T. L. (Thomas Louis) Haines

Thomas Louis Haines was an American author born in 1844. Surviving library and public-domain records consistently identify him as the coauthor of substantial illustrated nonfiction works from the late 19th century, especially The Royal Path of Life (1879) and Museum of Antiquity (1883), both written with Levi W. Yaggy.

His books aimed at wide readership rather than specialists. The Royal Path of Life belongs to the era’s practical and moral advice literature, while Museum of Antiquity presents ancient civilizations in a broad, accessible way, mixing history, custom, art, and daily life for general readers.

Biographical details about Haines are limited in the sources readily available online. A grave record indexed on Find a Grave lists him as born on February 16, 1844, in Union County, Pennsylvania, and as dying on November 13, 1928, in Turlock, California, but because fuller authoritative biographical documentation is scarce, it is safest to remember him mainly through the books that carried his name to generations of readers.