William Draper Swan (1809-1864)
no. 21578
He began life as a mechanic; but while yet a young man he began to teach, — first in Dorchester, and later in Charlestown and Boston. He then entered the book business, and as one of the firm of Hickling, Swan, and Brewer, was one of the prime movers in publishing Worcester’s Dictionary. He published many school-books, among which were Hilliards’ Readers.[1]
no. 23974.
His published works include many titles including: The Primary School Reader (Boston, 1845); The Spelling-book: Consisting of Words in Columns and Sentences for Oral and Written Exercises, together with Prefixes, Affixes and ImportantRroots from the Greek and Latin Languages. (Philadelphia : Cowperthwait, Desilver, & Butler, 1854). His school books went through many editions.
[1] William Dana Orcutt. Good Old Dorchester: A Narrative History of the Town. (Cambridge, 1893), 353.
no. 23789 tomb in Dorchester Old North Burying Ground