THERE are several statues around Bermuda in his honour, his bust is proudly displayed on the front entrance of XL Capital's Bermudiana Road headquarters and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess named a hotel suite after him.

Arguably Bermuda's most famous visitor, Mark Twain, spent many years here writing, resting and falling in love with Bermuda's people, culture and scenery as evidenced by one of his most well-known remarks: "You can go to heaven if you want. I'd rather stay right here in Bermuda."

Born Samuel Langhorne Clemens in 1835 in rural Mississippi, he found his enduring pen name, Mark Twain, after a stint as a steamboat captain on the Mississippi River where the term "mark twain" identified the mark at which the water depth was at 12 feet, a depth safe enough for the boat to pass through.

After his time as a river boat pilot and a brief sojourn to the American Western frontier, Twain immersed himself in the field of writing and published more than 30 books, hundreds of short stories and gave innumerable lecture tours around the world over his lifetime.

As "America's Humorist", Twain's social commentaries were potent, political and of full of between-the-lines humour that made people laugh all the while pointing out the moral ills and social injustices of the day. Modern day political and social satirists Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and the late George Carlin can all thank Twain for paving the road for them. Their material is acerbic but funny and their trade has a direct linkage to a literary genius who lived 100 years before them.

So influential was he that the famous author Ernest Hemingway said all of modern American literature could be traced back to Mark Twain.

Twain's first visit to Bermuda was in 1867. It was just a brief stop while he was on board the SS Quaker City on what was billed as the world's first luxury cruise. The vessel travelled from New York across the Atlantic and then into the Mediterranean, stopping off in Bermuda on the way back home.

The island clearly enchanted him as he returned here in 1877 and eventually made Bermuda his second home, his first being in Hartford, Connecticut.

According to an article from the Chicago Daily Tribune, March 17, 1907 entitled "Mark Twain Seeks Place to Wear White", Mark Twain headed to Bermuda that day for "summery climes" and was quoted as saying he was "in search of rest, British humour, and an opportunity to appear logical in March in a white suit."

He went on to spend most of the rest of his life in Bermuda, staying here for months at a time until his death in April, 1910.

During his stays here, Twain published many articles about his experiences in Bermuda and his insights on island life. A lengthier piece entitled "Rambling Notes on an Idle Excursion" about the people and culture of Bermuda was published in The Atlantic magazine.

He spent the majority of his time in Bermuda at "Bay House" located off of Pitts Bay Road in Pembroke where it still stands today.

Twain regularly walked from there to the Tucker Sister's Tea Room at Barrs Bay Park passing the Faulkner House, 108 Pitts Bay Road, on his way and chatting with the little girl who lived there, Nettie Smith.

Judith Wadson, the granddaughter of Nettie Smith, now owns and operates Aggie's Garden & Waterside Cafe located in the same house. "My grandmother was an only child and would hang out on the stoop in front of the house and got to know Mark Twain as he passed by. They would go on walks together and she would bring him Bermuda roses," said Ms Wadson.

One of Nettie Smith's most prized possessions was a black-rimmed calling card that Twain left for her one day when she wasn't home when he passed by. On the card a handwritten note said "for the little girl that used to bring me flowers".

Twain found Bermuda to be such a paradise that he essentially became the social and tourism ambassador for the island prompting many high society Americans of the time to visit, including Woodrow Wilson, before he was President of the United States.

It was said he was also played a significant role in raising funds for the Bermuda Cottage Hospital, what is now the King Edward Memorial Hospital and helped to lobby the Bermuda Government to keep cars, called "horseless carriages" at the time, off the island's roads. The "motorless Eden" that was Bermuda lasted until the 1940s.

According to Ms Wadson, the man that has given so much to Bermuda now needs Bermuda's help.

Twain's first home located in Hartford, is a 19-room Victorian mansion that has been preserved as The Mark Twain House & Museum to honour the legacy of the literary legend.

Since 2003, the house has fallen into financial dire straights due to the expensive construction of a new visitor's center at the museum and only this year has the institution gone public about their money woes. While donations and pledges have come in, officials at the Twain house are struggling to save the institution and keep its doors open.

"We still have a long ways to go," explained Jeffrey Nichols, the executive director of The Mark Twain House, who spoke with the Mid-Ocean News this week. "We still have hundreds of thousands of dollars to raise. The year 2010 will be the centennial of Twain's passing so we hope that it will be a year of celebration in Hartford and a year where we can launch an endowment programme for the future."

According to The Mark Twain House & Museum website, the location attracts more than 60,000 visitors a year and is one of the premier tourist attractions in Connecticut.

Because of the international stature of Twain, the Mark Twain House attracts visitors from every state in the US as well as from more than 70 countries around the world. These visitors are also treated to a little history about Bermuda as an area in the main gallery of the museum features a display about Twain's final visit to the island and the museum shows a 20-minute film to students about the author's life including his passion for Bermuda.

"It's time for Bermuda to step up the plate and help the legacy of the man that put Bermuda on the map," explained Ms Wadson. "We became, in large part, a tourist destination because of Mark Twain and his many articles about the island."

Ms Wadson also believes that thanks to Twain and his writings, international companies learned about Bermuda and its close proximity to the U.S. and that ultimately, it is partly due to him that Bermuda has become the thriving financial centre it is today.

"It would be a noble thing to do [to help The Mark Twain House)," she continued. "We have a lot to be thankful for because of him. It is important to honour our heritage and help the man who helped us."

While stories about the house's financial troubles have been chronicled in The New York Times, Time magazine and the Hartford Courant, a Connecticut paper, the institution is still looking for help.

"The response (to the stories that have been published) has been wonderful.

"We have received gifts from all over the country and attendance numbers at the museum has increased this summer but we are still looking for people to sign up for memberships. Memberships to the museum are very important to our endowment," said Mr. Nichols.

To contribute to The Mark Twain House & Museum or become a member, visit www.marktwainhouse.org or contact Susan Rich-Bye, the director of institutional giving for more information about larger donations.

According to Mr. Nichols: "Bermuda was one of Mark Twain's first voyages abroad and his last voyage abroad (before his death). He enjoyed the island very much as it was an escape for him from his work life back in Hartford. Bermuda was a very special place for him, a place he held very dear."

To view vintage footage of Mark Twain online you may go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leYj--P4CgQ