poet, author, floriculturist, b. Johnsburg, N.Y. He moved with his parents to Wisconsin in 1856, settling on a farm in the town of Ellington, Outagarnie County. Rexford began writing while teaching county school, and eventually published over 700 poems. Many of his religious poems were later set to music and used as hymns, and he also wrote several popular lyrics, the most famous of which was "Silver Threads among the Gold." Rexford was also the author of numerous short stories dealing with family life. After 1880 he lived in Shioeton, where he devoted much of his time to gardening and flower growing. He was the author of numerous books on homemaking, floriculture, and gardening, and for a number of years was floricultural editor for the Ladies Home Journal. The Eben E. Rexford room in the Finney Public Library, Clintonville, Wis., is maintained in his honor. W. A. Titus, Wis. Writers (Chicago, 1930); C. R. Rounds, Wis. Authors . . . (Madison [19181); M. L. P. Smith, E. E. Rexford [Menasha, Wis., 1917]; Wis. Mag. Hist., 34; Shiocton News, Oct. 20, 1916.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has manuscripts related to this topic. See the catalog description of the Eben E. Rexford Autobiographical Sketch for details.

View a related article at Wisconsin Magazine of History Archives.

View newspaper clippings at Wisconsin Local History and Biography Articles.

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[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]