I just read that the first fanfiction that was written ( in the 1930’s) was Sherlock Holmes fanfiction.
I repeat:
SHERLOCK HOLMES FANFICTION
our fandom started it all.
Also, the first time that the word ‘canon’ was used for something other than the bible was for Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock fanfiction is WAAAAY older then the 1930s. Guess what they did during the first hiatus?