The Zane Grey House: An Unusual Love Story
Perched on a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Lackawaxen and Delaware Rivers, with a sweeping view of the historic Roebling Bridge, the Zane Grey House is a must-see destination. Today, visitors come for the scenery, the history, and the chance to spot bald eagles from the boat launch just below. Yet, the most captivating aspect of this landmark lies in the unusual love story that shaped it.
I first fell in love with Zane Grey’s writing when I read Riders of the Purple Sage. His descriptions are so vivid you can almost smell the desert air and taste the dust of the trail. Like Louis L’Amour, Grey is credited with romanticizing the mystique of the cowboy. Over his lifetime, he authored 89 western adventure novels, and an astounding 112 films were adapted from his stories.
Born Pearl Zane Grey in January 1872 in Zanesville, Ohio, Grey attended Penn State on a baseball scholarship while studying dentistry. After graduating in 1896, he opened a practice in New York City but wrote at night to escape the drudgery of his profession. An avid outdoorsman, he often escaped to the Delaware River to fish and camp with his brother. It was during one of these trips that he met Lina “Dolly” Roth, a local schoolteacher from a prominent family.
Zane and Dolly married in 1905 and settled in Lackawaxen, raising three children—Romer, Betty, and Loren—in the home that now bears his name. Dolly’s inheritance and business savvy were instrumental in Zane’s success. She left her teaching job, edited his manuscripts, and negotiated contracts with publishers and film studios. Remarkably, the couple split their earnings fifty-fifty, with Dolly managing household expenses from her share.
While Dolly built his career and tended to their family, Zane was often away—fishing, traveling, and engaging in numerous love affairs. Dolly, aware of his nature, accepted his behavior. Zane made no apologies; he was honest from the start about the kind of husband he would be. Despite this unconventional arrangement, their deep bond endured, documented in their heartfelt correspondence. Dolly and Zane Grey: Letters from a Marriage by Candace Kant (2011) offers a fascinating glimpse into their relationship and the early 20th-century publishing and film industries.
Beyond his iconic westerns, Grey wrote two hunting books, six children’s books, three baseball books, and eight fishing books, many of which became bestsellers. During the height of his career (1917–1926), he appeared on the top ten best-seller list nine times, each requiring sales of over 100,000 copies. Even after his death, his publisher, Harper, released new titles annually until 1963, thanks to a stockpile of manuscripts.
Through Zane’s words and Dolly’s unwavering support, the Greys lived a life full of adventure—most of it in California, but their hearts remained tied to the Delaware River. Today, they rest side by side in Lackawaxen, the place they loved most.
For more information on visiting the Zane Grey House, visit:
http://www.nps.gov/upde/historyculture/zanegrey.htm