About the author
Harold W Felton (1902–91) was born in Iowa, and educated at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska and the University of Nebraska, ultimately studying law, which he practised for five years before working with the Internal Revenue Service. Here he worked until his retirement, but while he worked, he wrote. His principle interest was in American folklore and tall tales, and he wrote about figures such as Pecos Bill, John Henry, Fire Fightin’ Mose, and Bowleg Bill. His horse books mostly centre around Pecos Bill, whom he referred to as “the first cowboy”.
Finding the books
Justin Morgan is available as POD; the others are all reasonably easy to find.
Links and sources
Harold Felton’s papers at the University of Nebraska
Series
Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill, Texas Cowpuncher
New Tall Tales of Pecos Bill
Pecos Bill and the Mustang
Bibliography (horse books only)
Pecos Bill, Texas Cowpuncher
Knopf, New York, 1949, 177 pp, illus Aldren Auld Watson
A collection of stories about Pecos Bill, including how he got his first horse, and how he acquired the rest of his horses.
New Tall Tales of Pecos Bill
Hale, 1958, 164 pp, illus William Moyers
Pecos Bill rides again: in this collection, he and his horse Widow Maker jump the Grand Canyon, and a terrible accident with the sourdough creates the Appaloosa. Who knew?
Sergeant O’Keefe and his Mule Balaam
Dodd, Mead, New York, 1962, 94 pp, illus Leonard Everett Fisher
Another collection of stories. In this one, Sergeant O’Keefe and his mule white wash the top of Pikes Peaks to make up for the fact there is no snow, amongst many other adventures.
A Horse Named Justin Morgan
Dodd Mead, New York, 1962, 160 pp, illus Leonard Everett Fisher
Justin Morgan tells his children stories about how he came to take the first Morgan horse in payment of a debt.
Pecos Bill and the Mustang
Prentice-Hall, New Jersey, 1965, illus Leonard Shortall
The further adventures of Pecos Bill.