Born in Chittenango, New York, young Baum worked
as an actor. In 1888, he and his wife Maud moved to the
Dakota Territory, where he briefly ran a general store.
Soon after, he became editor and publisher of a newspaper
in Aberdeen, South Dakota. In 1891, he and his family moved
to Chicago. While writing for the Chicago Post, Baum worked
as a traveling salesman for a glassware company and wrote
books and short stories in his spare time. The success of his
seventh book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, enabled Baum to
retire from his jobs and devote himself to writing full-time.

In 1910, the Baums moved to California. A prolific author, Baum wrote more than 60 books, including Father Goose, American Fairy Tales, Dot and Tot of Merryland and over a dozen other Oz books. He also published work under the names Schuyler Staunton, Edith Van Dyne and Laura Bancroft.

Frank Baum died in his Hollywood home, which was named Ozcot, a week short of his 63rd birthday.

In 1976, a Chicago park was named to honor Frank Baum’s mythical land of Oz. Bordering Webster and Larrabee Streets on Chicago’s North Side, Oz Park serves as a lasting tribute to this imaginative man.