James Whitcomb RILEYBy: Allison Rose Stogsdill

ChildhoodBorn October 2, 1849

Born in Greenfield, Indiana

Loved to read as a kid

Zachary Taylor was President

Already starting to write

FamilyMother wrote poems published in a Hancock

newspaper.

She died two years before he became a sign

painter.

His dad, attorney Reuben Riley was

Greenfield’s first mayor.

Dad also left to serve as a captain in the Civil

War, he survived

Riley was eleven.

How Riley Became FamousStarted as a painter and traveled with medicine.Also entertained crowds that came to the

wagon.Writing got him a job on the Anderson Democrat news paper in 1877.

“Poe poem” was published across the country

by excited newspaper editorsStill entertained audiences with his poetry and stories.

Awards and Honors

Bill Nye one of his admirers began a joint tour and

were signed by a booking agent about a year later.

Awarded degrees such as Yale, Penn, Indiana

University, and Wabash College.

He was united to the White House by Mrs. Grover

Cleveland.

Rudyard Kipling dedicated a poem to Riley.

All of his recitals were in Indiana.

DeathOften those closest to him realized he was

lonely and ill at the heart .

On Riley’s sixty-sixth birthday 1915 President

Wilson paid tribute.

Nine months later he died.

He died at the Lockerbie house.

Very few American poets ever been as

celebrated as Riley.

If Riley had done nothing else he introduced

poetry to thousands of people otherwise never

have read a verse.