P h il S t o n g 's S t a t e F a i r
R O B E R T A. M cC O W N
U n d o u b te d ly , o n e of th e m o st fam o u s b o o k s in th e Iow a
A u th o rs C ollection is State Fair b y Phil S to n g . If y o u h a v e n o t
h a d th e p le a su re of re a d in g th is n o v el, p e rh a p s a b rie f im m e r­
sion in to th e historical b a c k g ro u n d of th e w o rk a n d a c o n ­
d e n s e d look a t th e facts a n d e v e n ts in th e life of th e w rite r w ill
e n h a n ce y o u r e n jo y m e n t of th e book.
T he a u th o r of State Fair, P h ilip D uffield S to n g , w a s b o rn o n
Ja n u ary 27, 1899, n e a r P ittsb u rg , Iow a, a village n o lo n g e r
fo u n d o n m ap s. P itts b u rg w a s o n th e w e s t sid e of th e D es
M oines R iver in s o u th e a s t Io w a 's V an B u ren c o u n ty . Y o u n g
Phil w as th e so n of B enjam in a n d A d a E vesta D uffield Stong.
F a th er Ben ra n a g e n e ra l sto re in P itts b u rg a n d th e n la te r a
variety sto re in K e o sa u q u a , th e c o u n ty s e a t of V an B u ren
C o u n ty , w h e re h e w a s also p o stm a ste r.
Phil S tong w e n t to g ra d e a n d h ig h school in K e o sa u q u a a n d
th e n to D rake U n iv e rsity in D es M o in es, Io w a 's capital. A t
D rake h e m ajo red in E n g lish , m in o re d in G e rm a n , a n d w ro te a
sen io r th esis o n th e a e sth e tic s of Schiller a n d S a n tay a n a . A fter
g ra d u a tio n in 1919 h e ta u g h t in th e h ig h school a t Biw abik,
M in n eso ta, a to w n o n th e M esabi Iro n R ange n o r th of D u lu th .
D u rin g th a t 1919-20 school y e a r h e g av e in stru c tio n in p h y sical
tra in in g a n d m a n u a l tra in in g as w ell as co ach in g football a n d
basketball. T he y o u n g m a n fo u n d life in B iw abik fasc in atin g
b ecau se of th e m a n y d iffe re n t e th n ic g ro u p s in th e to w n . L ater,
S tong se t a n o v e l (The Iron M ountain) a n d a c h ild re n 's b o o k
(Honk: The Moose ) in th e Iro n R ange. A fter a y e a r in M in n e s o ta 's
far n o rth , h e w e n t to N e w Y ork C ity fo r g ra d u a te w o rk in
E nglish a t C o lu m b ia U n iv ersity . T he y e a rs 1921 to 1923 fo u n d
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h im in N e o d e s h a , K an sas, w h e re h e ta u g h t E nglish, coached
th e d e b a te tea m , a n d m a n a g e d school pub licatio n s. W hile
s p e n d in g tw o a n d o n e h a lf y e a rs in s o u th e a s te rn K ansas, S tong
to o k c o rre s p o n d e n c e c o u rse s in e d u c a tio n from th e U niv ersity
of K an sas. T h e n , in 1924, S to n g re tu rn e d to D es M oines to
tea c h jo u rn a lis m a t D rak e a n d coach d e b a te .1
T u rn in g fro m te a c h in g to th e practice of jo u rn a lism , Phil
S to n g w e n t to w o rk as a re p o rte r a n d ed ito rial w rite r for th e Des
M oines Register. D u rin g all of th is tim e, h e w a s striv in g to
b eco m e a creative w rite r. A s early as N o v e m b e r 1921 h e h a d a
sto ry in The M idland, a n im p o rta n t reg io n al literary m ag azin e
e d ite d b y Jo h n T. F re d erick .2 In 1925, a t age 26, S tong re tu rn e d
to N e w Y ork, w h e re h e w o rk e d first as a w ire e d ito r for th e
A sso ciated P re ss a n d th e n as a co p y e d ito r a n d fea tu re w rite r
for th e N o rth A m e ric an N e w s p a p e r A lliance. In 1927 h e w e n t
to B oston to in te rv ie w N icola Sacco a n d B artolom eo V anzetti
ju s t b efo re th e ir e x ecu tio n , a n ex p e rien c e h e c o n sid e re d o n e of
th e m o st im p o rta n t in h is life.3 L ater, h e w a s w ith th e m ag a ­
z in e s Liberty a n d Editor and Publisher, a n d th e n S u n d a y featu re
e d ito r of th e n e w s p a p e r th e N ew York World, a n d finally a n
a d v e rtis in g w rite r for Y o u n g a n d R ubicam .
