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Stoddard King
Stoddard King
Stoddard King
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Stoddard King (August 19, 1889 – June 13, 1933) was an American author and songwriter.[1]

Biography

[edit]

King was born on August 19, 1889, Jackson, Wisconsin to Louis Andrew King and his wife, Clara Viola (Stoddard) King.[1][2] At a young age, King and his family moved to Spokane, Washington, where his father acted as a freight agent for the Spokane International Railway. In 1907, King began to work for The Spokesman-Review.[3] The owner, William H. Cowles encouraged King to apply to Cowles alma mater, Yale University, and loaned the King family money for the tuition.[4][5] While attending Yale, King was an editor of the Yale Record and managing editor of the Yale Daily News, and a member of the Elizabethan Club and Skull and Bones, while continuing to write for The Spokesman-Review.[1][6] King became a very popular writer for magazines across the nation. Some of his best known pieces are “What the Queen Said” and “The Raspberry Tree”. People often liked King’s writing because of the humor he added to it.[3] People also liked King because he was gentle, loving, sane, dignified, and friendly.[6]

During his time at Yale, King also helped write the song “There's a Long Long Trail A-Winding”. The song ended up being one of King’s best-known works and even became a World War I anthem.[3] Not only could King write well, he was also very smart. He graduated from Yale as eighth in his class. After college, King began working for Harper’s Weekly as an associate editor.[6] He also served in the National Guard during World War I. In 1914, King joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), after he had worked with Alonzo Elliot and composed other songs such as “There’s A Wee Cottage On The Hillside” and “Enchanted River”.[2] Although known for many things, King still preferred to be recognized as a columnist for The Spokesman-Review.[6] He eventually returned to Spokane, where he died on June 13, 1933, at forty-three years of age.[1][2]

Literature and literacy criticism

[edit]

King was a poet, humorist and columnist. As a humorist, his work is uncommon because it comes from the West. His work can be categorized with other notable humorists such as Mark Twain and Eugene Field, although they came from Missouri. Also, his style is unlike classic humorists of European literature, although he drew influence from them.

King’s poetry while writing daily as a columnist for the Spokane Spokesman-Review consistently reflects his comic sensibility. However, his work cannot be solely deemed humorous, for many of his poems have outstanding merit. An example are his volumes of poetry that were published in New York and written in rhyme and meter. Highly esteemed poet Vachel Lindsay confirms the quality of King’s poems, saying:

“Stoddard, the King of the revels of Spokane, is a jester of royal descent. He is to be compared to Falstaff, in the taverns, to Touchstone in the Forest of Arden. He is the grave digger in Hamlet, the porter listening to the gate in Macbeth. He is like the jester in King Lear, faithful to Cordelia. He is like Ariel, in the Tempest. Ninety of the pieces in his book are royal wit, and nine of them are big poems."[6]

His publicity agent Lee Keedick was another advocate for the undeniable quality of King’s work. Not only does he discuss his work but also his in-person presentation of it. “His appearance in a lecture tour will enable his hearers to get the best possible presentation of his carefully fashioned verses, for he reads his own poetry with the inimitable style of a born actor.”[6]

Literature and songs

[edit]
What the Queen Said, and Further Facetious Fragments (1924)
Ballad of the Spirit of Christmas (1926)
Grand Right and Left (1927)
Listen to the Mocking-Bird (1928)
The Raspberry Tree, and Other Poems of Sentiment and Reflection (1930)
Pioneer Daze (1930)
"There’s a Long, Long Trail A-Winding"
"There’s a Wee Cottage on the Hillside"
"Enchanted River"
"Oh Oh Abdullah"
"Roll Along, Cowboy"
"Tiddedidee-o"

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Stoddard King

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Stoddard King was an American journalist, poet, and songwriter known for his long-running humorous newspaper columns and for co-writing the popular World War I song "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding." Born on August 19, 1889, in Jackson, Wisconsin, he moved with his family to Spokane, Washington, in 1903 and began his career early as a copy boy and reporter at The Spokesman-Review while still in high school. After graduating from Yale University in 1914, where he edited the Yale Daily News and co-wrote the song with classmate Alonzo "Zo" Elliot, King returned to Spokane and established himself as a prominent columnist. The song "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding," composed in 1913, gained immense popularity during World War I, becoming a favorite among British, Canadian, and American troops and performed by notable artists of the era. In his journalism, King created the daily column "Facetious Fragments" in 1916 for The Spokesman-Review, blending original light verse with commentary on news, human nature, and everyday life, which he continued until his death. He briefly served as associate editor of Harper's Weekly in 1916 before returning to Spokane permanently. King published several collections of poetry and humorous verse, including What the Queen Said (1926), Grand Right and Left (1927), Listen to the Mocking-Bird (1928), and The Raspberry Tree and Other Poems of Sentiment and Reflection (1930), earning recognition for his witty, satirical style. He undertook national lecture tours and was active in Spokane's cultural scene, though his demanding work schedule limited his personal life. Married to Henrietta Lilliene McColl in 1915, he had a daughter, Barbara. Stoddard King died of brain cancer on June 13, 1933, at the age of 43 in Spokane. His work left a lasting mark on regional journalism and light verse, with his song remaining an enduring symbol of the World War I era.

