Rossiter Raymond (1840 - 1918) was born in Ohio but moved to Syracuse, New York, with his family as a child. His parents and close relations were well educated, genteel folk, so Rossiter had ample support for his interests in writing and engineering. His writing talent was evident in everything from legal briefs to hymns, though his larger contribution was to the mining industry through service as the U.S. Commissioner of Mines and Mining Statistics after completing his duties in the Civil War. A man of high intelligence, great integrity, and diverse interests, Rossiter authored at least ten books which ranged from a collection of Christmas tales to a definitive glossary of mining and metallurgical terms.