William Cowper Prime (October 31, 1825 – February 12, 1905) was an American journalist, art historian, numismatist, attorney, and travel writer.

Twain makes the contemporary popularity of Tent Life evident in his parody: "Some of us will be shot before we finish this pilgrimage.

"[3] Prime continued practicing law until 1861, when he became part owner and editor-in-chief of the New York Journal of Commerce.

The two men developed the land with remote hunting cabins that were primarily used in summer; Prime was a keen fisherman.

[4][5] His published writings include: Prime provided an introduction to the English-language version of Théophile Gautier's Romance of the Mummy (1863).