Early life and education

Birth and family

Stoddard King was born on August 19, 1889, in Jackson, Wisconsin, to Louis Andrew King and Clara Viola (Stoddard) King. His father worked as a freight agent. The family relocated to Spokane in 1903.

Move to Spokane and early work

Stoddard King moved to Spokane with his parents in 1903, marking the beginning of his long association with the city. He attended South Central High School (now known as Lewis and Clark High School) and graduated in 1907. During his high school years, King entered the field of journalism as a copy boy at The Spokesman-Review, gaining early experience in the newsroom while still a student. After graduation, he became a full-time reporter at The Spokesman-Review. He covered the major 1910 forest fires in the region, demonstrating his early aptitude for on-the-ground reporting. In 1909, King began writing his first columns for the paper, including “On the Side” and “Old Sport’s Witticisms,” the latter published under the byline “Ess Kay.” These early humorous pieces established his distinctive witty style that would later define his career. Publisher William H. Cowles recognized King's talent and later encouraged his attendance at Yale University.

Yale University

Stoddard King enrolled at Yale University in 1907 with the financial support of a loan from his employer, William H. Cowles, the publisher of the Spokesman-Review and a Yale alumnus who encouraged King to attend his alma mater. King remained connected to his Spokane roots during college, continuing to contribute articles to the Spokesman-Review while pursuing his studies. At Yale, King distinguished himself through significant involvement in campus publications and organizations. He served as editor of the Yale Daily News, managing editor of the Yale Record, and press manager for the Yale Dramatic Association. He was also elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa and Zeta Psi fraternity. King graduated in 1914. In 1913, while at Yale, King collaborated with classmate Alonzo "Zo" Elliott to create the song "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding," with King writing the lyrics to Elliott's melody in Elliott's dorm room. The song later became widely popular during World War I.

Journalism career

The Spokesman-Review

After graduating from Yale University in 1914, Stoddard King returned to Spokane and continued his association with The Spokesman-Review, where he originated a weekly column titled "In a Minor Key" that appeared on the newspaper's editorial page. In 1916, he briefly left Spokane to serve as associate editor at Harper’s Weekly in New York, but the position proved short-lived when the magazine was absorbed by The Independent later that year. King then returned permanently to Spokane and, in October 1916, began producing his daily column "Facetious Fragments," which he continued writing for the newspaper until his death in 1933. He adhered to a demanding work schedule and remained committed to his identity as a columnist at The Spokesman-Review above other professional opportunities, even filing his daily contributions while on extended national lecture and reading tours.

Columns and national writing

Stoddard King's journalistic career reached its height with his daily column "Facetious Fragments," which blended original light verse with quirky items drawn from national newswires, amusing observations on human nature, and personal commentary on subjects such as clothing, sports, travel, advertising, and drink. King's verse deliberately employed meter and rhyme at a time when free verse was gaining prominence, combining humor with underlying seriousness to amuse, inform, edify, and delight readers in equal measure. Through "Facetious Fragments," King established himself as one of the foremost American journalists to regularly compose and place original poems within his newspaper columns, earning appreciation from a readership that extended beyond Spokane. His integration of poetry into daily journalism gave the column a distinctive appeal, marked by witty reflections and a capacity to address topical matters with both levity and insight. In the late 1920s, King expanded his reach by selling poems to national magazines including The Saturday Evening Post. Humorous pieces such as “What the Queen Said” exemplified his characteristic style of light-hearted yet pointed commentary.

Songwriting

"There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding"

"There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" was created in 1913 at Yale University, where lyricist Stoddard King and composer Alonzo "Zo" Elliott collaborated on the song. Elliott composed the melody one night in his dormitory, and King, upon hearing it, suggested the opening line "There's a long, long trail a-winding into the land of my dreams" before the two completed the lyrics together that same year. After graduation, Elliott initially failed to find a publisher in New York, but while studying at Trinity College, Cambridge, he introduced the song at parties, leading to its acceptance by a small London publisher and its release in England in 1914. Although composed before the start of World War I, the song achieved massive popularity among Allied troops following Britain's entry into the war, becoming widely sung by departing soldiers, their families, and men in the trenches. English poet John Masefield described it in 1918 as "the most popular song in the British Army today," and contemporary accounts include British soldiers singing it under shell-fire as a kind of prayer and a famous 1915 Christmas Eve incident in which a German cornet player performed the melody across No Man's Land, with a Welsh soldier singing along until interrupted by gunfire. The song was also embraced by American forces and used in Liberty Loan drives to sell war bonds, performed at regimental bands, and reportedly a favorite of President Woodrow Wilson. Notable performers who popularized the song during the war era included opera singer Enrico Caruso, entertainer Elsie Janis, and contralto Ernestine Schumann-Heink, who sang it in concerts supporting the war effort. The song's co-authorship has been frequently misattributed in popular accounts, and poet Vachel Lindsay remarked that it had been "stolen ’round the world," highlighting its widespread adoption and occasional lack of proper credit.

