"Novelist Howells Visits His Old Home": A Newly Recovered Interview with W. D. Howells

While on an Ohio River steamboat excursion in 1902, W. D. Howells granted an interview to a correspondent from the St. Louis Republic. Howells, accompanied by his older brother Joseph, comments that the trip, which took him to his childhood home at Martin's Ferry, was taken "in the interest of my health, and not to seek material for a new novel." Pretensions to leisure aside, Howells could find inspiration in any experience and especially one that provided him a "look at my boyhood's delight." In this brief interview, we find Howells observant, contemplative, and nostalgic for his youth. Howells embraces the role of guide more so than tourist, identifying landmarks, reflecting on the "magnificent" natural beauty, and well aware of history's influence on the character and culture of the Upper Ohio River Valley. Ever prodigious, by 1902 Howells' literary output had slowed, but his sense of place demonstrates the Ohio's permanence in the westerner's mind, and his comments trace out the cultural markers, memories, and environmental splendor he so dutifully captures in his later autobiographical writings.

"Novelist Howells Visits His Old Home," St. Louis Republic, 30 March 1902, p. 9

Wheeling, March 29—William Dean Howells, accompanied by his brother, Joseph A. Howells, editor of the Ashtabula Sentinel,¹ made the round trip on the steamboat Virginia.² When the boat landed here, Mr. Howells made a short trip up town, the first time he had been here since he was 3½ years old.³

Mr. Howells was seen on the forecastle standing by a pile of freight, watching the roustabouts.⁴ Short in height, about 65 years of age, with white hair and closely-cropped white mustache, dressed in plain clothes and wearing a small soft hat, he would be among the last to be picked out as the country's foremost living literary man.⁵

Mr. Howells, when asked for an interview, smiled and said: "What is there to say?" "Can you tell something about your trip?" was asked. "Well, this is a trip my brother and I have contemplated a long time;⁶ I take it in the interest of my health, and not to seek material for a new novel."⁷

Mr. Howells and his brother wanted to see some of the city while they had time. They walked to the top of Main Street Hill to look at the site of old Fort Henry and the Zane House. When shown the tablet marking the site of the old fort, Mr. Howells said: "That is very good sentiment, marking the place of such a historical old fort," and was surprised to learn that the last battle of the Revolution was fought on this same spot.⁸

Recalls Old Citizen

"Have you any monuments of Ebenezer or Elizabeth Zane?" he asked. When told that the city had not, he said: "It is too bad; you ought to have one of the founder of the city."⁹

He recalled the suspension bridge, and walked up Main street to Tenth, to look at it again.¹⁰ "I was only 3½ years old when we left Martin's Ferry, but I can remember passing under that bridge a few times on a boat. At that time there were only one or two houses on the island, but now I see that you have quite a large city over there. This place has grown clear out of my recollection. I am also surprised at the amount of traffic done on the river.¹¹ Four of my uncles were steamboat men.¹² My first recollections were of the river, but as I said, we moved away when I was little over 2 years old to Hamilton, O.¹³ I did not get to see the river as often as I wished, hence this trip to look at my boyhood's delight and to see my birthplace."

"The Ohio River steamboats compare favorably with the Eastern steamboats. Their staterooms are commodious, large, airy cabins, and smooth running makes it a pleasure to travel. The only difference is in...