William Austin | |
|---|---|
&sq=Qlik&lang=&file=File:William_Austin_-_Henry_C._Pratt_(page_8_crop).jpg) portrait by Henry Cheever Pratt | |
| Born | 2 March 1778 |
| Died | 27 June 1841 (aged 63) |
| Occupation | Politician, writer |
William Austin (March 2, 1778 – June 27, 1841) was an American author and lawyer, most notable as the creator of the Peter Rugg stories published in the periodical New England Galaxy during 1824–27. Austin's stories, constructed as long letters signed with the name Jonathan Dunwell, presented the Rugg story as a long-standing New England legend, about a strong and obstinate man who got lost in a thunderstorm in 1770 and wandered the roads ever afterwards.