B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Riley

Born in 1849 and active for decades in Alabama, Benjamin Franklin Riley wrote with the energy of a preacher and the patience of a historian. He is best known for works such as History of Conecuh County, Alabama, Alabama as It Is, History of the Baptists of Alabama, and The White Man's Burden, along with later studies of Baptist life in Texas and across the South.

Riley's writing shows how closely religion, regional identity, and public life were tied together in his era. Much of his work focused on preserving names, events, institutions, and local memory, which makes his books especially valuable for readers interested in Southern history, church history, and genealogy.

He died in 1925. While some of his views reflect the assumptions and racial attitudes of his time, his books remain important historical documents for understanding the world he described and the communities he wrote for.