James Whitcomb Riley

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For the former passenger train, see James Whitcomb Riley (passenger train).

James Whitcomb Riley, circa 1913

James Whitcomb Riley (Greenfield, Indiana October 7, 1849 – July 22, 1916), American writer and poet called the "Hoosier poet" and America's "Children's Poet" made a start writing newspaper verse in Hoosier dialect for the Indianapolis Journal in 1875. Some of his phrases remained in the popular repertory after the poems were no longer read, such as: "when the frost is on the punkin." Known for his dialect recitations and pithy pragmatic remarks, his popular verse was humorous or sentimental— one of whose sentimental poems was "Little Orphant Annie". He knew the secret of his own success: “simple sentiments that come from the heart”, and satisfied his public with modest verse that was "heart high." He supported himself touring with dialect and public readings of his poetry. His favorite authors were Burns and Dickens. His last collection was Knee Deep in June (1912).

"The Old Swimming Hole" that appears in Riley's poems is now a large and well-used park on the east side of Greenfield.

As the "People's Laureate," his poems were considered so inspiring, in 1915 the Secretary of the Interior suggested that one of his poems be read in each schoolhouse in the land.

"When I see a bird that walks like a duck and swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, I call that bird a duck."— James Whitcomb Riley

After his death, Riley was honored by the city with his burial at Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, Indiana, on the highest point in the cemetery, which overlooks the city and is one of the highest points in the metropolitan area.

Statue honoring James Whitcomb Riley on courthouse lawn in Greenfield, Indiana

[edit] Legacy

In 1916 a group of prominent citizens from Indianapolis who knew Riley started the Riley Memorial Association (now the Riley Children's Foundation) to build a children's hospital in memory of Riley. The James Whitcomb Riley Hospital for Children opened in 1924. The foundation also purchased the poet's home on Lockerbie Street in downtown Indianapolis; today, the James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is the only late-Victorian preservation that is open to the public. In 1950, the foundation started Camp Riley, a camp in south central Indiana for children with disabilities. Also in 1924, James Whitcomb Riley High School opened in South Bend, Indiana. As a lasting tribute, the citizens of Greenfield hold a festival every year in Riley's honor. Taking place the first weekend of October, the Riley Festival is traditionally started with the flower parade: a parade in which the local elementary school children place flowers around the statue of Riley on the county courthouse lawn.