Laura Dayton Fessenden (1852–1924) was an American novelist, songwriter, and essayist whose literary career spanned the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Writing initially under her maiden name, Laura C. S. Dayton, she began publishing her work in 1878. Over the course of her forty-five-year career, which lasted until 1923, she became known for her romance novels, miscellaneous books, and frequent contributions to popular periodicals and magazines of the era.
Beyond her literary endeavors, Fessenden was an active participant in the social and civic movements of her time. She composed songs and was deeply involved in community organization, most notably founding the Highland Park Woman's Club. This blend of creative writing and civic leadership was characteristic of many educated women of her generation, who utilized literary clubs and social organizations to foster community development and intellectual engagement.
Though her individual titles are less commonly studied today, Fessenden's steady output of romances and magazine contributions highlights the growing market for women's fiction and popular literature during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era. Her life and work reflect the expanding opportunities for female writers to achieve both commercial publication and local influence at the turn of the century.
