Emerson Hough

Born in Newton, Iowa, in 1857, he studied at the State University of Iowa and trained in law before finding his real path in writing. After time in the West, including work in New Mexico, he began publishing journalism and fiction drawn from outdoor life, frontier history, and the fast-changing American landscape.

He became known for western stories and historical novels that mixed action with a strong sense of place. Among his notable books are The Story of the Cowboy, Mississippi Bubble, and The Covered Wagon, the 1922 novel that became especially influential when it was adapted for the screen soon after.

Alongside fiction, he also wrote as a journalist and showed a lasting interest in conservation and the history of the frontier. He died in 1923, but his work remains part of the foundation of classic American western storytelling.