O n N o v e m b e r 8, 1925, a t th e tim e h e m o v e d to N e w York,
Phil S to n g m a rrie d V irginia M a u d e S w ain, w h o w as also a
n e w s p a p e r re p o rte r. S to n g c re d ite d h e r w ith e n c o u ra g in g him
in h is w ritin g . T he y e a r b efo re h is d e a th , S to n g rem in isced
a b o u t th e b e g in n in g s of h is m o st fam o u s novel: " I w a s w o rk in g
in th e p u b licity d e p a rtm e n t of o n e of th e few g o o d ad v e rtisin g
firm s in th e w o rld w h e n M rs. S to n g su g g e ste d th a t I do
1The basic facts of Phil Stong's life can be found in Clarence A. Andrews,
"Stong, Phil(lip Duffield)," Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement Six,
1956-60, 603-04. See also, Phil Stong, If School Keeps (New York: Stokes, 1940),
an unusual autobiography that recounts Stong's schooling, his career as a
teacher, and his opinions on education.
2Phil Stong, "Hymeneal," The Midland, 7 (November 1921), 370-85.
3Phil Stong, "The Last Days of Sacco and Vanzetti," in The Aspirin Age,
1919-1941, ed. by Isabel Leighton (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1949),
169-89, and Fred Somkin, "How Vanzetti Said Goodbye," The Journal of
American History, 68 (September 1981), 298-312.
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so m e th in g a b o u t m y n a tiv e S ta te 's g re a t h a rv e s t festival, th e
F a ir." 4 T his h a p p e n e d in th e s u m m e r of 1931. O n July 28, h e
w ro te to th e "F o lk s" back in Iow a: " I'v e finally g o t a n o v el
com ing in fine sh a p e . I'v e d o n e 10,000 w o rd s o n it in th re e d ay s
a n d I g e t m o re e n th u sia stic e v e ry d ay . . . . I h o p e I c a n h o ld u p
th is tim e. I alw ays w rite 10,000 sw ell w o rd s a n d th e n go to
p ie c e s ." 5*
State fairs w e re a su b ject th a t P hil S to n g k n e w w ell. For
several y e a rs h is g ra n d fa th e r h a d b e e n s u p e rin te n d e n t of th e
sw in e d iv isio n a t th e Iow a S tate Fair. T h e n , w h ile a re p o rte r
w ith th e Des Moines Register, S to n g w a s a ssig n e d to cover th e
e v e n in g stock sh o w s a t th e fair. A m e ric an a g ric u ltu ra l fairs
w e re a n d still are a c o m b in a tio n of e d u c a tio n a n d festivity:
exhibitions, d e m o n s tra tio n s , c o m p e titio n for p re m iu m s , h o rse
racing, g ra n d s ta n d e n te rta in m e n t, a n d carn iv al a ttrac tio n s.
Iow a h e ld its first sta te fair in 1854, a n d for so m e tim e fairs w e re
h e ld a t v a rio u s lo cations a ro u n d th e sta te b e fo re p e rm a n e n tly
settlin g in D es M o ines. A s y e a rs w e n t b y , th e fairs d re w larg er
cro w d s a n d becam e m o re elab o rate. J u d g in g of livestock, for
in stan ce, becam e m o re scientific w h e n p ro fe sso rs fro m Iow a
State U n iv ersity to o k o v e r fro m a m a te u r c o m m ittee s. F or ru ra l
folks, th e fair w a s a w o n d e rfu l o p p o rtu n ity to g e t a w a y fro m
h o m e, see old frie n d s, a n d m e e t n e w p e o p le . M a n y fam ilies
c am p ed a t th e fair as th e y h a d d o n e a t te n t C h a u ta u q u a s in
sm all to w n s.
T he p lo t of State Fair is sim ple. E ach m e m b e r of th e F rake
fam ily a tte n d s th e fair w ith a p u rp o s e . F a th e r A bel Frake,
farm er a n d stock b re e d e r, w a n ts h is H a m p s h ire b o a r "B lue
Boy" to w in th e sw e e p sta k e s. A b e l's w ife M elissa w a n ts to w in
b lu e rib b o n s for h e r pickles. S on W a y n e w a n ts re v e n g e a t th e
ho o p -la sta n d , a carnival g a m e in w h ic h p riz e s are w o n b y
to ssin g rin g s. A n d d a u g h te r M arg y w a n ts so m e fu n . W ay n e
4Letter, Phil Stong to Cyril Clemens, February 23, 1956, Manuscript Letters
Collection, Special Collections Department, The University of Iowa Libraries,
Iowa City.
5Letter, Phil Stong to "Folks," July 28, 1931, Phil Stong Papers, Cowles
Library, Drake University, Des Moines.