Literary works

Published collections

Stoddard King compiled several collections of light verse and humorous poetry, most of which originated in his long-running daily newspaper column "Facetious Fragments" in The Spokesman-Review, where he published witty poems alongside quirky observations for over a decade. These books gathered and expanded upon that material, presenting his work to a national audience through major publishers. His first collection, What the Queen Said, and Further Facetious Fragments, appeared from George H. Doran in 1926 and drew heavily from his column, featuring poems that celebrated domestic pieties and middle-class values while offering gentle commentary on Prohibition-era absurdities, such as in the ballad "There Was Liquor in My Locker." The book achieved multiple printings, reflecting its appeal to readers who enjoyed relatable, sentimental humor. In 1927, George H. Doran published Grand Right and Left, a blend of verse and prose that included animal fables with characters like ponies, zebras, leopards, and wombats, alongside satirical pieces that referenced Prohibition, cultural figures, and social trends of the time. The volume's foreword humorously contrasted King's supposed solitary writing life with those of contemporaries abroad, underscoring his tongue-in-cheek style. Doubleday, Doran released Listen to the Mocking-Bird in 1928, displaying King's versatility across poetic forms and tones, including self-referential pieces about his journalistic "daily caper" and an early poem advocating animal rights at a furrier's window. The collection balanced criticism and acceptance of middle-class boosters and conventional attitudes. King's final major collection, The Raspberry Tree, and Other Poems of Sentiment and Reflection, was issued by Doubleday, Doran in 1930 and presented a range of voices and forms, incorporating class satire such as the lampoon "The Altruist." These works collectively captured King's talent for blending sentiment, reflection, and sharp wit, appealing to middle-class audiences through their focus on everyday domestic life, social observation, and light-hearted satire.

Style and reception

Stoddard King's literary output consisted primarily of light verse that skillfully blended humor with reflective insight, relying on regular rhyme schemes and rhythmic meter to deliver clever, accessible observations on everyday life and human nature. His approach to poetry drew from his roots in newspaper column writing, where he honed a concise, witty style suited to broad audiences. Contemporary reception of King's work was notably positive among peers, particularly from poet Vachel Lindsay, who praised him as a master of “royal wit” and a “jester of royal descent,” comparing him to Shakespearean figures such as Falstaff in the taverns, Touchstone in the Forest of Arden, and the Fool in King Lear. Lindsay highlighted the quality of King's verse by noting that ninety pieces in one collection exemplified royal wit while nine qualified as substantial poems. This endorsement reflected the mutual admiration between the two poets, as they promoted and quoted each other's work during Lindsay's time in Spokane. King's reputation facilitated national lecture tours arranged by the prominent lecture manager Lee Keedick, during which he read his poems and spoke on literary topics to audiences across the country. Despite this period of recognition, King's light verse later fell into relative obscurity, partly attributable to dated stylistic elements and shifting poetic tastes that favored more modernist forms.

Personal life and military service

Marriage and family

Stoddard King married Henrietta Lilliene McColl (1889–1976) in 1915. The couple resided in Spokane, Washington, where King pursued his journalism career. They had a daughter, Barbara King Walton (ca. 1919–2010). Barbara grew up in Spokane and later reflected on her father's demanding schedule, noting that he worked seven days a week from about noon to midnight, which limited his family time to a long dinner hour and half Sundays. She also expressed regret over how little she knew about him personally.

National Guard service

Stoddard King served in the Washington National Guard during the years of World War I, attaining the rank of captain. King rose to this rank during the war period and continued his Guard service afterward, resigning his commission in 1921. No records indicate any overseas deployment during his service, indicating a domestic role within the United States. His military involvement coincided with the widespread popularity of his pre-war song "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" among American troops, though the song predated U.S. entry into the conflict and his service did not involve combat abroad.

Death and legacy

Illness and death

He succumbed to brain cancer on June 13, 1933, in Spokane, at the age of 43. His death elicited national eulogies that praised his personal charm, wit, and contributions as a writer and lyricist.

Enduring impact and media uses

Stoddard King's lyrics for "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" have outlived his other literary contributions in popular culture, enduring through repeated performances, recordings, and adaptations in film and television long after his death in 1933. The song, originally published in 1914, gained iconic status during World War I and has continued to appear in media evoking wartime nostalgia or sentimental themes. The song has been featured in numerous motion pictures and television programs, frequently with uncredited use of the lyrics. Notable examples include its inclusion in the 1969 film Oh! What a Lovely War (uncredited), the 1975 MASH* episode "Change of Command" (uncredited), episodes of The Waltons from 1977 to 1979, and the 2008 film Leatherheads (credited). More recent uses appear in episodes of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries in 2015. These appearances, often in historical or dramatic contexts, demonstrate the song's persistent cultural resonance despite many instances of uncredited attribution. While King's poetry collections and other songs have attracted limited ongoing attention, the lasting presence of "There's a Long, Long Trail A-Winding" in soundtracks and performances highlights its unique enduring impact.
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