The Hardy Boys Author Slept Here

Franklin W Dixon, who was really Leslie McFarlane, did more than sleep here; he lived here

There is a local blogger, Linda Seccaspina, who has really gotten into posting about our town, Carleton Place, much of her posting being historical. Since I mentioned not too long ago that Hardy Boy and Nancy Drew author, Franklin W Dixon (pen name for the Hardy Boys author, Leslie McFarlane) lived here in CP, and since one reader showed interest in learning more, I thought I would use Linda's two posts to add a little information.

Her posts:

• Can Nancy Drew Solve the Case of Carleton Place’s Hardy Boys on High Street?


• The Hardy Boys in Carleton Place

I became an avid Hardy Boy reader after consuming The Bobbsey Twins when I was younger, and I was pleasantly surprised when I learned that the author had lived and written here in Carleton Place. He was born here as Leslie McFarlane, son of local teacher and principal, John Henry McFarlane. Strangely enough, I am also familiar with Leslie's (aka Dixon's) son, Brian McFarlane, who for years was a host/commentator on Hockey Night in Canada, which I watched religiously on Saturday nights.

So, I have three connections with Leslie McFarlane.

1. I consumed the books as a boy. 
2. I was an avid watcher of Hockey Night in Canada, particularly the Montreal telecast. 
3. I moved to Carleton Place ten years ago.

You should go and read Linda's posts (linked above) for more information, but let me write here that Leslie McFarlane as Fenton W Dixon wrote 19 of the Hardy Boy books and 4 of the Nancy Drew books (first used in another series). It seems that he was paid between $85 and $125 per novel and he received no subsequent royalties. It also seems that he didn't enjoy this gig, but it was a way to make ends meet back in the day.