author

E. (Erasmus) Manford

1815–1884

A forceful Universalist preacher, editor, and public debater in the American Midwest, he spent decades shaping religious discussion through sermons, print, and controversy. He was also remembered as an opponent of slavery and a supporter of women's rights.

1 Audiobook

Twenty-five years in the West

Twenty-five years in the West

by E. (Erasmus) Manford

About the author

Ordained as a Universalist minister in 1836, Erasmus Manford became a prominent voice in 19th-century religious life, especially in Indiana, Illinois, and the wider West. He is closely associated with Twenty-Five Years in the West, an autobiographical work published in 1867 that reflects on his ministry and the growth of Universalism on the frontier.

Manford was not only a preacher but a tireless editor and publisher. Over the years he ran a succession of periodicals that eventually became Manford's Monthly Magazine, a long-running publication tied to his name. Contemporary memorial and bibliographic records also describe him as an energetic public debater, taking part in many religious controversies of his day.

He has also been remembered as an activist against slavery and in support of women's rights. Manford died on August 16, 1884, and was buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago.