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

Born in 1844 and raised in Leeds County, Ontario, he became known as a teacher, journalist, editor, author, and public servant. He also founded the Brockville Daily Times, showing how closely his writing life was tied to the world of newspapers as well as books.

His work covered a wide span. He wrote history, including History of Leeds and Grenville, Ontario, and also published fiction and travel-tinged adventure such as Kaffir, Kangaroo, Klondike. That mix suggests a writer equally interested in recording local communities and in telling lively stories drawn from wider experience.

He died on June 21, 1909. While he is not widely famous today, his books still offer a window into late 19th-century Canadian literary and newspaper culture.