Alfred Billings Street

author

Alfred Billings Street

d. 1881

A 19th-century New York poet, lawyer, and librarian, he wrote warmly about the Hudson River Valley and helped preserve the region’s literary memory. His life bridged public service and literature, making him an appealing figure for listeners interested in early American writing.

1 Audiobook

Forest Pictures in the Adirondacks

Forest Pictures in the Adirondacks

by Alfred Billings Street

About the author

Born in 1811 in Poughkeepsie, New York, Alfred Billings Street became known as a poet, lawyer, and public figure whose work was closely tied to New York State. He studied law and built a career in Albany, while also writing verse and prose that often drew on the landscapes and history of the Hudson Valley.

Street served for many years as New York State Librarian, a role that placed him at the center of the state’s literary and historical culture. Alongside his public work, he published poems and other writings that earned him a place among 19th-century American authors, especially readers interested in regional subjects and the natural world.

He died in 1881, leaving behind a body of writing that reflects both civic dedication and a strong sense of place. For modern listeners, his work offers a window into the literary life of New York in the 1800s and into the kind of poetry that found beauty in local scenery, memory, and public history.