J. Franklin (John Franklin) Reigart

John Franklin Reigart was an American writer and compiler from Pennsylvania, born in 1813 and died in 1884. Records connected with his books identify him as J. Franklin Reigart, and several surviving publications tie him closely to Lancaster and later Harrisburg.

He wrote on a wide range of historical and civic subjects. Among his best-known works are The Life of Robert Fulton (1856) and The History of the First United States Flag and the Patriotism of Betsy Ross (1878). Library and catalog records also connect him with other projects, including maps, public documents, and reports, which suggests he worked comfortably across biography, local history, and documentary writing.

Reigart's style feels earnest, vivid, and strongly patriotic. In the preface to his book on Betsy Ross, he presents himself not just as a researcher but as someone passing along remembered stories from an earlier American generation, which helps explain why his work still has charm for readers interested in how 19th-century Americans told their own history.