Isaiah 1:17 – Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
Josiah Bushnell Grinnell was born into a Vermont farm family in 1821. Though receiving limited education himself, Josiah (known as JB) learned quickly and began a teaching career at the young age of 16. Not content to remain a schoolmaster, Grinnell entered Oneida Institute of New York to further his education. While at Oneida, Grinnell became deeply influenced by the views of the institute regarding slavery, and henceforth became an ardent abolitionist for the remainder of his life. Ultimately, Grinnell left New York with a degree in divinity and founded The First Congregationalist Church in Washington, D.C. Our nation’s capital was highly pro-slavery at the time, but that did not stop Grinnell from speaking out against slavery, even from the pulpit. His outspoken nature eventually caused him to be driven from the city and his church ministry there.
By 1854, Grinnell had left the ministry and, along with several other businessmen, helped to establish the newly formed town of Grinnell. It originally contained only three log cabins! The town had very strict rules against alcohol consumption and was known for its anti-slavery stance. In the years leading up to the Civil War, the town of Grinnell became a stopover for runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. In fact, JB Grinnell personally housed John Brown and several of his supporters for several days in 1859, after Brown’s raids in Kansas and Missouri.
Ever the enterprising young man, JB Grinnell began his education to practice law and in 1858 was admitted to the Iowa State Bar. In addition to his law practice, JB entered politics and served in the state of Iowa as a senator, and later on the national level as a congressman from 1863 to 1867. These were truly tumultuous times for our country! In 1866, while debating Kentucky congressman Lovell Rousseau, Grinnell was assaulted on the floor of the House of Representatives. I had to smile at this incident, thankful that our own raucous political system hasn’t devolved into fisticuffs on the House floor in recent times! This is a reassuring reminder that political division is woven into our democratic fiber. We’ve survived before, and hopefully will do so again.
Apart from being a founder of Grinnell, Iowa, JB is known for many other accomplishments as well. True to wanting to “defend the oppressed” as our focus verse states, JB Grinnell was also instrumental in passing legislation that protected the Meskwaki Tribe from being relocated to Kansas. JB Ginnell and other local supporters did their best legislatively to keep the Meskwaki from complete removal from their lands in Iowa. Also, one of JB Grinnell’s lasting legacies was his part in the founding of Grinnell University, which later merged with Iowa College to become Grinnell College – a liberal arts college still thriving today.
Dear Lord, we thank you for the life of Josiah Bushnell Grinnell. His life exemplifies determination and moral character. Born into farming in the early 1800s, most individuals would have “stayed the course” and lived out their lives remaining on the farm. JB adventured far and wide during his lifetime, pursuing education where possible – and parlaying that into opportunities to help those in slavery and oppression. We thank you for his example, and for the pastor you’ve brought our way from the prospering town of Grinnell, Iowa!
Blessings to all this week,
Diana
Resources:
History Deep Dive, The Founder of the Town of Grinnell, J.B. Grinnell by Nora Kohnhorst, 3/10/24,
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