Thad. W. H. (Thaddeus William Henry) Leavitt

Born in 1844, he was an American-Canadian teacher, journalist, editor, and public servant who built much of his career in Ontario. He is especially remembered as the founder of the Brockville Daily Times and as the author of History of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, a substantial local history that helped preserve the story of the region and its early settlers.

His writing was not limited to history. He also drew on wider travels and experiences abroad, producing works such as Kaffir, Kangaroo, Klondike: Tales of the Gold Fields, which reflects the adventurous, mobile world of the late 19th century. That mix of reporter's observation and storyteller's energy gives his work a direct, lively feel.

He died on June 21, 1909. Today, he stands out as a writer who moved easily between journalism, public life, history, and travel-based storytelling, leaving behind books that capture both a place and an era.