Wilbur D. (Wilbur Dick) Nesbit

Born in Xenia, Ohio, on September 16, 1871, Wilbur Dick Nesbit grew up in nearby Cedarville and began working young as a printer before moving into newspaper work. He wrote for papers in Ohio, Indiana, Baltimore, and especially Chicago, building a reputation as a columnist and humor writer with an easy, friendly style.

He published poetry and light verse as well as prose, and he also wrote under the pen name Josh Wink. Among his best-known pieces was "Your Flag and My Flag," a patriotic poem that became especially popular during World War I. His books included collections for both adults and younger readers, showing the playful, accessible tone that made him widely readable.

Nesbit also spent part of his career in advertising, an unusual path that matched his gift for concise, memorable language. He died in Chicago on August 20, 1927, but his work still offers a vivid glimpse of the newspaper humor, popular poetry, and public spirit of early 20th-century America.