Walter Hilliard Bidwell (June 21, 1798 – September 11, 1881) was an American magazine editor and preacher.

Early life

Walter Hilliard Bidwell was born on June 21, 1798, in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The populati ...

, to Mary (née Pelton) and William Bidwell. His father was a farmer. He joined

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in the sophomore class in 1824 and graduated in 1827. In 1829, he entered

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

and became licensed to preach in 1833.

Career

Bidwell was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in

Medfield, Massachusetts Medfield is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 12,799 according to the 2020 United States Census. It is a community about southwest of Boston, Massachusetts, which is a 40-minute drive to Downtown Bos ...

. After issues with his voice, he left the pastorate after four years and moved to

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. In 1841, Bidwell became editor of the monthly periodical ''American National Preacher''. He ran the magazine for most years until 1867. In April 1843, he became proprietor and editor of the New York ''Evangelist''. He continued with this publication for 11 years. In 1846, he became proprietor of the ''American Biblical Repository'' and remained with the publication until 1849. From 1848 to 1852, he published a series of seven missionary maps made by his brother reverend O. B. Bidwell. He became proprietor of the ''Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature'' and remained associated with that periodical until 1868. He traveled to Europe six times throughout his career, some for his health and some for the ''Electic Magazine''. In 1867, he was appointed Special Commissioner of the United States by Secretary of State

William H. Seward William Henry Seward (; May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872) was an American politician who served as United States Secretary of State from 1861 to 1869, and earlier served as governor of New York and as a United States senator. A determined opp ...

and traveled to Western Asia and to Greece, Egypt, Palestine, Syria and Turkey. In the fall of 1860, he was proprietor and publisher of the ''American Theological Review'' and it merged with the ''Presbyterian Quarterly Review'' in 1862. In 1868, he retired.

Personal life

Bidwell married Susan M. Duryea of New York. Following retirement, he moved to

Oberlin, Ohio Oberlin () is a city in Lorain County, Ohio, United States. It is located about southwest of Cleveland within the Cleveland metropolitan area. The population was 8,555 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Oberlin is the home of Oberlin ...

and then to

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. A few weeks before his death, Bidwell went to

Saratoga Springs, New York Saratoga Springs is a Administrative divisions of New York#City, city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the United States Census 2020, 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the ...

. He died there on September 11, 1881.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bidwell, Walter Hilliard 1798 births 1881 deaths People from Farmington, Connecticut People from Oberlin, Ohio People from Chicago Yale College alumni Yale Divinity School alumni American magazine editors American Congregationalist ministers 19th-century American clergy