Barthinius L. (Barthinius Larson) Wick

Born in Stavanger, Norway, on February 29, 1864, he came to the United States as a child in 1876 and grew up in Iowa. He studied at academies in Blairstown, Le Grand, and Iowa City, later earning a B.A. from the State University of Iowa and a law degree from the University of Iowa in 1894.

Wick built his career as an attorney in Cedar Rapids, but he was also deeply devoted to history. He wrote and co-wrote books on Iowa communities and traditions, including The Amish Mennonites, Did the Norsemen Erect the Newport Round Tower?, Pioneer Traits, and, with Luther A. Brewer, History of Linn County, Iowa. His writing reflects a strong interest in settlement history, local identity, and the people who built towns and institutions across the state.

He died in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on October 8, 1947. Today he is remembered not only for his legal career, but for the way his books captured regional history in a readable, lasting form.