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Snapshot 1822 – Before the last Mohican tugged at our heartstrings…

When one thinks of James Fenimore Cooper [1] they no doubt think of his classic novel, “The Last of the Mohicans” – an extraordinarily compelling account (albeit fictional) of the attack on Fort William Henry during the French and Indian War. However, somewhat lost over time is his highly respected work from 5 years prior which brought him national attention and respect as an American novelist: “The Spy” (another work of historical fiction but set during the American Revolution). While still early in his career, the Feb. 2, 1922 Columbian Centinel [2] had a nice report announcing its release and included a mention of “coming attractions”. It also made reference to his deceased father, a former New York State Judge and Senator. Although not mentioned in the article, the reading of it inspired me to do a little digging at which point I discovered his boyhood home was in the village of Cooperstown, New York, which had been named after his family.