Henry S. (Henry Sweetser) Burrage

Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, in 1837, Henry Sweetser Burrage graduated from Brown University and began theological study before serving in the Civil War. During the war he rose from private to brevet major, was wounded at Cold Harbor, and was later held for a time at Libby Prison. After the war, he returned to Baptist ministry and went on to build a long career as an editor, author, and church historian.

Burrage became especially well known in Maine, where he served for many years as editor of Zion's Advocate and was also recognized as the state's first official historian. His writing often centered on Baptist life, hymnody, and early New England history, combining a minister's interest in faith with a historian's taste for records and detail.

Among his notable books are History of the Baptists in Maine, A History of the Baptists in New England, and The Beginnings of Colonial Maine. He died in 1926, but his work still offers readers a vivid window into the religious and historical life of the region.