Outagamie County, WI - "Shiocton Songwriter Had Varied Background" ************************************************************* USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net ************************************************************* Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives Subject: newspaper article "Shiocton Songwriter Had Varied Background" Submitted by: county coordinator EMAIL: jmmarasch@aol.com Date Submitted: 15 March 2000 Source: New London Press newspaper article from Bicentennial issue, undated. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Shiocton Songwriter Had Varied Backgroun Shiocton Songwriter Had Varied Background It's hard to believe that a young man of 20 wrote the words to the love song, "Silver Threads Among the Gold", popular tune of the last century, seeing the words reflect the affections of old folks. One hundred nine years ago this song was written by Eben E. Rexford, a teenage rural Shiocton poet, later to become the Shiocton Man of Letters, and one of Wisconsin's most gifted sons. Although to many, Rexford's fame may rest on this authorship--penned as a poem while he was a student at Lawrence college--song writing was the least of his talents. He was a noted author in the field of floriculture, his real interest. Claims are made that Rexford never left his home for fame and fortune; he was content to live out his life in the village of Shiocton, tending his gardens, growing his flowers and plants, and making a living by writing. However, 100 years ago the Appleton Crescent said: "Eben E. Rexford has left us, and now fills a position on the editorial staff of the Milwaukee Sentinnel. We are sorry to part with Eben, but can only submit to the decree of fate, and let him depart with our blessing." Another Crescent article of 1886 on this versatile man stated that he "writes verses, cultivates flowers, writes articles on their culture for a half dozen magazines, weaves romances and performs the duties of postmaster at Shiocton." He also was an organist of ability. As for his song writing, his original poem called "Growing Old", authored in 1866, sold for $3.00 to a New York newspaper. The check from Frank Leslie's was for a 32-line contribution to it's "Chimney Corner". A few years later a New York musician, H.P. Danks, wrote to Rexford asking for some verses to be set to music. Rexford sent a revised version of his old poem and called it by the "now" familiar song title. Danks liked it, composed the music, and had it published. The song caught on, and for the next century, America's homes, theatres, barbershops and canoe-dotted lakes echoed Rexford's simple song of love that never waned. He also wrote the lyrics for another number popular in its day, "Only a Pansy Blossom." Also in 1876 Rexford authored a dramatic Cantata entitled "Lost and Saved", which was presented in Bertschy Hall, Appleton, under the direction of Professor Towne, who composed the music. He contributed short stories and poems to most of the leading periodicals and in 1886 he published "Brother and Lover" a romance of the Civil War-in verse. He authored several books on flowers including such titles as "Grandmother's Garden", "Home Floriculture", "A Word About Bulbs", "Swamp Secrets", "Indoor Gardening", "Four Seasons in the Garden", "The Home Garden" and others. Rexford also authored a book of poems "Golden Days" and "Pansies and Rosemary" was a book of poems dedicated to the Memory of his wife, published in Oct. 1910. In the year 1900 his interesting articles on flowers first became a feature of Lippincott's Magazine-a feature that was carried year after year and later became the book "Four Seasons in the Garden". Rexford next turned his attention to vegetables and small fruits for the magazine, and in 1909 became the book "The Home Garden" which featured a monthly gardener's calendar. In 1910 he authored "Indoor Gardening", and in the autumn of the same year "Pansies and Rosemary", a collection of verses was brought out by him. A well-known newspaper editor wrote of the verses: "They strike a note of deep sympathy". Rexford autographed one of these books to New London's W.H. Hatton on Oct. 28, 1910. A year later he authored "Amateur Garden-craft" - a book for Garden Lovers and Homemakers - during the years he had also been engaged in stories for children and other fiction. "Home Floriculture" his first book had been published nearly 25 years before, and was a continual best seller. "Garden-craft" was the outcome of 30 years of his personal experiences on flower culture. He enthused his readers and gave them