author
Thomas D. (Thomas Davis) Whittles
b. 1873
A Presbyterian missionary, novelist, and one-time college football coach, he wrote vivid stories rooted in the lumber camps and religious life of the American North Woods. His best-known books draw on the work and character of missionary Frank E. Higgins.
1 Audiobook
The Lumberjack Sky Pilot
by Thomas D. (Thomas Davis) Whittles
About the author
Born on December 27, 1873, Thomas D. Whittles — also listed as Thomas Davies or Thomas Davis Whittles — became known as an American Presbyterian missionary and author. He is remembered for fiction and narrative writing shaped by Protestant mission work, especially in logging communities.
His best-known books include The Lumberjack's Sky Pilot (1908), The Parish of the Pines (1912), and Frank Higgins, Trail Blazer (1920). These works were based on the life and ministry of Frank E. Higgins and helped bring the rough, isolated world of the North Woods into print for a wider audience.
Whittles also had an unusual sideline in athletics: he served as a college football coach at Waynesburg in the late 1890s. He died on December 6, 1950. While detailed personal biographical information appears to be limited in the sources I found, his writing still stands out for its close connection to missionary life on the American frontier.