Samuel Stearns

Samuel Stearns was an American physician, astronomer, writer, and publisher born in Bolton, Massachusetts, on July 13, 1741. He practiced medicine and became especially known for compiling almanacs, including The North-American’s almanack, which he issued while living in Paxton, Massachusetts. Later, after moving to Brattleboro, Vermont, he continued that work under the title The Universal Calendar: and Northamerican Almanack.

Stearns was not just a medical man with a sideline in printing. He was part of the energetic early American world where science, trade, and publishing often overlapped. Sources credit him with producing an early American nautical almanac, and his books show a strong interest in making practical information available to readers who wanted guidance on navigation, health, and everyday life.

He also wrote medical works, including The American Herbal, or Materia Medica, reflecting his effort to gather and organize useful remedies and scientific knowledge for American readers. Although some sources differ on whether he died in 1809 or 1810, the record consistently shows him as a notable figure in early American print culture whose career joined medicine, astronomy, and popular education.