‘Hardy Boys’ ghostwriter honoured with plaque in Carleton Place

The Town of Carleton Place will pay tribute to one of its most storied literary forces in a special ceremony to unveil a commemorative plaque honouring Charles Leslie McFarlane’s legacy. McFarlane was the ghost writer behind many of the earlier books in the beloved Hardy Boys mysteries series, which holds a place in the hearts of many. 

McFarlane was born in Carleton Place on October 25, 1902. He went on to have a successful career as a Canadian writer, journalist, and screenwriter. However, he is most remembered for ghostwriting the renowned Hardy Boys series, which he wrote under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon. This pseudonym had led many to miss the author’s direct connection to Carleton Place. 

Thanks to the new commemorative plaque, those within Carleton Place will have a daily reminder of the author whose words sparked the imagination and curiosity of generations of young readers in Canada and beyond. 

The plaque unveiling ceremony was set to take place today, Friday, May 30, at 1:00 p.m. at the Carleton Place Public Library at 101 Beckwith Street. According to Linda Seccaspina, city councillor for the town of Carleton Place, this will be the first installation in a literary walk of fame for the Library. She hopes to continue this initiative to celebrate local authors and the next on the docket is writer Mary Cook.   

Seccaspina documents local history every day on her personal blog and has published over 8,500 history stories about Lanark County. She has taken a personal interest in uncovering and sharing the life of Charles Leslie McFarlane.

According to her research, which she graciously shared with Lanarkist, McFarlane was one of four sons and his father, John Henry McFarlane was a local school principal. The ambitious young writer began writing freelance out of high school and went on to write 19 of the Hardy Boys novels between1927 and 1946.

To learn more, check out Seccaspina’s blog on WordPress.