Olive E. Dana

Olive E. Dana (December 24, 1859 – February 3, 1904) was an American writer of short-stories, essays, poetry, and sketches. Her literary showed her New England heritage. She was born in Augusta, Maine, in 1859, where she always lived. After high school graduation, she began to write for the press and was a regular contributor in prose and verse to many of the literary and religious publications.

Early life and education Dana was born in Augusta, Maine, to parents James Wolcott Dana and Sarah W. Savage, a descendant of Richard Dana, whose name appears in the records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1640, and the founder of the Dana family, which included patriots, soldiers, preachers, editors, authors, scientists, college presidents and professors who contributed to the social, literary, and political advancement of the United States. Her great-grandfather, Phineas Dana, a descendant of Joseph Dana, the second son of the original Richard, settled in Oxford, Massachusetts. He married Mehitabel Wolcott, daughter of Josiah Wolcott and his wife Isabella, daughter of the Rev. John Campbell, who for 40 years as pastor of the church at Oxford, Massachusetts. An early ancestor of Dana's on the maternal side was Major Thomas Savage, who arrived in Boston from England in 1633. The New England line included James Savage, one of the earliest and most prominent settlers of Augusta, Maine.

Dana graduated from the Augusta, Maine High School in 1877, the same year she published her first article.

Career Dana’s works included poems, short stories and essays, many for young people. Her collected short stories were published in the volume Under Friendly Eaves in 1894, which revealed her New England heritage. Its 22 stories are prefaced with a poem by the author. Many were short stories for children and young people. Dana, also a poet, wrote verses that included "The Summons", "Explanation," "For Light," "Shakespeare's Day," and "It Always Comes" about nature and humanity. She also wrote a column for the Journal of Education and regularly contributed to Good Housekeeping, Portland Transcript, Illustrated Christian Weekly, and Cottage Hearth. "The Magi" is illustrative as one of her most popular poetic abilities. She published some 300 articles after her literary career began. Her work covered home topics and reviews, biographical sketches and short stories.

Personal life Between 1884 and 1904, while still writing, Dana was active in church, philanthropic and educational movements of the day and was a founder of the Current Events Club of Augusta, serving as president for two years. She was also a member of the Unity Club, and one of her most noted poems, "The Laggard Land", was written for a banquet held at this literary society.

Ill health often interfered with her writing. Dana died at age 44 in Augusta, Maine, February 3, 1904, and is interred at the Riverside Cemetery in Augusta.

Selected works

James T. Fields, 1816-1881., 1887 Columbus : birthday exercise, 1891 Thanksgiving Day, 1892 Alfred Tennsyon. A Memorial Exercise, 1892 John Greenleaf Whittier, 1892 Autumn's Promise, 1892 Flower-Faith, 1893 A Roll-Call of Heroes, 1893 Thankfulness, 1893 Some April Birthdays, 1893 Love's Errand, 1893 Memorable May Days, 1893 October Birthdays, 1893 Some September Days, 1893 Midwinter Birthdays, 1893 New England's Story, 1893 The Christmas Hope, 1894 The Silent Speech, 1894 New Year's Voices, 1894 February Birthdays, 1894 Under Friendly Eaves, 1894 Decoration Day, 1895 A Song for September, 1895 The Way of the Harvest, 1895 Portland and Its Associations, 1895 Vacation Clubs, 1895 A Believer in the Ideal, 1895 The Christ-Child's Gifts, 1895 The First Day, 1896 Abraham Lincoln. An Original Exercise for the Schoolroom, 1896 The Reapers, 1896 Arbor Day, 1896 Her Meaning, 1896 Abraham Lincoln -- the man and his work : a programme for the twelfth of February, 1897 Washington and His Friends, 1898 An Afternoon with the Old Masters, 1898 Shakespeare's Day.—April 23, 1898 Songs of Thanksgiving, 1899 Christmas Joys.—An Exercise, 1899 Planting the Trees, 1899 Our Constitution: Its Makers and Its Making, 1907