Wilbur Wordsworth (b. 1769)—not to be confused with poet William Wordsworth of the same era—was a wealthy gothic novelist who bought the land next to Lake Cozy for his own writing sanctuary. Most of his wealth was inherited with a lesser amount owed to book sales. He used his limitless funds to build an ornate, gothic-style mansion, Wisteria Manor, on the bluff overlooking Lake Cozy, just north of what would later become New Fable.

When he retired from writing, he decided to bring fiction to life. With the county’s approval, he platted New Fable, giving it its whimsical, bookish theme.