W. U. (William Uhler) Hensel

Born in Quarryville, Pennsylvania, in December 1851, William Uhler Hensel studied at Franklin and Marshall College and trained in law, but he never limited himself to a single career. He became known as a newspaper editor, attorney, author, and a powerful public speaker, building a reputation that reached well beyond Lancaster County.

Hensel was closely tied to Pennsylvania politics and served as the state's Attorney General in the late 1880s. Even with his prominence, he was known for turning away further office and returning to the work he seemed to enjoy most: writing, speaking, and shaping public opinion through journalism.

As an author, he wrote on both national politics and local history. That mix gives his work its special character: he could write about major public figures, but he also cared deeply about the stories, buildings, and civic memory of his home region. He died in February 1915, leaving behind a career that connected law, politics, publishing, and historical writing.