Hezekiah Butterworth

Born in Warren, Rhode Island, Hezekiah Butterworth was an American author, poet, and editor who lived from December 22, 1839, to September 5, 1905. He became widely known for writing books for young readers, especially the long-running Zig-Zag Journeys series.

Butterworth was connected with The Youth's Companion beginning in 1870 and worked there for many years as a contributor and editor. Alongside his fiction and travel writing, he also wrote on religious and musical subjects, including The Story of the Hymns and The Story of the Tunes.

His work mixed education with adventure, which helped make him a familiar name to young American readers of the late 1800s. Today he is remembered as a prolific children's writer whose books opened windows onto history, travel, and popular moral storytelling of his era.