Wilbur D. Nesbit

Wilbur Dick Nesbit
Born (1871-09-16)September 16, 1871
Xenia, Ohio
Died August 20, 1927(1927-08-20) (aged 55)
Chicago, Illinois
Pen name Wilbur D. Nesbit, Josh Wink
Occupation Poet and humorist
Notable works Your Flag and My Flag

Wilbur Dick Nesbit, also known as Wilbur D. Nesbit and Josh Wink (1871-1927), was a poet and humorist. He is most known for his poem, Your Flag and My Flag, which was popular during World War I. Throughout his career, he contributed his humor writing to many publications, including the Chicago Inter Ocean, Chicago Evening Post, Chicago Tribune, and Baltimore News-American.[1]

Personal life

Nesbit was born on September 16, 1871[2] in Xenia, Ohio to John Harvey and Isabel (née Fichthrone) Nesbit.[3] His father was an American Civil War veteran and worked as a court bailiff. Nesbit spent most of his early life in Cedarville, Ohio.[4]

He associated with freemasonry for much of his life.[2]

Nesbit died on August 20, 1927 [2][4] in Iroquois Hospital after collapsing on Chicago streets.[1]

Career

Nesbit's first writings appeared in the Cedarville Herald.[4] He started out as a printer before becoming a reporter,[5] and moving to Anderson, Indiana in 1889. Here, Nesbit was an editor for the Anderson Times. He continued to move around to various cities, including Muncie, Indianapolis, and Baltimore. In Indianapolis, he worked in store advertising for a clothing merchant, and was on the ad staff[4] for the Indianapolis Journal.[3] During his time in Baltimore, Nesbit was a featured writer for the Baltimore News-American[4] under the pen name, Josh Wink.[6]

In 1902, Nesbit moved to Chicago.[3] He wrote for the Chicago Tribune, where his column was titled, "A Line O' Type or Two." Besides writing for the Tribune, he was also on the staff for the Chicago Evening Post.[4]

The Wilbur D. Nesbit House in the Evanston Northeast Historic District (1913). It is a local landmark.

In Chicago, Nesbit worked at the Mahin (also spelled Makin[4]) Advertising Company. After some time, Nesbit, along with William H. Rankin and other associates, bought out the company. It was renamed William H. Rankin Company. Nesbit was Vice President of the company and the Director of the copy staff.[3]

Nesbit collaborated with cartoonist Clare Briggs.[4]

His most well-known work is the poem, Your Flag and My Flag. It appeared in the Baltimore American in 1902, and became popular during World War I.[1] It was often recited in school classrooms.[4]

Much of his work was published by Chicago publishers P. F. Volland Company[7] and Frank K. Root & Co.[8]

He was the commencement speaker at the 1923 commencement ceremony at Cedarville University.[9]

Selected works

Page from Nesbit's Alphabet of History; Illustrated by Ellsworth Young

Books

Song

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Call for '30' Poet". Sheboygan Press. Sheboygan, Wisconsin. 23 August 1927. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "Wilbur D. Nesbit". Masonic Dictionary. Masonic Dictionary. 2008. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Dunn, Jacob Piatt (1919). "Indiana and Indianans: a history of aboriginal and territorial Indiana and the century of statehood". Ancestry. American Historical Society. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Higgins, Ray (2 November 1972). "Cracker Barrel". Xenia Daily Gazette. Xenia, Ohio. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  5. ↑ "Famous Folk". Cambridge Jeffersonian. Cambridge, Ohio. 20 December 1906. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  6. ↑ Wink, Josh (25 April 1902). "Mary and the Meat Treast". Bedford Gazette. Bedford, Pennsylvania. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  7. ↑ "Nesbit Wilbur". AbeBooks. AbeBooks. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Let's Keep the Glow in Glory (And the Free in Freedom Too)". JScholarship. JScholarship. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  9. ↑ "Commencement Speakers". Cedarville University. Cedarville University. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  10. ↑ "Sermons in song". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "Sermons in song: poems of homely philosophy". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "After dinner speeches and how to make them". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "When a feller needs a friend". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "A friend or two,". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  15. ↑ "An alphabet of history". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  16. ↑ "The trail to Boyland, and other poems". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  17. ↑ "The trail to Boyland". Indiana University. Indiana University. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
  18. ↑ "Let's keep the glow in Old Glory and the free in freedom too". OCLC WorldCat. OCLC WorldCat. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
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