Walter Hilliard Bidwell (June 21, 1798 – September 11, 1881) was an American magazine editor. Bidwell, son of William and Mary (née Pelton) Bidwell, was born in

Farmington, Connecticut Farmington is a town in Hartford County in the Farmington Valley area of central Connecticut in the United States. The population was 26,712 at the 2020 census. It sits 10 miles west of Hartford at the hub of major I-84 interchanges, 20 miles ...

, June 21, 1798. He joined the Sophomore Class of

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 1824 and graduated in 1827. The two years after graduation were employed in extinguishing the debts incurred by his college course; in 1829 he entered the

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 was licensed to preach in the spring of 1833. He had previously married Susan M. Duryea, of New York, and on account of her feeble health spent with her a year in England and France. On September 19, 1833, he was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Medfield, Mass, but on the failure of his voice, after a pastorate of four years, removed to the milder climate of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. In the beginning of 1841 he began editorial life as the conductor of the '' American National Preacher'', which—with the omission of some years—he continued to edit until 1867, 19 years in all. In April 1843, he became the proprietor and nominal editor of the '' New York Evangelist''; he retained this connection for nearly twelve years, when he was obliged to relinquish it on the temporary failure of his health In the meantime (1846) he became the proprietor and conductor of the '' American Biblical Repository'', and also of the '' Eclectic Magazine of Foreign Literature''; the former periodical passed out of his hands in 1849, but the latter he conducted in person until 1868. In the autumn of 1860 he became the proprietor and publisher of the '' American Theological Review'', which, was merged in another review two years later. During the years of his business life he went to Europe six times, partly on account of his health, and partly in the interest of the ''Eclectic Magazine''. After retiring from active employment, he removed to Oberlin, Ohio, being attracted by the earnest religious life which he found there. Much of the last year of his life was spent in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

; a few weeks before his death he went to

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over ...

, where he died, suddenly, September 11, 1881, in the 84th year of his age.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:bidwell, walter hillard 1798 births 1881 deaths People from Farmington, Connecticut Yale Divinity School alumni American magazine editors American Congregationalist ministers Yale College alumni 19th-century American clergy