author
William W. (William Willder) Wheildon
1805–1892
A nineteenth-century printer, editor, and local historian, he turned his deep interest in New England’s past into books and pamphlets that preserved people, places, and events that might otherwise have faded from view.
1 Audiobook
Curiosities of History: Boston, September Seventeenth, 1630-1880
by William W. (William Willder) Wheildon
About the author
Born in Boston in 1805, William Willder Wheildon built his career in print. Reliable library and archival sources describe him as a printer, publisher, editor, journalist, lecturer, and writer on historical and literary subjects. He founded the Bunker Hill Aurora in Charlestown in 1827 and remained closely tied to New England public life through newspapers and historical writing.
His books show a strong interest in Massachusetts history and memory. Among the works associated with him are Letters from Nahant and later historical pieces on subjects such as Paul Revere’s signal lanterns, Beacon Hill, and other landmarks and figures from the American past. That mix of journalism and local history gives his writing a practical, documentary feel that still appeals to readers interested in place, tradition, and early American stories.
Wheildon died in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1892. I found dependable biographical information about his life and work, but I could not confirm a clear portrait photograph of him from the available pages, so no profile image is included.