Frances Auretta Fuller (Barritt) Victor (
pen names
A pen is a common writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Early pens such as reed pens, quill pens, dip pens and ruling pens held a small amount of ink on a nib or in a small void or cavity whi ...
: Florence Fane,
[ Dorothy D.) (May 23, 1826 – November 14, 1902)][ was an American historian and historical novelist. She has been described as "the first Oregon historian to gain regional and national attention." She was known for her books about the West and especially Oregon history.
]
Life
She was born as Frances Auretta Fuller in Rome, New York
Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the Central New York, central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Ro ...
, in 1826, and was the eldest of five sisters. She was a "close relative" of judge Reuben H. Walworth
Reuben Hyde Walworth (October 26, 1788 – November 27, 1867) was an American lawyer, jurist and politician. Although nominated three times to the United States Supreme Court by President John Tyler in 1844, the U.S. Senate never attempted a ...
. She and her sister Metta Victoria Fuller became widely known for their writing while growing up in Ohio and Pennsylvania.[Frances Auretta Fuller Victor]
''Encyclopædia Britannica''. 2009. ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Online. July 10, 2009.[Frances-Fuller Victor]
City of Portland Frances Fuller was educated in a ladies' seminary in Wooster, Ohio
Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at t ...
. The sisters both published stories and poems in the ''Home Journal
''Town & Country'', formerly the ''Home Journal'' and ''The National Press'', is a monthly American lifestyle magazine. It is the oldest continually published general interest magazine in the United States.
History
Early history
The magazine w ...
'', published by Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
& Willis. In 1848 the sisters moved together to New York City.
In 1851, Frances moved to St. Clair, Michigan
St. Clair is a city in St. Clair County in the eastern "Thumb" of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,485 at the 2010 census. The city is located on the St. Clair River near the southeast corner of St. Clair Township.
Geography
*A ...
north of Detroit to help care for her mother and younger sisters. She married Jackson Barritt in 1853, and she and her husband homesteaded near Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...
Territory. She left Barritt, however, returning to live with Metta in New York.[ There she published several of the first ]dime novel
The dime novel is a form of late 19th-century and early 20th-century U.S. popular fiction issued in series of inexpensive paperbound editions. The term ''dime novel'' has been used as a catchall term for several different but related forms, r ...
s with Beadle & Adams.
In 1862, she married Henry C. Victor, a naval engineer[ and brother of Metta's husband.][ The couple moved to San Francisco the year they were married and then to ]Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
in 1864. They settled in Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
.[
]
Following the move to Oregon, Fuller Victor's writing shifted from fiction and feature articles to book-length regional histories. Over the next 13 years, she compiled first-hand accounts of the history of Oregon
The history of Oregon, a U.S. state, may be considered in five eras: geologic history, inhabitation by native peoples, early exploration by Europeans (primarily fur traders), settlement by pioneers, and modern development.
The term "Oregon" ...
from territorial leaders such as Joseph Meek
Joseph Lafayette "Joe" Meek (February 9, 1810 – June 20, 1875) was a pioneer, mountain man, law enforcement official, and politician in the Oregon Country and later Oregon Territory of the United States. A trapper involved in the fur trad ...
, Oliver Applegate
Captain Oliver Cromwell Applegate (June 11, 1845 – October 11, 1938) was an American politician, newspaper editor, and Indian agent in the U.S. state of Oregon. A member of the Applegate family that helped open the Applegate Trail, he was raised ...
, and Matthew Deady
Matthew Paul Deady (May 12, 1824 – March 24, 1893) was a politician and jurist in the Oregon Territory and the state of Oregon of the United States. He served on the Oregon Supreme Court from 1853 to 1859, at which time he was appointed to the n ...
.[ Her diligent studies informed both her fiction and her historical writing, contributing to her success as a writer.][ Her fiction in this period was considered to accurately capture the spirit of western expansion and the notion of ]Manifest Destiny
Manifest destiny was a cultural belief in the 19th century in the United States, 19th-century United States that American settlers were destined to expand across North America.
There were three basic tenets to the concept:
* The special vir ...
.
She also continued to write about women's rights
Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...
