Harold W. Felton, Folklore Papers

Creator: Felton, Harold W. 1902-1991

Quantity: 33 boxes (18 linear feet)

Language: English

Restrictions: None

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Preferred Citation: Harold Felton, Folklore Papers (MS 0040). Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries.

Born in Neola, Iowa, on 1 April 1902, Harold William Felton graduated from Neola High School in 1919. He attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, for one year before transferring to the University of Nebraska, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1925 and a law degree in 1928. During college he worked as a stage manager at the University of Nebraska's Temple Theatre and as an assistant in the dramatics department. In the summertime, Felton worked as a farmer, mule skinner, and as an actor on the Chautauqua circuits.

After graduation, Felton practiced law in Omaha for five years before he went to work for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in 1933. He married Hildegard "Helen" Kessler on 23 August 1933. The Felton's moved to Manhattan in New York, where Harold worked in the chief counsel's office of the IRS. He remained with the IRS for 37 years before retiring in 1970.

Felton wrote numerous children's books and books dealing with American folklore and tall tales. His interest in folklore developed from a fascination with Paul Bunyan and Babe, the Blue Ox. He began collecting books and stories about the legendary lumberjack at an early age. In the early 1940s, Felton decided to write a book about Bunyan. His first book, Legends of Paul Bunyan, was published in 1947. Throughout his life, Felton continued to research and write about other legendary figures such as Pecos Bill, John Henry, Fire Fightin' Mose, and Bowleg Bill.

Harold William Felton died on 12 July 1991.

Scope and Content:

The Harold W. Felton papers mainly relate to his career as an author and folklorist. The papers consist of correspondence, manuscripts of published works, unpublished manuscripts, research notes, galley proofs, book jackets, and book reviews. Other items include biographical materials, photographs, and sound recordings.

Felton's writings and research files compose the majority of the collection. This series of materials illustrates Felton's continuing dedication to the study of American folklore and his devotion to recording the stories of such heroes of American myth and legend as Paul Bunyan, Pecos Bill, and John Henry. Felton's manuscript files, along with his correspondence, also help to show the process he went through in order to get each of his books published. For more specific information about each series of materials in the collection, refer to the Series Description.

Subjects:

Beckwourth, James Pierson, 1798-1866 -- Juvenile literature

Felton, Harold W., 1902-1991

Fink, Mike, 1770-1823? -- Juvenile literature

Gannett, Deborah Sampson, 1760-1827 -- Juvenile literature

Johnson, James Weldon, 1871-1938 -- Juvenile literature

Levy, Uriah Phillips, 1792-1862 -- Juvenile literature

Love, Nat, 1854-1921 -- Juvenile literature

Morgan, Gib, 1842-1909 -- Juvenile literature

O'Keefe, John Timothy, 1853-1895 -- Juvenile literature

Parker, Ely Samuel, 1828-1895 -- Juvenile literature

Phips, William, Sir, 1651-1695 -- Juvenile literature

Bunyan, Paul (Legendary character)

Cowboys -- Juvenile literature

Cowboys -- Legends

Fire departments -- Juvenile literature

Folklore -- United States

Freeman, Elizabeth, 1744?-1829 -- Juvenile literature

Henry, John (Legendary character)

Justin Morgan (Horse) -- Juvenile literature

Pecos Bill (Legendary character) -- Juvenile literature

Rose, Edward -- Juvenile literature

Stormalong, Alfred Bulltop -- Legends

Tall tales

Ward, Nancy -- Juvenile literature