This Day in Rotary History: January 18, 1896 – Author CM Eddy Jr. was born in Providence

Clifford Martin Eddy Jr. was born on January 18, 1896 in Providence, RI. He was a well-known horror writer for many years and a contemporary of HP Lovecraft.
Eddy grew up in Providence and attended classical high school. He began his writing career in 1919 publishing in popular fiction magazines including Strange Tales, Munsey’s Magazine, and vivid stories.
Eddy’s first work, a short story published in 1919, was titled “Sign of the Dragon”. Additional stories in the horror genre included “When We Met by the Blue Lagoon”, “In My Wonderful Temple of Love”, and “Dearest of All”.
He befriended HP Lovecraft in the 1920s when the pair wrote and researched for legendary magician Harry Hudini. Eddy and Lovecraft took scenic walks, including one at the Old Stone Mill in Newport, which became the basis for August Derleth’s “The Lurker at the Threshold”.
Eddy later worked as a reservation agent and clerk at the Rhode Island State Department of Public Health. He died in 1971 and is buried in Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. Beginning in 2001, many of his works were republished by Fenham Publishing, a company started by Eddy’s grandson, Jim Dyer.