User:Peteforsyth/Mrs. O. Feigum

Mrs. O. Feigum was the pen name of Florence Mary Post Feigum, a "wide-eyed country correspondent" from Sweet Home in the U.S. State of Oregon. Her columns in The Oregonian and elsewhere chronicled the local habitat. Feigum attributed many of her story ideas to listening in on local party lines. In covering the paper's launch, the Oregonian challenged the New Era to live up to Feigum's having "given renown to her dwelling place." Feigum, who died in 1936, gained national recognition as one of the best country correspondents, winning an award from Country Home. Feigum's influence, and her affiliation with the New Era, were remarked by the Oregonian as late as 1948. Her illness had previously been reported in ''Time.

She is credited with having informed Lewis Ankeny McArthur, author of Oregon Geographic Names, that the city of Sweet Home had almost been named "Buckhead."

When she developed a serious illness in 1936, she was initially unable to submit her column to the Oregonian. She did later submit letters, both in her own handwriting and via dictation to a nephew. At least 98 friends and fans visited her during her illness, and some purchased her songs, which she had long aspired to sell.

"Until her death in 1936, Mrs. Feigum was surely Sweet Home's greatest claim to fame."

Stray notes

 * Full page (+) feature on Mrs. Feigum on section 6/Page 1 of Sunday Oregonian, March 16, 1930
 * Feigum and/or her husband were mentioned many times in the Albany Democrat-Herald. Need to gain access to archives. July 16, 1925; December 30, 1925; May 16, 1931; March 20, 1935; March 19, 1936; June 2, 1953.

Category:People from Sweet Home, Oregon