Edgar Wilson Bill Nye was a American humorist. He was also the founder and editor of the Laramie Boomerang.
Nye was born in Shirley, Maine. He was educated at River Falls, Wisconsin, moved to Wyoming Territory, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1876. He began early to contribute humorous sketches to the newspapers, using the pen name of Bill Nye after a character in a famous poem by Bret Harte popularly known as The Heathen Chinee. He was connected with various western journals, and afterward settled in New York City.
Source: Wikipedia