Brewster M. Higley
Brewster Martin Higley VI (November 30, 1823 – December 9, 1911) was an otolaryngologist who became famous for writing "My Western Home". Originally written in 1871 or 1872 and published under the title "My Western Home" in the Smith County Pioneer in the fall of 1873, possibly December, this poem later became the original lyrics for the famous American folk song "Home on the Range". Because Higley wrote "Home on the Range" while living in Smith County, Kansas, and because Kansans felt it described their state very well, the Kansas legislature voted to make "Home on the Range" the official state song on April 8, 1947. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Rutland (village in Meigs County, Ohio, United States), Died December 9, 1911 (Shawnee (city in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, United States) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1928 - 1937
Roles Represented in DAHR: lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BVE-42213 | 10-in. | 4/24/1928 | Home on the range | Jules Verne Allen | Male vocal solo, with guitar (self-accompaniment) | lyricist | |
| Victor | BRC-69655 | 10-in. | 5/26/1931 | Home on the range | John Charles Thomas | Baritone vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | lyricist | |
| Columbia | W365074 | 10-in. | 3/17/1932 | Home on the range | Frank Luther ; Carson Robison | Male vocal duet, with "novelty accompaniment" | lyricist | |
| Brunswick | DAL355 | 10-in. | 6/18/1937 | Home on the range | Hi-Flyers | String band, with male vocal trio | lyricist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Higley, Brewster M.," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108361.
Higley, Brewster M.. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108361.
"Higley, Brewster M.." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
External Sources
Wikipedia: Brewster Higley
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Higley, Brewster M., 1823-1911 - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00023640
Wikidata: Brewster Higley - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q4962759
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/9386383
MusicBrainz: Brewster Higley - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/ed3db353-9689-4d47-95e6-a0e19f2cf41d
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/446141 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/446141
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