Margaret Jewett Bailey
Margaret Jewett Bailey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Jewett Smith c. 1812 Saugus, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | May 17, 1882 (aged 69–70) Seattle, Washington, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Ruth Rover |
| Occupations |
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| Notable work | The Grains |
| Spouse(s) | William J. Bailey (m. 1839-1854; divorced) Francis Waddle (1855-1858; divorced) Mr. Crane (18??) |
Margaret Jewett Bailey (née Smith; later Waddle and Crane; c. 1812 – 1882) was an American pioneer, missionary, and author from Oregon.
Bailey, using the pen name Ruth Rover, wrote one of the earliest literary works published in Oregon, The Grains, or, Passages in the Life of Ruth Rover, with Occasional Pictures of Oregon, Natural and Moral. According to historian Edwin Bingham in the foreword to the 1986 edition, Grains is "part autobiography, part religious testimonial, part history and travelogue", but "by stretching the definition, The Grains may be called a novel, the first novel written and published on the Pacific coast."