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Clarence Mulford, the creator of the renowned Western character Hopalong Cassidy, was born in Streator, Illinois, in 1883 to a prominent family with roots in America dating back to 1643. Notably, over 20 members of the Mulford family fought in the American Revolution.
After completing college, Mulford worked for the "Municipal Journal and Engineer" newspaper in New York while writing stories on the side. His first story appeared in "Metropolitan" magazine, followed by a series of "Bar 20" short stories featuring Hopalong Cassidy in "Outing" magazine. Mulford stated that his initial Western books were based on historical data about the American West, but his later works drew from extensive travels across the region. He maintained a card file with over 17,000 entries covering topics such as fur trapping, cattle drives, the Pony Express, and the freight-wagon industry.
For many years, Mulford was displeased with the film adaptations of Hopalong Cassidy. In his novels, Cassidy was a rough, irritable, foul-mouthed, and crusty old man, whereas the movies portrayed him as a clean-cut, articulate, courteous, and distinguished gentleman, played by William Boyd. Eventually, Mulford accepted the differences and even agreed to meet Boyd, which he had previously refused to do; the two developed a good rapport.
Mulford passed away in Portland, Maine, on May 10, 1956. He had sustained lung damage from smoke inhalation during a fire in 1947 and died from complications following surgery to repair the injury.
