Zane Grey's West Society

08/14/2026

07/28/2026

If anyone asks if Zane Grey owned any dories on the Rogue River, you likely can say, "Yes." He owned Winkle Bar and this dory has the name written right on it. Zane Grey's West Society Archives is proud to announce a new exhibit entitled "Archival Photographs of Grey’s Boats and Ships". This image is one of dozens of images showing boats all the way from canoes to passenger liners. We appreciate Ed Pritchard's input in developing this exhibit. https://zgws.org/archives/exhibits/show/navy

Scotia

credit: BYU, L.Tom Perry Collections, MSS8710

07/25/2026

Before he became one of the best-selling American authors of the 20th century, Zane Grey was a dentist writing manuscripts whenever he could find the time. He spent years collecting rejection letters before finally breaking through with Riders of the Purple Sage. Success rarely happens overnight.

06/17/2026

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Shinumo Creek, Grand Canyon

Far from the crowded overlooks of the Grand Canyon, Shinumo Creek was one of the remote wilderness areas explored by Zane Grey and his close friend, frontier guide C. J. “Buffalo” Jones. In the early 1900s, reaching this rugged canyon required days of travel by horseback and on foot through some of the most isolated terrain in the American West.

Grey ventured into the Shinumo region while exploring the North Rim and the country surrounding the Kaibab Plateau. The area’s sheer red cliffs, hidden springs, and narrow canyon passages became part of the landscape that fueled many of his Western novels. Unlike famous destinations such as Rainbow Bridge, Shinumo Creek remained largely unknown to the public, making it exactly the kind of frontier country Grey sought out.

His journeys through places like Shinumo Creek helped shape his vision of the West—not as a tourist destination, but as a vast, wild, and often unforgiving landscape where adventure still existed beyond the edge of the map. Today, hikers and river runners who visit the creek experience terrain that remains remarkably similar to what Grey encountered more than a century ago.

06/01/2026

Zane Grey’s West Society is proud to present the first in a series of videos celebrating the life, legacy, and literary influence of Zane Grey.

Featuring sweeping visuals and compelling storytelling, this production explores Grey’s enduring connection to the landscapes that inspired his work and helped define the American West. The film includes interviews with leading Zane Grey scholars and historians who examine his impact on Western literature, film, and popular culture.

Presented by Zane Grey’s West Single Action Shooting Society (SASS)
Produced by Emmy Award-winning Quantum Leap Productions

Supported by gifts from Charles & Jennifer Sands and the Zane Grey’s West Society Endowment Fund

Sweeping, memorable visuals, along with engaging audio demonstrate ...

05/25/2026

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: Catalina Island

Perched high above Avalon Harbor on Santa Catalina Island, Zane Grey built one of the island’s most recognizable homes in the 1920s. Designed in a Pueblo Revival style with adobe-inspired walls and sweeping ocean views, the house became both a retreat and creative workspace for the famed Western author. Grey spent years on Catalina fishing, writing, and entertaining guests at the property, which overlooked the Pacific from the hills above Avalon. The residence later became known for its distinctive architecture and dramatic setting, remaining an enduring piece of Catalina Island history even after suffering damage from a 1930s fire and later redevelopment.

05/20/2026

I'd be surprised if anyone can identify this boat and what Zane Grey used it for.

05/07/2026

PHOTO OF THE WEEK: Santa Barbara, CA Waterfall - Postcard from Dolly and Zane Grey's Honeymoon

Zane Grey and Lina Elise (Dolly) Roth were married in 1905 after dating for five, somewhat tulmultuous and sometimes steamy, years. She was much younger and studying to become a school teacher. Dolly recognized Zane's writing potential and became his mentor. Even before their marriage, she met with publishers to promote Grey's early works.

"Postcards from Zane and Dolly Grey's Honeymoon" (https://zgws.org/archives/exhibits/show/honeymoon-postcards) provides a snapshot of the places the couple visited on their honeymoon, likely financed from Dolly's small inheritance. Zane sent these seventeen postcards to his brother, R.C. Grey. Many include his own handwritten comments.

These images are provided courtesy of Brigham Young University's L. Tom Perry Collections.

03/28/2026

In 1936, Zane Grey wrote a short piece titled “The Madness of the Game.” Most readers took it as a straightforward reflection on fly fishing. One passage, though, stands out.

“In Newfoundland I fished the South Shore rivers… Burnt Island Brook, Grandy’s Brook, the Gray River and the Bay du Nord… I also had a crack at the Miramichi, and some rivers of the Gaspé Peninsula…”

For many Grey fans, this is unexpected.

For years, historians have worked to map where Grey spent his time, often with a high level of confidence. Yet this passage places him fishing in Newfoundland, the Miramichi River, and the Gaspé Peninsula—locations that are not widely documented in his known travels.

It raises a simple question: how do these trips fit into what we thought we knew?

This presentation looks at two months Grey spent fishing for Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland, drawing on material that has largely remained in private and archival collections for decades.

He was joined by a small group that included:

* R.C. Grey, his brother and longtime companion
* Romer Grey, his son
* Bob Carney, photographer and family friend
* Captain Laurie Mitchell, a guide from Nova Scotia
* George Takahashi, his cook and fishing partner

Even well-documented lives can still leave a few gaps.

Click the link below to read more about Grey's family trip to Newfoundland straight from our archives: https://zgws.org/archives/exhibits/show/zanegreynl