. Among the publications she wrote for was Abigail Scott Duniway's ''The New Northwest
''The New Northwest'' was an American weekly newspaper published in Portland, Oregon from 1871 to 1887 by Abigail Scott Duniway, and for another two years by O. P. Mason. One of the first newspapers in the Western United States to champion the cau ...
''. She was a member of the Pacific Coast Women's Press Association
Pacific Coast Women's Press Association (PCWPA; September 27, 1890 - 1941) was a press organization for women located on the West Coast of the United States. Discussions were not permitted regarding politics, religion, or reform. The members of the ...
.
Henry C. Victor died on November 4, 1875 in the wreck of the steamship ''Pacific'' off Cape Flattery
Cape Flattery () is the northwesternmost point of the contiguous United States. It is in Clallam County, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, where the Strait of Juan de Fuca joins the Pacific Ocean. It is also part of the Makah Reservation, and ...
. In need of money, Fuller Victor moved back to San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
to accept a 10-year contract offered by historian Hubert Howe Bancroft
Hubert Howe Bancroft (May 5, 1832 – March 2, 1918) was an American historian and ethnologist who wrote, published and collected works concerning the western United States, Texas, California, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and British Columbi ...
.[* ] The terms of the contract required her to turn over to him her extensive collections and research. She contributed major portions of Bancroft's monumental work, ''The History of the West'',[ though Bancroft published her work under his own name.]
Fuller Victor returned to Oregon in 1886. She was commissioned by the Oregon Legislative Assembly
The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the Ho ...
to write a history of the Anglo-Indian wars, which was titled ''The Early Indian Wars of Oregon''.[ To cover her living expenses, she also sold face cream and other articles door-to-door.][ She was granted a pension in April 1902.
In regards to ]surnames
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name, ...
and personal identity
Personal identity is the unique numerical identity of a person over time. Discussions regarding personal identity typically aim to determine the necessary and sufficient conditions under which a person at one time and a person at another time can ...
, she has said, "What an awkward thing it is for literary women to be deprived of their own names! I furnished my biography to an encyclopedia the other day under the F for Fuller heading, believing that Fuller is my rightful name."
Legacy
Fuller Victor was buried at River View Cemetery in Portland. The initial grave marker was made of wood, and did not last long. In 1947, the Daughters of the American Revolution
The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) is a lineage-based membership service organization for women who are directly descended from a person involved in the United States' efforts towards independence.
A non-profit group, they promote ...
supplied a permanent grave marker. Fuller Victor's name was included among the names of significant Oregonians on the walls of the Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capitol, Salem. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 ...
, which was completed in 1938. In 1945 Crater Lake National Park
Crater Lake National Park is an American national park located in southern Oregon. Established in 1902, Crater Lake is the fifth-oldest national park in the United States and the only national park in Oregon. The park encompasses the caldera of ...
formalized the name of "Victor View," a viewpoint on the rim of the park, in her honor.
In many respects, her legacy continued to be overshadowed by that of historian Hubert Howe Bancroft, though her authorship was recognized by a number of authorities. Leslie M. Scott, who served as editor of the ''Oregon Historical Quarterly'' and later as treasurer of Oregon
The Oregon State Treasurer is a constitutional officer within the executive branch of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon, elected by statewide vote to serve a four-year term. As chief financial officer for the state, the office holder heads ...
, suggested in a 1924 address that the ''History of Oregon'' she wrote while employed by Bancroft might be "the most monumental work on Oregon history." She was included (along with several other women) in a list of "Noted Leaders of the Oregonian's First 100 Years" in 1950.
Fuller Victor's legacy was invoked in a speech by scholar Terrence O'Donnell at the inaugural Oregon Book Award
The Oregon Book Awards are presented annually by Literary Arts to honor the "state’s finest accomplishments by Oregon writers who work in genres of poetry, fiction, graphic literature, drama, literary nonfiction, and literature for young readers. ...
event in 1987, which also marked the beginning of the annual Frances Fuller Victor Award for Creative Nonfiction. In 2005, the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission selected ''The River of the West'' as one of the 100 books that best define the state and its people.
