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William Jennings Bryan began practicing law in Jacksonville, Illinois, in 1883. After graduating from law school at Union College of Law (now part of Northwestern University), Bryan moved to Jacksonville, where he opened a law practice. There he partnered with a local attorney and quickly became involved in both legal work and public speaking. His time in Jacksonville was formative. Read more...

The story of William Jennings Bryan and his famous “Cross of Gold” speech is most often associated with the dramatic scene at the 1896 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Yet, like many great speeches, its power was not born in a single moment. Bryan had developed and delivered earlier versions of his argument in towns across the Midwest, including a Read more...

The Mayflower Compact stands as one of the most significant founding documents in early American history. Signed aboard the ship Mayflower in November 1620, it established a basic framework for self-government among English settlers who had arrived on the shores of what is now Massachusetts without a formal governing charter. Though brief in length, the Compact carried lasting influence, shaping Read more...

Thomas Hooker stands among the most influential early Puritan leaders in colonial New England. A gifted preacher, theological thinker, and community organizer, Hooker played a foundational role in the development of democratic ideas in America and in the founding of the colony of Connecticut. His life reflects the broader story of Puritan migration, religious reform, and the shaping of early Read more...

Thomas Hooker was born in Leicestershire, England, and graduated from Cambridge with a Master’s in 1611, the year the translators produced the Authorized (King James) Bible. Hooker pastored in Surrey starting in 1620, and then in Chelmsford in 1626. But in 1629, because of his Puritan sympathies he was forced to flee to Rotterdam, and then in 1633, following the Read more...

John Eliot occupies a distinctive place in early American history as one of the first European missionaries to devote his life to evangelizing Indigenous peoples in New England. Known often as the “Apostle to the Indians,” Eliot’s work combined religious conviction, linguistic scholarship, and a deep—though historically complex—commitment to cross-cultural engagement. His life and legacy are closely tied to the Read more...

John Eliot (1604-1690) was born in Widford, England, and graduated from Cambridge. He worked for Thomas Hooker (founder of Connecticut) at his school in Essex. When Hooker escaped England for the Netherlands, Eliot came to Boston in 1631, where he helped compile the Bay Psalm Book. For over forty years he would preach in Roxbury. Many of the Christians who came Read more...

John Wesley (1703-1791) was an Oxford graduate, an Anglican priest, and led the “Holy Club” where they prayed for three hours a day to try to be a better Christian. He even became a missionary to the Native Americans in Georgia. On October 14, 1735, John and his brother Charles Wesley departed England for Savannah aboard the Simmonds. On February Read more...

Inscription: William (Billy) Franklin Graham preached his first sermon on Easter Sunday night, March 28, 1947 at the Bostwick Baptist Church near Palatka, Florida. Graham was born in Charlotte, North Carolina on November 17, 1918. He was saved in a Mordecal Ham crusade when he was 16 years of age. He preached his first sermon at Bostwick Baptist Church while Read more...

Inscription: A Centennial Memorial of Hiram Bingham. Born in Bennington, Vt., Oct. 30, 1789. Died in New Haven, Ct., Nov. 11, 1869, Aged 80 Years. This slab is placed here in grateful remembrance of a pioneer Missionary by descendants of Hawaiians (aided by his Children) among whom he preached Christ for more than twenty years. He preached the first sermon every delivered Read more...

At 26, Herbert G. Tovey wrote the song “Give Me a Passion for Souls” – out of 1,500 songs published under his Sacred Music Foundation, this was the most popular. 1 Give me a passion for souls, dear Lord, A passion to save the lost; O that Thy love were by all adored, And welcomed at any cost. Refrain: Jesus, Read more...

The First Churches of Northampton stands as one of the oldest and most historically significant congregations in New England. Located in Northampton, its story stretches back to the earliest days of colonial settlement and continues into the present as a living example of how faith communities adapt while preserving their roots. Its history, legacy, and impact are deeply intertwined with Read more...

Hymn History: We Three Kings Author: John Henry Hopkins Jr. “Many people erroneously assumed the song … was an ancient work. ” (Mark Bushnell)   The Origin of the Hymn “We Three Kings” The Christmas hymn We Three Kings holds a cherished place in the musical and devotional traditions of the Christmas season. With its stately melody and vivid imagery, the Read more...

  From RocWiki: Third Presbyterian Church is a beautiful stone church on the corner of Meigs Street and East Avenue in the East Avenue Historic District. It has served the Rochester community since 1827. Their first building was located on the northeast center of Main Street and Clinton Avenue. Their current structure was built in 1894. Major renovations to provide full accessibility were completed in December 2010. From Third Pres: Third Church was founded Read more...

Fanny Crosby remains one of the most beloved figures in American hymnody, and her life is closely tied to the New York Institution for the Blind, where she spent many formative years as both a student and a teacher. This institution played a crucial role in shaping her intellectual, spiritual, and creative development, ultimately helping to prepare her for a Read more...

From Daytonian in Manhattan: Three blocks to the north, on Ninth Avenue between 33rd and 34th Street, the New York Asylum for the Blind had stood since 1831.  In 1839 it had taken in a 19-year old student, Franny J. Crosby, who quickly was recognized for her talent in writing poetry and hymns.  Fanny had been blinded by an incompetent physician at Read more...

From GFA Missions: On completion of his assignment at the leprosarium, Dr. and Mrs. Dreisbach returned to the U.S., made preparation to proceed on to Africa, and in 1948 began full-time missionary working in Nigeria, West Africa. In their early years in Africa, Dr. Dreisbach was superintendent of three large provincial leprosy hospitals in northern Nigeria. Being in an area Read more...

  Hymn History: It Is Well With My Soul Author: Horatio Spafford   “One of the most comforting and triumphant expressions of faith in the entire hymnody of the Christian church.” (Kenneth W. Osbeck)   The beloved hymn “It Is Well with My Soul” was born out of one of the most profound personal tragedies in American Christian history. Its Read more...

The D. L. Moody Museum, located on the campus of the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, offers visitors a focused and meaningful glimpse into the life and ministry of one of America’s most influential evangelists. Though modest in size, the museum plays an important role in preserving the legacy of Dwight L. Moody and connecting modern audiences with the spiritual Read more...

Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899) was born in Northfield, Massachusetts, the seventh of nine children. The death of his father at age four hurt the family financially, and Moody was sent out to work. At 17 he worked for his uncle in his shoe store in Boston (turn back a few pages to hear how Edward Kimball paid him a visit Read more...