Margaret Prescott Montague, Author, Letters

Access and use

Location of collection:
West Virginia and Regional History Center
West Virginia & Regional History Center
West Virginia University
P.O. Box 6069
1549 University Avenue
Morgantown, WV 26506
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Lori Hostuttler
Phone: (304) 293-3536
Restrictions:

No special access restriction applies.

Terms of access:

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Margaret Prescott Montague, Author, Letters, A&M 2218, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Summary

Extent:
0.1 Linear Feet Summary: 1/2 in. (1 folder)
Creator:
Montague, Margaret Prescott, 1878-1955
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Margaret Prescott Montague, Author, Letters, A&M 2218, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Background

Scope and content:

Margaret Prescott Montague (1878-1955) of White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and Richmond, Virginia, was an American short story writer, novelist, and O. Henry Award winner in the early twentieth century; she penned some of her work under the pseudonym Jane Steger. Approximately thirty letters written by Montague to her friend Maggie McGee document Montague's personal life and literary career. Three letters at the beginning of the collection indicate how the friendship began, when McGee discovered that Montague was the writer behind the pseudonym Jane Steger. The other letters contain information about Montague's family life, philosophical and religious beliefs, interest in music, trips to White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, literary efforts, and political and social activity, including her work with blind and deaf children. Collection also contains several short poems, a dialogue, and an essay penned by Margaret Montague.

Biographical / historical:

Margaret Prescott Montague (1978-1955) was an American short story writer and novelist in the early twentieth century; she penned some of her work under the pseudonym Jane Steger. Montague was born in White Sulpher Springs, West Virginia, on November 29, 1878. In 1919 she won the O'Henry Award for her story "England to America," which had been published in the Atlantic Monthly in September 1918. In addition to publishing stories in the Atlantic Monthly and Harper's, Montague also published novels with Houghton Mifflin Company and the Baker & Taylor Company. Some of her other works include "Why It Was W-On-The-Eyes" (1913), "The Will to Go" (1913), The Sowing of Alderson Cree (1907), Closed Doors: Studies of Deaf and Blind Children (1915), Of Water and the Spirit (1916), England to America (1920), and Up Eel River (1928). She also published Leaves from a Secret Journal as Jane Steger in 1926. Several of her books were made into movies. Margaret Prescott Montague died in September 1955.

Physical location:
West Virginia and Regional History Center / West Virginia University / 1549 University Avenue / P.O. Box 6069 / Morgantown, WV 26506-6069 / Phone: 304-293-3536 / URL: https://wvrhc.lib.wvu.edu/
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Describing Archives: A Content Standard