Rowena Granice Steele (née Rowena Graniss; after first marriage,
Rowena Claughley; June , â€" February , ) was an American performer
(actress, singer, elocutionist), author of poetry and novels, as well
as a newspaper journalist, editor, and publisher. The first novel
written by a woman in California was Steele's, The Victims of Fate, a
work of fiction loosely based on David C. Broderick, the preface
stating: "Some of the incidents of this little story, (although
mingled with fiction,) are real facts. I had the honor of being
acquainted with the hero, from my earliest childhood. First as a lad
of little promise, although to use a quaint expression, King-Bee among
his boy companions. After, as a young, terprising aspirant for
political fame. Last, as the finished gentleman and a nation's pride."
Steele was well known for the entertainments which she provided during
the early days of the California Gold Rush, where, with her son,
George, she acted out scenes from Shakespeare and bits of
comedy.Rowena Granniss was born in Goshen, New York, June , . Her
parents were Harry and Julie Granniss. Her siblings were: Rodney
Grannis (-), Mary Emily Grannis (-), John V Granniss (-), Mary Grannis
(-), Harriet E Grannis (-), Joel M Grannis (-), Horace Rosive Grannis
(-), John Chandler Grannis (-), Reliance Roxanna Grannis (-), Frances
A. Granniss (-), Henry Martyn Grannis (-), Charles Norbert Grannis
(-), and Luella Grannis (-).At an early age, she showed talent for
composition, but, being of an extremely sensitive nature, her efforts
were burned as soon as written.In , she married Thomas Neptune
Claughley (â€"). While he abandoned the family in to pursue the
California Gold Rush, she performed in Barnum's American Museum in New
York City. In , she and the couple's two sons, Henry and George,
removed to California in search of Thomas. After finding him and
discovering him to be a "bum", she gave up his surname. In April of
that year, she was a performer of Shakesperian readings, songs,
dances, and Yankee stories at San Francisco's Metropolitan Theater
using the stage name "Miss Rowena Granice". In September, with Dan
Virgil Gates, she was performing a similar program in Petaluma,
California. The following month, the Trinity Times gave her
performance in Trinity County, California a poor review: "A certain
Rowena Granice sang hideously. She has no voice, or rather the voice
of a diseased crow. Rowena cannot dance, unless bears dance." In ,
Granice became the Lessee and Manager of the Sacramento Theater. In
the year and the following, she performed in various Northern
California venues including the National Theater of Sacramento in
Oroville, the Southern Mines (gold mines below the Mokelumne River),
and Folsom, as well as in the Sandwich Islands.
Rowena Claughley; June , â€" February , ) was an American performer
(actress, singer, elocutionist), author of poetry and novels, as well
as a newspaper journalist, editor, and publisher. The first novel
written by a woman in California was Steele's, The Victims of Fate, a
work of fiction loosely based on David C. Broderick, the preface
stating: "Some of the incidents of this little story, (although
mingled with fiction,) are real facts. I had the honor of being
acquainted with the hero, from my earliest childhood. First as a lad
of little promise, although to use a quaint expression, King-Bee among
his boy companions. After, as a young, terprising aspirant for
political fame. Last, as the finished gentleman and a nation's pride."
Steele was well known for the entertainments which she provided during
the early days of the California Gold Rush, where, with her son,
George, she acted out scenes from Shakespeare and bits of
comedy.Rowena Granniss was born in Goshen, New York, June , . Her
parents were Harry and Julie Granniss. Her siblings were: Rodney
Grannis (-), Mary Emily Grannis (-), John V Granniss (-), Mary Grannis
(-), Harriet E Grannis (-), Joel M Grannis (-), Horace Rosive Grannis
(-), John Chandler Grannis (-), Reliance Roxanna Grannis (-), Frances
A. Granniss (-), Henry Martyn Grannis (-), Charles Norbert Grannis
(-), and Luella Grannis (-).At an early age, she showed talent for
composition, but, being of an extremely sensitive nature, her efforts
were burned as soon as written.In , she married Thomas Neptune
Claughley (â€"). While he abandoned the family in to pursue the
California Gold Rush, she performed in Barnum's American Museum in New
York City. In , she and the couple's two sons, Henry and George,
removed to California in search of Thomas. After finding him and
discovering him to be a "bum", she gave up his surname. In April of
that year, she was a performer of Shakesperian readings, songs,
dances, and Yankee stories at San Francisco's Metropolitan Theater
using the stage name "Miss Rowena Granice". In September, with Dan
Virgil Gates, she was performing a similar program in Petaluma,
California. The following month, the Trinity Times gave her
performance in Trinity County, California a poor review: "A certain
Rowena Granice sang hideously. She has no voice, or rather the voice
of a diseased crow. Rowena cannot dance, unless bears dance." In ,
Granice became the Lessee and Manager of the Sacramento Theater. In
the year and the following, she performed in various Northern
California venues including the National Theater of Sacramento in
Oroville, the Southern Mines (gold mines below the Mokelumne River),
and Folsom, as well as in the Sandwich Islands.
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