to focus on history, documenting detailed, specialized books about various facets of American culture. In 1926, he published his first book ''Old Towpaths''. The book explored the history of canals in the United States. His second book, ''Old Waybills: The Romance of the Express Companies'', was published in 1934 and studied express companies – reflecting on his father's career. He also wrote books about the history of postal carrier bags, the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. "B ...

stamp collecting Stamp collecting is the collecting of postage stamps and related objects. It is an area of philately, which is the study (or combined study and collection) of stamps. It has been one of the world's most popular hobbies since the late nineteenth ...

, and a children's book about the use of the

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. He also wrote biographies, including being the official biographer of

and

. He also wrote biographies about

Joel Chandler Harris Joel Chandler Harris (December 9, 1848 – July 3, 1908) was an American journalist, fiction writer, and folklorist best known for his collection of Uncle Remus stories. Born in Eatonton, Georgia, where he served as an apprentice on a planta ...

Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...

and the

Ringling brothers The Ringling brothers (originally Rüngling) were seven American siblings who transformed their small touring company of performers into one of the largest circuses in the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Four brothers ...

. Harlow also wrote over 300 articles for the ''Dictionary of American History'' and over 100 articles for the ''Dictionary of American Biography''. Harlow married Dora Shockley. The couple did research together, spending long days at the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

Later life and death

Harlow was awarded an honorary degree from Franklin College. He was an honorary member of the

New York Historical Society The New-York Historical Society is an American history museum and library in New York City, along Central Park West between 76th and 77th Streets, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The society was founded in 1804 as New York's first museum. ...

. He was a professional member of the

Authors League of America The Authors Guild is America's oldest and largest professional organization for writers and provides advocacy on issues of free expression and copyright protection. Since its founding in 1912 as the Authors League of America, it has counted among ...

and the

Society of American Historians The Society of American Historians, founded in 1939, encourages and honors literary distinction in the writing of history and biography about American topics. The approximately 300 members include professional historians, independent scholars, jou ...

. He died at Riverdale Nursing Home in the Bronx on November 17, 1963. Harlow is buried at Chattanooga Memorial Park in

Chattanooga, Tennessee Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

Legacy

A decade worth of Harlow's manuscripts are held in the collection of the

University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa (TU) is a private research university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It has a historic affiliation with the Presbyterian Church and the campus architectural style is predominantly Collegiate Gothic. The school traces its origin to ...

's McFarlin Library.

Works by Alvin F. Harlow

*with Kennedy, Millard Fillmore. ''Schoolmaster of Yesterday: A Three-Generation Story, 1820-1919.'' New York: Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill Book Co., 1940. *''Brass-pounders: Young Telegraphers of the Civil War.'' Denver: Sage Books, 1962. * ''Old Bowery Days: The Chronicles of a Famous Street.'' New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1931.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harlow, Alvin F. 1875 births 1963 deaths People from Sedalia, Missouri People from the Bronx 20th-century American biographers 20th-century American historians American male non-fiction writers Franklin College (Indiana) alumni People from North Vernon, Indiana Historians from Indiana Historians from New York (state) 20th-century American male writers