Stephen Bliss (March 27, 1787 – December 6, 1847) was an American

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

minister and politician from

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

. Adopted by a pastor uncle, Bliss graduated from

Middlebury College Middlebury College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont, United States. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalism in the United States, Congregationalists, Middlebury w ...

, but failed to get licensed to preach. He then taught in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

before moving to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

along the

Wabash River The Wabash River () is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 13, 2011 river that drains most of the state of Indiana, and a significant part of Illinois, in the United ...

. Bliss spent the rest of his life in the region, eventually earning a license and ordination to preach with the Presbyterian church. Bliss also served two terms in the

Illinois Senate The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the ...

Biography

Stephen Bliss was born in

Lebanon, New Hampshire Lebanon ( ) is the only city in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,282 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 13,151 at the 2010 United States census, 2010 census. Lebanon is in western New Hampshi ...

, on March 27, 1787. He was the third son of five born to his parents, who struggled to provide for the family. They later moved to

Glover, Vermont Glover is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 1,114. It contains two unincorporated villages, Glover and West Glover. The town is named for Brigadier General John Glover, w ...

. In his teenage years, Bliss was adopted by his uncle, Congregationalist pastor Samuel Wood. Wood prepared Bliss for study at

; Bliss graduated from there in 1812. Bliss then continued to study under Wood for two years, then applied to the Hopkinton Association for a license to preach. However, the association denied the application, and Bliss decided to instead focus on teaching. With a friend from college, George May, Bliss taught throughout eastern and central

. Bliss' health began to fail in 1818, so he and May decided to move out west. They settled in

Palmyra Palmyra ( ; Palmyrene dialect, Palmyrene: (), romanized: ''Tadmor''; ) is an ancient city in central Syria. It is located in the eastern part of the Levant, and archaeological finds date back to the Neolithic period, and documents first menti ...

Edwards County, Illinois Edwards County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, the population was 6,245. Its county seat is Albion. History Edwards County was named for Ninian Edwards, the governor of the Illinois Territory, and, l ...

, a town north of

Mount Carmel Mount Carmel (; ), also known in Arabic as Mount Mar Elias (; ), is a coastal mountain range in northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. The range is a UNESCO biosphere reserve. A number of towns are situat ...

. On April 11, 1819, they opened a

Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

, one of the first in the state. Bliss returned to New Hampshire in the fall of 1820, then returned the next spring with his wife. Although Bliss did not seek it, his application with the Hopkinton Association was reviewed and he was approved for a license. He was named an elder of the First Presbyterian Church of Edwards County (later known as Wabash Presbyterian Church) when it was founded in 1822. On August 3, 1823, Bliss gave his first sermon at the church. Bliss then traveled throughout the county to preach. He quickly earned a reputation and drew large crowds. In 1824, Bliss was elected to the

. The next April, he was officially licensed as a

minister in

Washington, Indiana Washington is a city in Daviess County, Indiana, United States. The population was 12,017 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is the county seat of Daviess County. It is also the principal city of the Washington, Indiana Micropolitan S ...

. Bliss assumed control of two vacant churches in Indiana—one in

Carlisle Carlisle ( , ; from ) is a city in the Cumberland district of Cumbria, England. Carlisle's early history is marked by the establishment of a settlement called Luguvalium to serve forts along Hadrian's Wall in Roman Britain. Due to its pro ...

and one in

Fort Harrison Fort Harrison, later renamed Fort Burnham, was an important component of the Confederate defenses of Richmond during the American Civil War. Named after Lieutenant William Harrison, a Confederate engineer,Hannings, p. 566 it was the largest in th ...

—providing one sermon a month. He preached at the church in Edwards County on the other Sundays. On August 4, 1825, Bliss was ordained at a meeting of the Presbytery in

Vincennes, Indiana Vincennes is a city in, and the county seat of, Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the lower Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state, nearly halfway between Evansville and Terre Haute. It was founded in 1732 by F ...

. Bliss was re-elected to the Illinois Senate in 1826, serving a final two-year term. Bliss then spent the rest of his life preaching on a circuit in

along the

. He supported himself with a farm and church donations. Stephen Bliss married Elizabeth Worcester, the daughter of

Noah Worcester Noah Worcester (November 25, 1758 – October 31, 1837) was a Unitarian clergyman and a seminal figure in the history of American pacifism. Life Worcester was born in Hollis, New Hampshire, to a father of the same name, who had been one of the fr ...

, on April 20, 1821. They had one son and one daughter; Elizabeth died on May 21, 1837. Bliss died on December 6, 1847. In 1875, the citizens of the area erected a monument dedicated to Bliss and his wife. Their remains are in Wabash Presbyterian Church Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bliss, Stephen 1787 births 1847 deaths 19th-century American Presbyterian ministers Illinois state senators Middlebury College alumni People from Edwards County, Illinois People from Lebanon, New Hampshire People from Wabash County, Illinois People from Orleans County, Vermont 19th-century members of the Illinois General Assembly