OHIO
Archaeological and Historical
PUBLICATIONS.
JOSEPH BADGER, THE
FIRST MISSIONARY TO THE
WESTERN RESERVE.
BY BYRON R. LONG.
A preliminary word to the writing of
this document is not
unlike that which I wrote to the last
article furnished for pub-
lication in this historical record.
In the sketch of Isaac N. Walter,
printed in the April num-
ber of 1915, I dwelt at some length on
the story of the Chris-
tian denomination with which he labored
for many years as a
minister. My own personal connection
with that people through
the early portion of my life made me
familiar with the men and
women who were prominent in it from the
beginning and up to
very recent years.
Among their leaders was Joseph Badger.
The biography
of this man fell into my hands while I
was yet a boy, and I read
it with great interest. It consisted
largely of his autobiography,
which made it all the more lively and
impressive to a boy seeking
knowledge and susceptible to inspiration
from the personal ex-
periences of youth and manhood that had
gone before. E. G.
Holland, a writer of considerable note
in the middle of the last
century, prepared the volume, and in
addition to the story told
by Mr. Badger himself, presents a
history of the man and his
work that makes the book worthy a place
in the choicest library.
The childhood of Mr. Badger was lived in
the midst of
scenes and circumstances characteristic
of New England in the
Vol. XXVI-1 (1)