author
O. Augusta (Olive Augusta) Cheney
1833–1916
Remembered in Massachusetts as both a writer and a tireless reformer, this 19th-century author brought the same practical energy to books, edited collections, and public life. Her work sits at the crossroads of literature, education, temperance, and the long campaign for women's rights.
1 Audiobook
Seeking his fortune, and other dialogues
by Jr. Horatio Alger, O. Augusta (Olive Augusta) Cheney
About the author
Born Olive Augusta Alger in 1833, she was better known as Augusta Cheney. She grew up in Massachusetts and became part of a family with strong literary ties, including her brother Horatio Alger Jr. As an author and compiler, she is associated with works such as The Sunday-School Speaker and Seeking His Fortune, and Other Dialogues, the latter credited to both Horatio Alger Jr. and O. Augusta Cheney.
Cheney was also deeply involved in reform work. The Natick Historical Society describes her as a leading advocate for temperance and women's suffrage in South Natick and beyond, noting that she spent decades campaigning for women's rights before her death in 1916. That public commitment helps explain the practical, civic-minded tone of the writing and edited material connected with her name.
Today, she is remembered not only for her books but for the unusually broad shape of her life: literary work, editorial work, and public activism all woven together. For listeners interested in forgotten American writers, she offers a glimpse of how closely 19th-century reading culture could be tied to education, reform, and community life.