James Beardsley Hendryx, (December 9, 1880 – March 1, 1963) was an American author of western fiction.

Life and career

James Hendryx was born in Sauk Centre, Minnesota in 1880. He attended local schools in Sauk Centre and went to the University of Minneapolis for two years. He worked as a newspaperman in Springfield, Ohio and was a special writer for the Cincinnati Enquirer. He also worked at various jobs including salesman, tan bark buyer, cowboy, and construction foreman.^[1]

He was a prolific writer finishing over 40 novels and several short stories. He also wrote one screenplay. All of his work was in the western fiction genre. He set most of his books in Canada, Alaska, or Montana. His novels portrayed Canada as a lawful and orderly place with reliable police and civilized court system. He compared this unfavorably to Alaska and Montana as relatively lawless places where criminals could find a safe haven.^[1]

Many of his books were parts of series. He wrote a series of books based on Corporal Downey of the Northwest Mounted Police. Another series centred on Halfaday Creek and he wrote a series of juvenile books called the Connie Morgan series.^[1]

He married Hermione Flagler in 1915. They had a daughter, Hermione, born in 1918, a daughter, Betty, born in 1921 and a son, James, born UKN. He died in Traverse City, Michigan at the age of 82.

Works

Source:^[2]