Just a day after posting a post on Will James, famous western artist and former resident of Washoe Valley, circa 1920-30, we went to the Reno Friends of the Library book sale last Sunday and found this. We had checked out all the books and Andy was still looking so I killed some time looking through the mags and was pleasantly surprised to see this cover. Gwendolyn Clancy discovered the author of her favorite childhood western books lived right here and did a wonderful article on James’ life and also did a half hour video documentary of which I have to get a copy. I also have to read his award winning book written in Washoe Valley called, “Smoky, The Cow Horse”. Supposedly it has never been out of print. This issue is October, 1990.

Will James was an artist and writer of the American West taking much of his inspiration around his home in west Washoe Valley. Born in Quebec Canada in 1892, he made his way to Nevada where he spent a little time in the Nevada State Prison in Carson City for rustling near Ely. He then worked as a stuntman in movies and served in the US Army for a year until 1919. After marrying Reno native, Alice Conradt, he began to concentrate on his lifelong interest in sketching, drawing and writing. He began selling his sketches and in 1922 sold his first story. This allowed them to live in his father-in-laws 4 room cabin on 5 acres in west Washoe Valley at the south end of Franktown Rd from where he wrote his first book, “Smoky The Cow Horse” which won a literary prize in 1927. During his several year residence and after he traveled the west developing his art and making contacts and began to be published in regional and western magazines such as the Saturday Evening Post and Sunset. In the 1930’s he moved to a ranch on Montana and then to Hollywood to work on the movie adaptation of “Smoky”. He died in 1942.
He was one of the fraternity of early 20th century western artists capturing the disappearing culture of the romantic American west of cowboys and open land. A detailed biography is here.
He wrote 24 books and hundreds of drawings and paintings and was as “well known as Will Rogers and Tom Mix.” It will be interesting to learn more about Will and try to use his art and writing to understand more about life in the 1920’s in Washoe Valley and Nevada. Books and art are sold here.
We will add more info and the art of Will James in future posts.