Eben E. (Eben Eugene) Rexford

Born on July 16, 1848, in Johnsburg, New York, he later moved with his family to Wisconsin. His poems began appearing in print when he was still a teenager, and he went on to build a remarkably varied writing career.

He is remembered as a poet and author of lyrics for popular and gospel songs, but his work also extended to children’s literature and practical gardening writing. That range gives his work a grounded, accessible feel: literary, but closely tied to ordinary life.

Eben E. Rexford died on October 18, 1916. Though not as widely known now as some of his contemporaries, he was a productive and versatile figure in American letters whose writing moved easily between the home, the garden, the nursery, and the songbook.