Frances Trego Montgomery (1858–1925) was an American children's author who achieved significant commercial success in the early twentieth century. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she is best remembered for creating the beloved and mischievous goat character Billy Whiskers. Her debut book featuring the character, published in 1902, launched a highly successful series that followed the goat's adventurous travels around the world.
The immense popularity of the Billy Whiskers series had a transformative impact on its publisher, Saalfield Publishing, helping elevate the small Akron, Ohio-based company into one of the largest publishers in the world. Montgomery's books attracted a wide readership, which famously included a young John F. Kennedy. While celebrated for their entertaining narratives, modern readers note that the books also contain coarse ethnic stereotypes typical of the era in which they were written.
Beyond her famous goat stories, Montgomery ventured into early science fiction for children with a pair of books centered on the "Electric Elephant," a hollow mechanical creation used by the protagonist to travel through the Solar System and the wider galaxy. She was also the creator of the board game Lottery of Marriage. Montgomery passed away in April 1925 while traveling aboard the SS Franconia between Hong Kong and Shanghai.
