1832 WILLIAM A. HALLOCK. