Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History
The Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History honors a work of popular history about the Midwest published in the previous calendar year that contributes to broader public reflection and appreciation of the region’s past. The award is named after the Midwestern writer Hamlin Garland, a product of Wisconsin, Iowa, and South Dakota who sought to promote writing about his home region and published widely in popular outlets. His many books include Daughter of the Middle Border, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1922. Works of popular history eligible for the prize include books written for a broad public audience.
The Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History committee selected Gregg Andrews, Shantyboats and Roustabouts: The River Poor of St. Louis, 1875-1930 (Baton Rouge, LA: Louisiana University Press, 2022) as the 2023 recipient from a field of strong contenders.
The committee commends Dr. Andrews for an insightful look into the St. Louis River region of the Midwest. This readable book balances the urban history of mobile shantytowns and the cultural, social, and economic ecology their presence represented in the region. Regarding the watery region outside of St. Louis, Andrews notes that “The levee shaped them, and they, in turn, left a mark on American culture for decades to come as St. Louis transformed from a river town into an industrial city.” (14) Andrews drew on a variety of sources to frame the culturally rich and significant region, such as the plethora of newspaper sources, travel guides, court cases, the rich and varied literary tradition of the region, and a variety of archival sites ranging from municipal library collections to the Library of Congress. The committee applauded Andrews’ focus on a region often ignored and his nod to St. Louis as a water belt being able to connect to the broader Midwest and South. In recreating the landscapes of the river poor in the region, Andrews provides a vital insight into the daily struggles of a community derived into classist and racist caricatures. In doing so, readers of the broader Midwest will find many familiar themes, such as segregation, vigilantism, class, industrialization, urbanization, and many more. This is a superb contribution to many fields, not only Midwest History, and is a vital example of building history from the ground up.
Past Prize Recipient
2021 Recipient: Greg Zipes, Justice and Faith: The Frank Murphy Story (University of Michigan Press)
The Hamlin Garland Prize in Popular History committee selected Greg Zipes, Justice and Faith: The Frank Murphy Story (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2021) as the recipient from a field of strong contenders. The committee commends attorney Zipes for an inspiring biography of Frank Murphy (1890-1949). Zipes describes Murphy as erudite, but with “a gift for communicating in a manner that people could understand” (14). This readable book balances Murphy’s accomplishments and foibles in ways that should appeal to public audiences but that also should prompt readers to think deeply about the rightness of social justice causes. Zipes drew on archival materials (some newly available) as the basis for this fresh look at Murphy and his career. Born and raised in Harbor Beach, Michigan, Murphy remained connected to his hometown throughout his life. He attended school in Michigan, served in World War I, worked as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Detroit, served as mayor of Detroit, then as the top appointed U.S. official to the Philippines, then as Governor of Michigan, U.S. Attorney General, and ultimately as a Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States (appointed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt). While the relationship between biography and history can often be a complicated tightrope to traverse, Zipes meets the challenge. Justice and Faith positions Frank Murphy as an individual who helped redefine the United States, stressing the need for a justice system that supported everyone’s ability to survive and thrive. He was not afraid to challenge power in his pursuit of fairness. He built his career around that cause, and what a career it was.
Photo by Cory Haala