Dolly Grey: The Woman Behind Zanesville’s Western Novel Legend
By Betsy Taylor, Educational Specialist for the Museum Association of East Muskingum, including the National Road & Zane Grey Museum and the John & Annie Glenn Museum
You know about Zane Grey, the famous western romance author from Zanesville, Ohio by his prolific writing career. But do you know about Lina Elise Roth Grey, the woman who made that career possible? Lina, called Dolly by her family and friends, was Zane’s champion as a wife, editor, advisor, emotional support system, and business manager.
An Unlikely Meeting—and a Lasting Partnership
In 1900, seventeen-year-old Dolly Roth met twenty-eight-year-old Pearl Zane Grey on the banks of the Delaware River. Dolly, her mother and two girlfriends, and Zane and his brother Romer were all enjoying an escape from the heat and noise of New York City.
Although Zane and Dolly were very different temperamentally, they were attracted to each other. Dolly had graduated Hunter College where she studied English Literature and was finishing her last semester at Columbia University with the hope of becoming a teacher. Zane had not graduated high school and had barely graduated the University of Pennsylvania with a dentistry degree.
Dolly was ambitious, intelligent, and possessed of a serene nature. She loved great literature and the music of great composers. Zane’s rough background didn’t include any of those refinements and he admitted as much. He was restless with bouts of intense focus followed by what he called “black moods.” Dolly was certain she could overlook or deal with that side of his nature. She was even certain she could tame his need for affirmation and adulation from other women. She was wrong.
Building a Literary Career Together
The couple married in November 1905 and, almost immediately, Zane began writing and handing Dolly drafts of chapters of his novel, The Last Trail. Diligently she corrected grammar and punctuation, smoothed out awkward sentences and paragraphs, offered suggestions, and eventually copied the entire manuscript in her flowing script. Except for Dolly’s use of the typewriter in later years, this would be the pattern for their working partnership for the rest of Zane’s life.
In addition to editing, Dolly became Zane’s sales representative and public relations agent. Dolly genuinely believed that Zane was destined for greatness. While publishers agreed that Zane was a competent writer who sold entertaining fiction, Dolly was convinced that he was a genius.
Holding the Family Together
When the children were born, Dolly doubled down on keeping Zane’s home fires burning. He insisted on taking safaris, hunting trips, and fishing trips to gather material for his books. Most of those trips were taken without Dolly but with a secretary, stenographer, photographer, or typist. Dolly was expected to lend legitimacy to Zane’s affairs by appearing in public with Zane and his female associates.
As much as Zane’s philandering hurt Dolly, she settled into acceptance. Leaving was not an option. Divorce carried a great stigma during those days, and Dolly had three children to consider. By that point, her financial future was tied completely to Zane’s. Having become her husband’s finance manager, she was tasked with ensuring Zane didn’t deplete their income faster than she could secure it with book sales.
Perseverance Through Hard Times
The depression hit the couple hard, and Dolly had to become creative to manage their money. She renegotiated terms with their usual publishers and courted new outlets. She became a bank president, invested what little money they had left, formed a corporation, and opened channels with the IRS to keep the corporation from going into bankruptcy. All the while Zane pressured Dolly to send him “operating” money to fund travels he insisted were legitimate business ventures.
Dolly kept the Grey family afloat even as she endured financial onslaughts and health issues including a hysterectomy. She felt that as a partner in the family corporation, she was duty-bound to soldier on.
Preserving Zane Grey’s Legacy, and Their Final Resting Place
Following Zane’s death, Dolly continued to supervise the family finances. Movies were still being made from Zane’s novels and several heretofore unpublished books were doled into the marked. The children were included in the business with each taking a business role and receiving a share of the stock.
Dolly traveled to Europe when she was able. But as she aged, her health deteriorated. She developed diabetes in the 1940s then endured a series of small strokes. In 1957, a massive stroke led to her death.
She was cremated and her ashes, along with Zane’s, are buried in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania where they started their married life.