Author: Jean McDaniel

One Hundred Sixty Six years ago, in 1851, on February 28, Libbie Cilley Griffin was born.  She became the first woman on record to be ordained by American Baptists in 1898 in New York state.  ABHS has her ordination certificate, marriage certificate and many of her sermons and other writings.  She was a Free Will Baptist missionary in India 1873-1876, and again in 1883-1893.

In 1813, On February 27, The Maine Literary and Theological Institution was founded in Waterville, Maine.  Later the name was changed to Colby College.  It is considered a pioneer in higher education because:

in 1833 Students organized the first collegiate anti-slavery society.
in 1871  Colby, previously an all-male New England college,  admitted women.
in 1975  They participated in the first intercollegiate women’s varsity ice hockey game.
in 1983 Colby became the first college to issue e-mail accounts to all students.

ABHS has files on Colby College from 1875 to 1960.

In 1824, on February 25, the Baptist General Tract Society was formed in Washington, DC.  The purpose was to publish Christian Literature and Sunday School materials.  Two years later the Society moved to Philadelphia.  In 1841 the first colporters were appointed to distribute the literature.  Out of this society came the American Baptist Historical Society (1853), The Board of Education and Publication (1888), and eventually the Publication arm was named Judson Press.  The picture above is one of the first colporter wagons.  ABHS had many records from the Tract Society, and shelves of books published by Judson Press and its predecessors.  There are also many pictures of various colporters using horse and buggies, boats and cars.

Arthur and Laura Carson’s Burma photograph album (MP 019) from the early 1900’s has been digitized and a reference copy has been printed. The work was done by HF Group (http://www.hfgroup.com/).

The fragile volume was sent to their facility, where high-resolution images were taken. Those were made into a book that can be safely handled by patrons and the original, fragile volume is now safe.

On February 19, 1812, Ann and Adoniram Judson sailed for India as missionaries commissioned by the Congregational Church (see post on February 6).  Upon arriving in India, they asked the British Baptist William Ward to baptize them by immersion.  Because of the political situation between England and the United States, Americans were unwelcome in India, so the Judsons traveled to Burma where evangelized to the Burmese.  They began translating the Bible into the local language, wrote tracts and made friends.  The picture here shows a replica of the ship in which they sailed half way round the world.  ABHS has many books about the Judson’s, Judson’s original letters to the mission society in America, and several artifacts used by Judson in his ministry.

An exhibit on Immigration and the American Baptist response throughout two centuries has been developed by our archivist, Jill Sweetapple.  Since the early 1800’s, immigrants have been alternately welcomed and refused.  American Baptists have been involved in welcoming and resettlement, helping newcomers to fit into the culture of the United States.  The AB Home Mission Societies’ collection has many records of such activities.  ABHS holds and cares for the ABHMS collections.

On February 16, in 1747, Isaac Backus formed a church with 16 people in Titicut, MA.  He was going against legal requirements.  Backus spoke out for separation of church and state, and was one of the original trustees for Brown University, the first Baptist school of higher learning.  In 1751, Backus became the pastor of Middleborough Baptist church in Massachusetts.   The accompanying photo shows Backus listed as the pastor of Middleborough in the 1790-1795 Baptist Register.  ABHS has a collection of Backus’ personal papers and many books by and about him. 

On February 15, 1679, Boston Baptists met for the first time in a meeting house secretly built as a ‘Brewery’.  ABHS has original church records from four churches in Boston: Bowdoin Square BC, 1840-1876; Central Square BC and Society, 1843-1915;  First BC, 1771-1960; and Trenton Street BC, 1908-1929.  Association Records from Boston date to the mid 1800s.