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a n d M arg y are also lo o k in g for ro m a n tic a d v e n tu re s . "T he
F rakes h a d s te p p e d for a m o m e n t in to a fa n ta s y ." 6
State Fair is v e ry m u c h a n Io w a bo o k , filled w ith in cid en ts
a n d d e ta ils fro m th e a u th o r 's o w n life. W hile th e se ttin g of a
sta te fair in th e early p a rt of th e tw e n tie th c e n tu ry is accurately
p o rtra y e d , S to n g w a s of c o u rse w ritin g as a n o v e list a n d n o t as
a h isto ria n . T h ere is u n d e n ia b ly a n e le m e n t of m ake-believe in
State Fair. T he a u th o r w a s c re a tin g a n artistic re p re s e n ta tio n of
th e fair, n o t p re s e n tin g th e literal tru th . A s alw ay s, S tong w as
b u b b lin g w ith w h im sy a n d h u m o r.
T h e n o v e l a p p e a re d in th e late sp rin g of 1932 a n d w as w idely
re v ie w e d .7 W hile m o st of th e n o tices w e re favorable, Iow ans
te n d e d to th in k th a t th e F rake c h ild re n w e re " lo o s e ." In a letter
to h is college ro o m m a te , S to n g w ro te: " Io w a g en erally felt th at
Io w a girls w o u ld n 't d o su c h th in g s ." 8 A t th e e n d of th e year a
g o o d rev ie w in E n g la n d p ro m p te d th is co m m en t: " . . . a n d
e v e n th e w o u n d s left in m y h id e b y th e T am a T rib u n e a n d the
W h a t C h e e r G a z e tte are b e g in n in g to h e a l o v er n ic e ly ."9*
A n o th e r p le a s a n t em o llie n t w a s m o n ey . A fter p u b licatio n by
th e C e n tu ry C o m p a n y , th e b o o k becam e a L iterary G uild
S election a n d w a s r e p rin te d in 1933 b y G ro sset a n d D u n lap .
S u b se q u e n tly , th e re w e re fo re ig n e d itio n s, p a p e rb a c k s, a n d
e v e n a n A rm e d Services e d itio n . In th e fall of 1932, H olly w o o d
m a d e a film of th e b o o k w ith W ill R ogers sta rrin g as A bel Frake.
In 1945 th e b o o k b ecam e a m usical m o tio n p ictu re w ith V ivian
B laine a n d Je a n n e C ra in a n d so m e m em o rab le so n g s b y R od­
g ers a n d H a m m e rs te in su c h as " G ra n d N ig h t for S in g in g " a n d
6Phil Stong, State Fair (New York: The Century Co., 1932), 252.
7Among the major reviews were Louis Kronenberger, "The Brighter Side
of Farm Life," The New York Times Book Review (May 8, 1932) 6; Robert
Cantwell, "This Side of Paradise," The New Republic, 71 (July 6, 1932), 215-16;
Garreta Busey, "Middle West New Style," New York Herald Tribune Books
(May 8, 1932) 1-2; and Arthur Ruhl, "Iowa, Old Style," The Saturday Review of
Literature, 8 (May 7, 1932), 713.
8Letter, Phil Stong to Harvey Davis, September 19, 1932, Manuscript
Letters Collection, Special Collections Department, The University of Iowa
Libraries, Iowa City.
9Letter, Phil Stong to "Folks," December 9, 1932, Stong Papers, Drake
University.
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" It M ig h t as W ell be S p rin g ." Finally, a film w ith a Texas s e ttin g
w as rele ase d in 1962. W ith th e in co m e h e e a rn e d fro m State
Fair, S to n g w a s able to b u y h is m o th e r's fam ily farm , th e
G eorge C. D uffield E state called " L in w o o d F a rm ," ju s t n o rth of
th e g h o st to w n of P ittsb u rg o n th e w e s t side of th e D es M o in es
River. T he a u th o r m a d e m a n y im p ro v e m e n ts o n th e farm
w h ic h h e th e n re n te d to a te n a n t.
A fter his success w ith State Fair, Phil S to n g w e n t o n to w rite
m ore th a n fo rty b o o k s, m a n y of th e m se t in th e K eo sa u q u a
area. W h e n n o t w ritin g a d u lt fiction, h e trie d h is h a n d at
c h ild re n 's books. "I u s e th e p iec e s to clear m y th ro a t b e tw e e n
boo k s to re m in d m y self th a t d irectio n , sim plicity, a n d s u s p e n s e
are th e sine qua non of all n a rra tiv e w r itin g ." 10 H is favorite
a m o n g h is o w n b o o k s w a s Buckskin Breeches (1937), a histo rical
novel b a s e d o n h is g ra n d fa th e r D u ffie ld 's m e m o rie s of fro n tie r
Io w a .11 Phil S to n g d ie d a t h is h o m e in ru ra l w e s te rn C o n n e c t­
icut in 1957, b u t h is m o st fam o u s b o o k lives o n in Io w a 's
literary heritag e.
10"Phil Stong" in More Junior Authors (New York: H. W. Wilson, 1963), 197.
11Louie W. Attebery, "Phil Stong's Buckskin Breeches," The Palimpsest, 68
(Winter 1987), 184-88.
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