Alexander McAllan

Alexander McAllan is a little-known author whose books appeared in the early 1900s. Library of Congress records identify him as born in 1847, and list Ancient Chinese account of the Grand Canyon, or course of the Colorado as published in 1913. Another surviving work, America's Place in Mythology, Disclosing the Nature of Hindoo and Buddhist Beliefs, was published in Brooklyn in 1910.

His writing set out to connect ancient Chinese, Hindu, and Buddhist traditions with the geography of North America, especially the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado River, and the Grand Canyon. These books are best understood today as unusual examples of speculative historical writing rather than standard scholarship, but they remain interesting for readers drawn to forgotten theories and the wilder edges of literary history.

Very little biographical information about his life seems to be readily confirmed beyond his birth year and the publications themselves. Because of that, McAllan is remembered mainly through these surviving works, which still circulate in library and public-domain collections.