A. D. T. (Adeline Dutton Train) Whitney

Born in Boston in 1824, Adeline Dutton Train Whitney grew up in Massachusetts and was educated at the private school founded by George B. Emerson. She married merchant Seth D. Whitney in 1843 and later made her home in Milton, where much of her writing life unfolded.

Whitney became known as a novelist, poet, and writer of books for young readers. Her stories often centered on family life, friendship, conscience, and the inner growth of girls and women, themes that helped make works such as Faith Gartney’s Girlhood especially well known in the 19th century.

She continued publishing for decades and remained a familiar literary name well into the late 1800s. Whitney died in 1906, leaving behind a body of work that offers a clear window into the values, aspirations, and daily textures of her era.