In 1884, on February 11, nine believers were baptized, the beginnings of the Baptist witness in Estonia. The first Estonian Baptist church was started in Haapsalu in 1884. From that time  Baptist churches have been  planted across the country. The period of Soviet dominion 1940 – 1990 seriously hampered the growth of Baptist churches since religious activities were allowed only in church buildings and leaders were regularly interrogated by the communist state.  Currently the Union of Evangelical Christian and Baptist Churches of Estonia numbers almost 6200 members worshipping in 84 local congregations.   Find and use map of Estonia

Recently we found a volume written by George W. Williams (1849-1891) who was born in Pennsylvania (a free state), and was a soldier before entering Howard University in 1869. As the first black student at Newton Theological Institute he graduated in 1874, and was ordained and installed as the pastor of Twelfth Baptist Church in Boston. After moving to Ohio, he was elected to the House of Representative of the Ohio General Assembly for a term.

His enduring legacy is as an antislavery activist and writer, having authored the first history of African Americans in the United States.  ABHS has a first edition of this book entitled History of the Negro Race in America 1619-1880 which  includes a chapter on ‘Colored Baptists of America.’  This two volume   book can be found on-line at https://archive.org/details/historyofnegrora00willrich.

February 6, 1812, marks the day five young men were ordained for missionary service at the Tabernacle UCC Church in Salem, MA.  Adoniram Judson, Samuel Newell, Samuel Nott, Gordon Hall and Luther Rice were Congregationalists.  Adoniram had married Ann Hasseltine the previous day, and they sailed for India on Feburary 19.  After intensive Bible study during the long voyage, the Judson’s decided to become Baptists. Denied admission to India, they went to Burma where they both ministered until their deaths, Ann in 1826, Adoniram in 1850.  ABHS has Ann and Adoniram’s correspondence, and documentation of their work on Burma.

February 5, 1631.  After 56 days aboard the ship Lyon, Roger Williams arrived from London in the midst of winter.  He is mentioned often in these posts because his fight for religious liberty caused much uproar in the colonies that were determined to keep their worship practices and theological understandings unchallenged.  Williams  was expelled from Massachusetts eventually traveled to Rhode Island and established a colony which was a haven for those “distressed of conscience.”

ABHS has Black History month resources including a bulletin insert entitled “Liberty To Vote,” that can be downloaded from our ‘For Churches’ page.  In addition a recent issue of the American Baptist Quarterly (Vol. 2, summer, 2013) has articles related to black history.  Individual issues of the ABQ can be purchased by clicking on the Give Now button to the right.

February 1, 1877.  The Woman’s Baptist Home Mission Society was organized with headquarters in Chicago.  This group also founded the Baptist Missionary Training School and sent women missionaries to both foreign and home missions.  ABHS has the minutes and publications from the WBHMS which merged with other home mission societies to form the current American Baptist Home Mission Societies.

January 30, 1864. James Hickey began the First Church of Monterey, the first Baptist church in Mexico. ABHS has foreign missionary correspondence for several missionaries who served in Mexico like George Pixley and Albert Benjamin Howell.  In the beginning Mexico was considered part of the Home Mission effort, and the WAHMS sent many women missionaries. Pictured here is a report of the American Baptist Home Mission Board of work in Mexico.

January 25, 1783: William Colgate, founder of American Bible Union, was born in England. He is noted for being a philanthropist and founder of the Colgate Company (1806). ABHS has his papers dating from 1820 to 1850. Samuel Colgate, William’s son, started a library that became the heart  of the ABHS book collection.

On January 22, 1862, Lulu (Louise) C. Fleming was born. She is the first female medical missionary appointed by Baptists. She served in the Congo from 1886-1899.  ABHS has her correspondence while she was in the Congo and a bio file which includes photographs. One of the ABHS membership circles is named for her.

On January 21, 1525, Anabaptists (Baptists) organized for the first time under the leadership of Conrad Grebel near Zurich, Switzerland. ABHS has a biography of Grebel, and many books and articles about the Anabaptists in Europe.

January 17:  Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is celebrated today.  ABHS has digitized several of his speeches at various American Baptist events.  This digitization is possible because of the At Your Fingertips campaign.  Pictured here is his birth home.