James Fenimore Cooper (September 15, 1789 – September 14, 1851) wrote the Leatherstocking Tales including The Last of the Mohicans and The Deerslayer. He wrote about the "wild west", when the wild west was western New York. There's a story that he started writing as a challenge after claiming that he could write better than a popular novel of his time. (If you know anything about this rumor, please edit this page with that information.)