Born in 1899 in Illinois, Edwin Way Teale became an influential naturalist, author, and photographer who won the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for his book Wandering Through Winter. He wrote that boyhood summers and holidays spent near here at his grandparents' farm inspired his interest in nature. Teale moved to New York City and was employed by Popular Science Monthly from 1928 to 1941. He published his first critically acclaimed book, Grassroot Jungles, in 1937. In 1943, he published Dune Boy, recollections of time spent exploring the dunes and woodlands in this area. During his life, he wrote, edited, and contributed to over 30 books, which educated Americans about nature's importance and beauty. He died in Connecticut in 1980.