confidence. Letters flocked in from readers, even from foreign countries, and the Record-Herald of Chicago review praised the book. Rexford said: "A garden well treated WILL pay", and "There is no such thing as knack in gardening, it is all KNOW-HOW! " His biography sketch by Mary L.P. Smith reads: "Few people knew Mr. Rexford face to face, although his writings introduced him to countless firesides around the world. He had many invitations to sit upon platforms where people were clamoring to do him honor. But his dislike for anything like empty show, pomp, or notoriety kept him aloof from such places." Rexford's youth and boyhood were spent on the farm and in the district school of the neighborhood in much the same way as other boys and girls of the pioneer days. The nearest market was Appleton, and the only means of transportation then was a team of oxen. The first team of horses was a great occasion. He should have been an ordinary farmer of those days, but this boy loved to study soils and experiment with growing things. He preferred to work among the flowers and in the garden rather than in the fields. At the end of his parent's farm-house, he built a conservatory and his father nearly had a fit for fear the whole house would cave in before it was finished. He enrolled at Lawrence College and there became quite a literary lion among the students although in no way did he seem conscious of it or puffed up, said a classmate, because he had written poems and stories for publication long before his collegiate days. He wrote many short love stories for the New York Ledger, getting about $5 per story. Lawrence College in 1908 conferred upon him the honory degree of Litt.D., eight years before his death. In a career ending with his death in 1916, Rexford distinguished himself as a floriculturist, author of books on gardening, children's tales, poetry, short stories and hymns. In an editorial tribute at the time of his death, the Appleton Post said in part: "The death of Eben E. Rexford removes Wisconsin's best-known poet, a sweet singer in the best sense of the word through his expressions, in many ways, the world's comfort and happiness have been increased." Of him, his hometown paper said back in October, 1916: "His home life was simple and ideal. He loved his home, his flowers, and his church, and provided liberally for them." "His writings brought him a good income, but the only value he gave to money was the good he could do with it. His thoughts were always for others and these were made manifest in his writings." Rexford was born at Johnsburg, New York, on July 16, 1848, came to Wisconsin at the age of seven, when his family moved to an Ellington township farm in Outagamie county. In the early '80's he built a Shiocton home, which was destroyed by fire in 1890, just before the eve of his marriage to Mrs. Harriet (Bauman) Horsh. He lost his work-sheet copy of "Silver Threads" and many other manuscripts. Advertising, however, brought back copies from all over the world, through clippings. He rebuilt his home which still stands on the banks of the river at Shiocton. He was appointed postmaster of Shiocton in Cleveland's first administration and also acted as town clerk of Bovina Township. Rexford was not a traveler--only one journey of considerable length was made by him. In 1876 he visited the World's Columbian Exposition at Philadelphia. He enjoyed visiting Shiocton's depot, and talking with incoming and outgoing travelers. A memorial was dedicated to him in Shiocton in 1930 and it still stands as a tribute to him - the study in his home, where he did his writing, has been recreated as a Rexford Museum room in the Clintonville Finney Public Library. Much of the collecting was done by the late Walter A. Olen of that city. The memorial, dedicated July 16, 1930, is a bronze tablet imbedded in a large granite boulder. It is inscribed "Eben E. Rexford, Author Silver Threads Among the Gold. Born Johnsburg, New York, July 16, 1848. Located in this vicinity in 1855. Died Shiocton, October 16, 1916. "To Everyone God Gives a Share of Work to do, Sometime, Somewhere." The last quotation from one of Rexford's poems. While the curtain was being taken from the memorial the audience sang "Silver Threads Among the Gold", accompanied by a band. - Mr. Rexford pursued success by recognizing service to others was life's highest calling. Newspaper comments at the time of his death were published in Wisconsin papers including the Milwaukee Journal, Green Bay Gazette, Oshkosh Northwestern, Wisconsin Agriculturist, Milwaukee Free Press, Appleton Post and his home paper.