Horatio Alger, Jr.: a Massachusetts Native

While in the vault
recently, I came
across a shelf of
novels by Horatio
Alger, Jr. These
items intrigued me,
as all I knew about
Alger was the idea
of a "Horatio Alger,
Up-By-The-Bootstraps"
story. As I pulled
the volumes from the
shelf, I was enchanted
by the illustrations
on the covers and
throughout the text,
a selection of which are pictured throughout this post. However, I was curious as to
why we had these items, as they were written for children.

A bit of research into the life of Horatio Alger, Jr. turned up
an immediate Massachusetts connection. The senior Horatio
Alger served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives
in 1833 representing Chelsea and again in 1860 representing
Marlborough. Alger, Jr. was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts
and lived there for over ten years. In the mid-1840s the
Alger family moved to Marlborough, where Alger, Jr. attended
Gates Academy. He then attended Harvard College and began


publishing
nationally.
Alger, Jr.
became a
minister
of the
Unitarian
Society of
Brewster,
Massachusetts and ministered for several years before moving
to New York, where most of his novels were written. In 1896
Alger, Jr. retired to South Natick, Massachusetts, where he died
three years later.

For those interested in researching the Alger family's time in
Massachusetts, the Chelsea and Natick city directories and atlases
provide information on the footprint and location of the Alger's homes.


In
addition
to the
genea-
logical
resources
and
novels,
the State
Library
has
information about the elder Alger's time in the Massachusetts General Court
and two other interesting items related to the Alger family. "A sermon
preached at the installation of the Rev. Horatio Alger as pastor of the
West church in Marlborough, Massachusetts" commemorates the
occasion of the elder Alger's installation in the church and
can be found in Addresses; Sermons by George Edward Willis
(Hun 974M31:2 C471:25 E47za no. 6). The library also owns a very
interesting 1928 biography of Alger, Jr. titled, Alger: a Biography
Without a Hero by Herbert R. Mayes (B A395m). This book was
thought to be the definitive tome on Alger, Jr. until the 1960's
when it was debunked as largely fabricated - quite the interesting
piece of cultural literary heritage!

Images from
top:
Joe's
Luck; or A
Boy's
Adventures
in
California,
cover
and
illustration;
Sam's
Chance; and How He Improved It, cover and illustration; Alger:
a Biography Without a Hero, end sheet illustration.

- Lacy Crews Stoneburner, Preservation Librarian