Books by Fr. Spalding

Henry Stanislaus Spalding was born in January 1865, the fifth of eleven children of William and Isabel Spalding of Bardstown, Kentucky—six of whom eventually entered the religious life. 

The Spaldings themselves came from a long line of devout Catholics who were among the early settlers of the Colony of Maryland, and could count among their family relations not one, but two bishops: The Most Reverend Martin John Spalding, Archbishop of Baltimore and The Most Reverend John Lancaster Spalding, first Bishop of Peoria.


As a Jesuit priest, Spalding taught at Creighton, Marquette and Loyola Universities, helped establish the Medical schools of the last two, and wrote or edited seven books on ethics and sociology.  However, he is best known for his adventure stories, which captured the imagination of a generation of readers.

  • At the Foot of the Sand Hills

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    At the Foot of the Sand Hills

    $12.95

    After spending four years boarding with the Blakestone family during his medical studies, Dr. Murt is thrilled to finally return the favor by inviting young Walter to come and stay with him in Nebraska for a few months.  Walter learns to hunt ducks...

    Add to Cart
  • Held in the Everglades

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    Held in the Everglades

    $12.95

    When the Reed family follows their dream of leaving Brooklyn to raise their family on a farm in southern Florida, they struggle to find hired help during the harvest season. So they decide to adopt 15 year old Phil from the Brooklyn Catholic orphanage...

    Add to Cart
  • Signals from the Bay Tree

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    Signals from the Bay Tree

    $12.95

    During his months in the Everglades, Phil Reed's imagination was captured by tales of a Spaniard's lost chest of gold. Back home, he and his friends can think of nothing else but returning to search for this treasure. When Mark Green, a friend...

    Add to Cart
  • The Camp by Copper River

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Camp by Copper River

    $12.95

     Five boys. Five weeks camping in the pine forests of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  What could go wrong? Walter Stanley’s eccentric bachelor uncle has offered to take him and a chosen friend on the adventure of a lifetime. ...

    Add to Cart
  • Cave by the Beech Fork Cave back cover

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Cave by the Beech Fork

    $14.95

    From the discovery of a secret cave to the winning of a David-and-Goliath shooting match, there is no lack of action in The Cave by the Beech Fork, as we follow Owen Howard and Martin Cooper through their exploits in early 19th century Kentucky. But...

    Add to Cart
  • The Marks of the Bear Claws

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Marks of the Bear Claws

    $12.95

      Paul Guibeau has spent the winter at the Mission of Saint Ignace and now is anxious to set out with Father Marquette and Sieur Joliet on their voyage of discovery.  More than anything, though, he wants his friend Red Bear to accompany...

    Add to Cart
  • The Old Mill on the Withrose

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Old Mill on the Withrose

    $12.95

      When the doctor declares that Florian Bell’s health is in serious danger, he is sent from his home in Milwaukee to stay with his cousins Hunter and Leo on the banks of Withrose Creek in Kentucky.  There he learns how to fish, hunt,...

    Add to Cart
  • The Race for Copper Island

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Race for Copper Island

    $12.95

    The year is 1669.  In French colonial Quebec, Paul Guibeau has won fame for his bravery in fighting the Iroquois, and now he hopes to turn this success into a military career.  When he overhears Count Frontenac commissioning Louis Joliet to...

    Add to Cart
  • Sheriff of the Beech Fork Sheriff back cover

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Sheriff of the Beech Fork

    $14.95

    The Sheriff of the Beech Fork continues the adventures of 15-year-old Owen Howard and Martin Cooper in the early 19th century Kentucky wilderness, as begun in The Cave by the Beech Fork.  Having befriended the deputy sheriff, Richard Lane (better...

    Add to Cart
  • The Sugar Camp and After

    Rev. Henry S. Spalding, S.J.

    The Sugar Camp and After

    $12.95

          This story takes the reader back to the same setting as The Old Mill on the Withrose. Young Raymond Bolt accidentally ends up in Kentucky after hiding in a freight car, and finds himself among the Bell family near Withrose Creek...

    Add to Cart