James Oliver Curwood was a successful literary fiction author, born in Owosso, Michigan. He was raised in a family of humble means, with his father being a cobbler and his family relocating to Erie, County Ohio due to financial difficulties. It was in Ohio that Curwood's interest in writing began, as he started creating stories at the young age of nine. After moving back to Owosso, he attended high school until the tenth grade, but his lack of interest in his studies led to his expulsion. Despite this setback, Curwood was determined to pursue his passion for writing and journalism.
Curwood was admitted to the University of Michigan in 1908 to study journalism, but he left after two years to begin his career as a reporter for the "Detroit News-Tribune." Although he did not have a high school diploma, Curwood's talent for writing was evident, and he sold his first story while working for the newspaper. In 1909, he saved enough money to travel to the Canadian northwest, which provided the inspiration for his wilderness adventure stories. The success of his novels allowed him to return to the Yukon and Alaska for several months each year, where he wrote more than thirty such books.
Curwood's writings made him a wealthy man, and in 1922, he fulfilled a childhood fantasy by building Curwood Castle in Owosso. The castle, built in the style of an 18th-century French chateau, overlooked the Shiawassee River and served as Curwood's writing studio. In addition to his castle, Curwood owned a camp in a remote area in Baraga County, Michigan, near the Huron Mountains. He was an advocate for environmentalism and was appointed to the Michigan Conservation Commission in 1926.
In 1927, while on a fishing trip in Florida, Curwood suffered a fatal bite from what was believed to be a spider, leading to health problems and infection that resulted in his death from blood poisoning. Curwood was interred in the Oak Hill Cemetery in Owosso, and his legacy lives on through Curwood Castle, which is now a museum. The city of Owosso holds the Curwood Festival each year to celebrate the city's heritage, and a mountain and park in Michigan were named in his honor.