Lyman Frank Baum

  • Most well-known for his Wizard of Oz books, he once created a window display for the Pitkin and Brooks china and glass company that featured the Tin Woodman, made out of household items such as  a pan, stovepipe, and wash boiler.

 

  • Baum received his first job when he was 14, as a printer for his neighborhood newspaper.

 

  • His first book was all about chickens, and was titled The Book of the Hamburgs: A Brief Treatise upon the Mating, Rearing, and Management of the Different Varieties of Hamburgs. Yup, before Dorothy came along, he wrote about poultry.

 

  • He loved holidays! One of his trades was selling fireworks, and he would put on intricate displays for the Fourth of July, while he pretended to be Santa for his family on Christmas.