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 publications. Out of this society came the American Baptist Historical Society (1853), the Board of Education and Publication (1888), and eventually the Publishing arm was named Judson Press. The picture above is one of the first colporter wagons. ABHS has many records from the Tract Society, and a complete collection of books published by Judson Press and its predecessors. ABHS collections also include many pictures of various colporters using horses and buggies, trains, boats, and automobiles.
