Rivers of America Series facts for kids

The Rivers of America Series was a special collection of books about the important rivers in the United States. These books were mostly written by famous writers, like novelists and poets, instead of just historians. The series lasted for 37 years and was published by three different companies. It helped people learn about America's history and culture through its amazing rivers.

The Story Behind the Series

The Rivers of America Series began in 1937 with a book called Kennebec: Cradle of Americans. The last book in the series, The American: River of El Dorado, came out in 1974.

A woman named Constance Lindsay Skinner first thought of the idea for this series. She was also the first editor. Skinner believed that writers, like novelists and poets, were best at helping people understand their country. She wrote that these books would be "literary" (meaning artistic and well-written) rather than just historical.

Skinner's idea was very popular! She originally planned for 24 books, but because so many people loved them, 65 books were eventually published. This happened over 37 years.

The first publisher was Farrar & Rinehart. Over time, this company changed its name to Rinehart & Company and then to Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Several editors helped guide the series, including Constance Lindsay Skinner, Carl Carmer, Stephen Vincent Benét, and Hervey Allen. Many talented writers and illustrators worked on these books. They wanted to show the everyday life and culture of America through the stories of its rivers.

Some famous books in the series include:

• The Brandywine, which was the first book illustrated by Andrew Wyeth.
• The Everglades: River of Grass by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, which helped people pay attention to the problems facing the Everglades.
• Great River: The Rio Grande in America History by Paul Horgan, which is considered a very important study of the early Southwest.
• The Sangamon by the poet Edgar Lee Masters.

The series is a great example of how publishers brought together writers and artists. They created a wonderful tribute to the rivers that were so important in building America. Many of these books are still printed today, and the original copies are now valuable collector's items.

In 1997, the Library of Congress held a special event. They brought together some of the authors and illustrators to celebrate the series' 60th anniversary.

Different Kinds of Books

The very first printings of these books had a special symbol called a colophon on the copyright page. This symbol was either "FR" (from 1937 to 1946) or "R" (from 1946 to 1959) inside a circle or diamond. After 1960, the books simply said "First Edition" on the copyright page.

Some special, limited editions were also made. These books were often signed by the author, and sometimes by the illustrator too. They were printed in very small numbers.

During World War II (between 1942 and 1945), "War Editions" were published. These books used less expensive paper and smaller writing. This was done to save resources during the war.

There were also "Armed Services Editions" for soldiers overseas. These books were given out for free to the military. They were marked with a special note saying they were "Overseas edition for the Armed Forces. Distributed by the Special Services Division... Not for sale."

Some books in the series were updated or had new illustrations added later.

A Look at Some Books in the Series

The Rivers of America Series included 65 books in total. Here are a few examples from each publisher:

Books from Farrar & Rinehart (1937–1946)

• 1. The Kennebec: Cradle of the Americans, Robert P. Tristram Coffin, 1937; illustrated by Maitland de Gogorza
• 2. The Upper Mississippi, Walter Havighurst, 1938; illustrated by David Granahan and Lolita Granahan
• 3. The Suwannee: Strange Green Land, Cecile Hulse Matschat, 1938; illustrated by Alexander Key
• 13. The Brandywine, Henry Seidel Canby, 1941; illustrated by Andrew Wyeth
• 16. The Sangamon, Edgar Lee Masters, 1942; illustrated by Lynd Ward
• 20. The St. Lawrence, Henry Beston, 1942; illustrated by A.Y. Jackson

Books from Rinehart & Co. (1946–1960)

• 29. The Housatonic: Puritan River, Chard Powers Smith, 1946
• 30. The Colorado, Frank Waters, 1946
• 33. The Everglades: River of Grass, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, 1947
• 48. Great River: the Rio Grande, Paul Horgan, 1954
• 49. The Susquehanna, Carl Carmer, 1955

Books from Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1960–1974)

• 54. The Minnesota, Evan Jones, 1962
• 55. The Genesee, Henry W. Clune, 1963
• 61. The Niagara, Donald Braider, 1972
• 64. The American: River of El Dorado, Margaret Sanborn, 1974; illustrated by Jerry Helmrich