Edward Payson Roe

Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V. and of Hampton Hospital during the Civil War, during which time he submitted weekly dispatches to the New York Evangelist. He served as pastor at Highland Falls, New York after the war, and in 1874 devoted himself to writing and horticulture.[Wikipedia: Edward Roe]

“Roe first turned to a literary career after the Chicago fire of 1871. Deeply moved by the tragedy, he visited Chicago and penned his first novel, Barriers Burned Away, which proved a tremendous success. Rev. Roe died suddenly of a heart attack at the age of fifty after an evening reading aloud to his family."[Monte Wilson]

His books include:

  • Miss Lou (unfinished)
  • An Original Belle
  • A Young Girl’s Wooing
  • The Earth Trembled
  • A Knight of the 19th Century
  • A Day of Fate
  • Opening a Chestnut Burr
  • Barriers Burned Away
  • He Fell in Love with His Wife
  • A Face Illumined
  • From Jest to Earnest
The Great Chicago Fire: Barriers Burned Away by Edward Roe
The Great Chicago Fire: Barriers Burned Away by Edward Roe

“Barriers Burned Away, a story of the Great Chicago Fire, was first published serially in a magazine, the New York Evangelist. In 1872, when it came out in book form, it shortly became the most popular book of the year. When his next two novels achieved similar success, Roe decided to leave the ministry and give full time to writing. He believed he could reach more people with the message of Christianity through his writing than through preaching. He eventually would write about a dozen more novels, as well as a number of popular short stories. He also wrote a non-fiction book, Success with Small Fruits, primarily about the cultivation of strawberries.” – Bob Sander-Cederlof

19 Aug 2019

He Fell In Love With His Wife: a novel by Edward Roe
He Fell In Love With His Wife: a novel by Edward Roe

This book was inspired by a newspaper account telling of a widowed farmer who visited the county poor house, looking for a good housekeeper. He is supposed to have said, “If there is a worthy woman here, I will marry her.”

12 Aug 2019

Edward Payson Roe

Edward Payson Roe (1838-1888) was educated at Williams College and Auburn Theological Seminary. He was chaplain of the Second New York Cavalry, U.S.V. and of Hampton Hospital during the Civil War, during which time he submitted weekly dispatches to the New York Evangelist. He served as pastor at Highland Falls, New York after the war, and in 1874 devoted himself to writing and horticulture.[Wikipedia: Edward Roe]

1 Jan 0001