Watch Tower History

Quite collectable, Lardent cards are often found as bookmarks in old publications of the Watch Tower Society when they become available. The...

The two rectangular pictures are postcards from the Photodrama of Creation. A set of 40 postcards was advertised in 1917 (see reprints page ...

I posted an longish section on Russell's early religious experience. We've identified the Congregational Church he associated with a...

With the success of the Photodrama in mind, and the realisation that records were now highly popular, a few Bible Students set up the An...

moved here from the private blog ... From Jenny Smith's Diary November 1, 1878.—At Sister Clark's. Two more interesting days h...

From a letter in the St Paul Enterprise for November 14, 1916 (page 3) written by the editor William Abbott to his wife, an eye witness ...

There was only one Congregational Church in Allegheny in 1868. This man was pastor. There continued to be only one Congregational Church i...

Israel's greater faith contrasted with "Zion's Watch Tower" doctrine. [Signed: W.D.F. i.e. William D. Forsyth.]. Author: ...

We have located nearly a full year of issues. The copy costs are huge. We do have a donation system, though it's not on this blog. But w...

We need to locate the personal papers of: REID, WILLIAM JAMES: United Presbyterian; b. at South Argyle, Washington County, N. Y., Aug. 17...

by “Jerome” This is a slightly revised version of an article that first appeared on the Watch Tower History Two blog. Caveat lector....

Quincy Hall as it looked in 1911. It's the building with the barber pole painted on the door posts. Russell found Wendell preaching...

We're reactivating this blog. We won't post full chapters from our work in progress. Those will only appear on the invitation only b...

Here is the Petyon Bowman material from the other blog. Please do contact me [ bwschulz2[at]yahoo.com]. I would like to see the biography a...

The other blog has returned to invitation only. You must request access. If you use or are connected to Citrex hosting, there is no need for...

On a trial basis only, we're opening the private blog to public access. We believe the individuals whose bad behavior prompted us to cre...

The full text of the Feb. 1881 Watch Tower Tract Society organizational document and a photo of the signatures and pledged amounts. To apply...

Our membership list broke today and we lost two members. One I was able to resend an invitation to; the other, "Joshua Himes", nee...

A heretofor missing issue of Midnight Cry and Herald of the Morning. To apply for access see the instructions below.

New material on Jonas Wendell. to read it apply for access as noted below.

For access to our invitation only blog, see below. The new post is a transcription of an interview of C. T. Russell published in an Ohio new...

Everything that matters will start appearing on the private blog. If you have an interest in our research, follow the instructions in the pr...

Amy Reytar of the United States National Archives for locating and sending copies of original documents re: J. B. Adamson and his wife. Yipe...

The new blog has been partially formatted. There are no posts yet. We're still distracted by research, but we're moving updates and ...

From the front end sheet of his copy of Day Dawn. Courtesy of Frank Marotta. The book is currently on ebay, and Frank kindly made this scan ...

The Allegheny Church, listed not as a Second Adventist Congregation but as a One Faith Congregation. Do you have any idea how much this alt...

Intersting things in Restitution. I've just started reading it. Russell promises an article on the Great Pyramid. If it was written, it ...

to Jan Stilson of the Church of God - General Conference for extensive biolgraphical information on Hiram Vaughn Reed and for putting us on ...

For one of his early preaching tours, Russell used the general topic "things pretaining to God's kingdom." This was a borrowin...

Rachael passed on bits of her research to me this afternoon. Conley met Simpson no later than December 1885 in Pittsburgh. This is, we would...

We need to see: The kingdom of God: or, The reign of Christ on earth, as revealed in the Holy Scriptures. To which is added, "What is t...

I know he's trying to sell it, so that mitigates some of the flattery. But this is fun: Nelson Barbour: The Millennium's Forgotten ...

Our thanks go to Dr. David Miano for his kind assistance in acquiring four rare tracts for us. Help like this is priceless.

Thanks to the efforts of Dr. R. Phillip Stone we now have the record of Bowman's M. E. Church trial. People such as Dr. Stone who take a...

Supported financially by Conley.

Faith cures and their meaning were an issue among Watch Tower subscribers in the 1880's and into the 1890's. The issue divided Watch...

Russell, Barbour, Paton, Adams all attended these conferences in 1877 and 1878.

Garr was one of the Elders of The Church of the First Born, the Watch Tower congregation in Louisville, Kentucky. George W. Jackson was res...

A small journal published in Illinois, probably Chicago. Any information would help. We believe this paper was published by J. B. Adamson. I...

Benjamin Allan Garr, MD. born in Louisville Ky about 1852/3. Married to an Addie last name unknown. He is named as an Elder in the Church of...

We would very much like to see a four page tract published by Barbour in 1871. Its title is: Alarming State of the World: Can Ye discern the...

Undated photo - Alton Bay Camp Meeting Camp Ground Police Russell and Barbour were at the Alton Bay Camp Meeting, an Advent Christian Asso...

This church was founded in 1877 in Blythedale, Maryland. One of the early Watch Tower evangelists was minister there for a period. We have a...

1. Bible Examiner 1872-3. 2. World's Hope. We have several years, but we need many more. What do you have? 3. Zion's Day Star / Day ...

I'm moving this to a main post because I think it deserves more open discussion. (It's fun, thanks.) And I'm posting it here bec...

Arthur Adams was pastor of the Avenue Methodist Church in Beverly when he first met Russell and Barbour

A brother and his wife took part of their valuable time to make photocopies for us. We could never have accessed this material on our own. T...

This Ad appeared in US newspapers in 1907/8

I've moved this from the comment section to here. Anonymous said... I am a different anonymous than the previous comment, but I agree wi...

offered financial help. We usually turn that down. But if you wish to help, the Library of Congress has an issue of Jones' Day Star. We...

A fairly recent screed against Russell says: "Charles Tase [sic] Russell and his brother, as late as when we was in his early twenties,...

Remember to avoid the footnote links. They take you off page. This is what we have. Can you help us elaborate? Anyone? The work ...

I'm rewriting the conclusion to our chapter on the early missionary work in China to accomodate new information. I could use some help w...

I’m working on a chapter detailing the months from January 1876 to August 1876. Most of this has been on the blog in one form or another, an...

In answer to a question in the comments on an earlier post: There is very little else in the way of direct testimony that bears on this peri...

I received the following email. I'm soliciting your help answering it: Bruce: I am looking at the cemetery records for the Russell famil...