John R. (John Rogers) Bolles

Born in New London, Connecticut, in 1810, John Rogers Bolles became known as an attorney, publisher, researcher, and author with deep ties to his hometown. He was also active in public life as a state legislator and was remembered as one of New London's prominent citizens.

His writing covered an unusually wide range. Confirmed works associated with him include Solitude and Society: With Other Poems (1846), The Story of the Two Bulls (1856), A Reply to Bishop Hopkins' View of Slavery: and a Review of the Times (1865), New London, a seaport for the North and West, and outport of New York... (1877), The Edelweiss: A Poem (1881), and The Gates of Hell Ajar (1894). He is also linked to The Rogerenes, a historical work published after his death and credited to John Rogers Bolles and Anna Bolles Williams.

Bolles died in New London in 1895. Beyond his books, he was noted for civic activism, including efforts that helped secure a naval base for New London on land that had once belonged to him. That mix of literary work, local history, and public engagement gives his career a distinctly 19th-century American character.