Wilder Goodwin

Born in Ballston Spa, New York, in 1856, Maud Wilder Goodwin became known as an American writer of historical fiction, biography, and popular history. She wrote during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, building a reputation for books that were both commercially successful and warmly received by reviewers.

Her work often drew on early American life, especially colonial settings. Among her books are The Colonial Cavalier, Dolly Madison, White Aprons, The Head of a Hundred, Fort Amsterdam, and Dutch and English on the Hudson. Contemporary critics praised her writing for its charm, energy, and dramatic sense.

She married lawyer Almon Goodwin in 1879 and had children, including a son named Wilder. Goodwin died in 1935 in Greenwich, Connecticut, leaving behind a body of work that helped make American history approachable for general readers.