Samuel Adams Drake

Born in Boston in 1833, Samuel Adams Drake was an American journalist and writer who became known for books about New England history, folklore, and historic sites. He was educated in Boston's public schools and began his career in journalism before heading west to Kansas in 1858, where he worked as a telegraphic agent for the New York Associated Press and wrote for newspapers.

During the American Civil War, he served in the Kansas state militia and later commanded the 17th Kansas Volunteers during Price's 1864 invasion of Missouri. After returning to Boston in 1871, he devoted himself to literary work and went on to publish a long list of books, including Old Landmarks of Boston, Nooks and Corners of the New England Coast, New England Legends and Folk Lore, and The Battle of Gettysburg.

Drake's writing often brought together history, travel, and storytelling, with a special affection for New England's landscape and colonial past. He died in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1905.