Pearl Zane Grey was born in 1872 in Zanesville, Ohio – a town founded by maternal grandfather John McIntire. Worked as a dentist before gaining fame as an author of western tales, such as “Riders of the Purple Sage.” His wife Dolly managed his writing career and took care of the children while he philandered with mistresses and wrote books. Grey struggled with depression throughout his life, calling it “a hyena lying in ambush—that is my black spell! I conquered one mood only to fall prey to the next … I wandered about like a lost soul or a man who was conscious of imminent death.” He became one of the world’s first millionaire authors and was a favorite of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Grey died of heart failure in 1939.
