The New England Magazine, Volume 1, No. 2, February, 1886.

In this essay the author paints a vivid portrait of the early days of a New England college perched on a breezy hill that was once a walnut forest. He traces how generous gifts from local benefactors, especially Charles Tufts, transformed a modest parcel of land into a sprawling campus, and explains the spiritual impetus behind its founding, rooted in a Universalist sermon that called for a place of higher learning. The narrative combines rich geographical description with the pioneering spirit of mid‑nineteenth‑century America.

The piece then follows the early leadership, from the first president who declined the role to the charismatic Dr. Hosea Ballou II, whose vision guided the college through its formative years. It recounts the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone, the recruitment of scholars, and the initial enrollment of students, while noting the challenges that weighed on Ballou’s health. Listeners will gain a sense of how ambition, faith, and community collaboration forged an institution that would soon become a cornerstone of regional education.