Beginning in 1951, Randall Mills began researching Fuller Victor's life and work. He enlisted the help of Hazel Emery Mills, his wife; the work became her lifelong passion following Randall's death shortly after the project began. With assistance and encouragement over the years from Thomas Vaughan of the Oregon Historical Society
The Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is an organization that encourages and promotes the study and understanding of the history of the Oregon Country, within the broader context of U.S. history. Incorporated in 1898, the Society collects, preser ...
, Constance Bordwell of the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...
, and (after Hazel Mills' death in 1999) Bordwell's assistants Priscilla Knuth and Bruce Taylor Hamilton, and Vaughan's associate Marguerite Wright, a biography was published by the OHS Press in 2003. It was called ''Frances Fuller Victor: The Witness to America's Westerings''. It was attributed to Hazel Mills and Constance Bordwell as authors, with Thomas Vaughan and Marguerite Wright as editors.
Separately, and without awareness of the Mills–Bordwell project, Jim Martin, a legislative assistant with a background in journalism, took an interest in Fuller Victor in 1976, after having noticed her name on the Capitol's wall. He researched her work for eight years. After searching for a publisher for five years, he published ''A Bit of Blue: The Life and Work of Frances Fuller Victor'', under his own Deep Well Publishing imprint.
In 2021, Storybound (podcast)
''Storybound'' is a podcast created, produced, and hosted by Jude Brewer, with original music composed for each episode. The show is a collaboration between ''Lit Hub'' and The Podglomerate podcast network, featuring household names and Pulitze ...
released the pilot of Florence Fane in San Francisco, written by playwright Brianna Barrett and produced by Jude Brewer
Jude Brewer is an American writer, producer, actor, and podcast host, best known for creating and hosting '' Storybound'' and ''Storytellers Telling Stories''. Brewer's writing has appeared internationally through literary magazines, and most re ...
, officially funded by a grant from the Regional Arts & Culture Council
The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city� ...
in 2019. The pilot is a radio drama
Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
adaptation of Barrett's historical fiction
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
play based on the life of Fuller Victor, specifically, her years spent working for The Golden Era in San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
during the Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
.
Works by Frances Fuller Victor
* ''Anizetta, the Guajira; or, The Creole of Cuba'' (1848)
* ''East and West; or, The Beauty of Willard's Mill'' (1862)
*
The Land Claim: A Tale of the Upper Missouri
' (1862)
* "Manifest Destiny in the West" in the ''Overland Monthly
The ''Overland Monthly'' was a monthly literary and cultural magazine, based in California, United States. It was founded in 1868 and published between the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century.
History
The '' ...
'' (1869)
* ''The River of the West: The Adventures of Joe Meek'' (1870)
* ''All Over Oregon and Washington'' (1872)
* social columns for San Francisco's '' Daily Morning Call'', written under the penname Dorothy D (mid-1870s)
* " The Literature of Oregon." ''The West Shore'' 1 (1876)
* '' The New Penelope: And Other Stories and Poems'' (1877)
* Eleven Years in the Rocky Mountains and a Life on the Frontier (1877) (an edited version of ''River of the West'')
* Under contract with Hubert Howe Bancroft
Hubert Howe Bancroft (May 5, 1832 – March 2, 1918) was an American historian and ethnologist who wrote, published and collected works concerning the western United States, Texas, California, Alaska, Mexico, Central America and British Columbi ...
:
** Several volumes of the series '' History of the Pacific states of North America'', inaccurately attributed to Bancroft.
* ''Atlantis Arisen: or, Talks of a Tourist about Oregon and Washington'' (1891) (an edited version of ''All Over Oregon…''[ ''Oregonian'', Nov. 16 1902.]
* ''The Early Indian Wars of Oregon'' (1894)
* ''Autobiographical Sketch'' (1895)
* ''Poems
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in a ...
'' (1900)
Further reading
*
*
*
Barritt, Mrs. Frances F.
Beadle and Adams Dime Novel Digitization Project
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Victor, Frances Fuller
American historical novelists
1826 births
1902 deaths
American feminist writers
Burials at River View Cemetery (Portland, Oregon)
People from Rome, New York
Writers from Portland, Oregon
American women novelists
19th-century American novelists
19th-century American women writers
Women historical novelists
Novelists from New York (state)
Novelists from Oregon
Historians of Oregon
Historians of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Coast Women's Press Association