Rogue River Inspired Author Zane Grey

World-famous author Zane Grey, best known for his Western frontier novels, loved the Rogue River in southern Oregon.

He spent many summers writing and fishing along the banks of the Rogue. In fact, his cabin still stands near Winkle Bar.

“Rogue River Feud” by Zane Grey

Grey wrote a lot about the Rogue in magazines like Field and Stream and in books like Tales of Freshwater Fishing and the novel Rogue River Feud. His writing made every sports fisherman long to cast their lines into the Rogue. Many believe real events and characters inspired his novel Rogue River Feud about the battle over fish at the mouth of the Rogue.

In 1929, he wrote for a generation that didn’t have ready access to videos or even color photos. In the first pages of Rogue River Feud, Grey paints a tantalizing picture of the Rogue from its headwaters to where it spills into the Pacific Ocean.

Watch the video above to see for yourself how powerfully Grey’s words depict the river’s scenery.

And to learn more about the history of the Rogue River, tune in to “River of the Rogues,” a new Oregon Field Guide special airing Thursday, February 7 at 8:30 p.m. on OPB TV.

This story originally appeared on Oregon Public Broadcasting.