Welcome back to Great Americans, a countdown to our country’s 250th birthday. We’re bringing you a writer we love on an American they love, every weekday between now and July 4. Previously, Mark Gimein wrote about Edwin Land, the man who put a darkroom in your pocket. Today, Ann Bauer pays tribute to L. Frank Baum, who took America on an unforgettable journey down the Yellow Brick Road. —The Editors

It’s commonly thought that The Wizard of Oz was the first Technicolor movie. It wasn’t, but it sticks in our memory because of that moment when Dorothy opens the door of her little gray Kansas house and steps into a strange new land. The dull, gray prairies suddenly become the full, better-than-life color of Oz: blue Munchkin country, yellow brick road, red poppies, and the skyline of a glittering Emerald City.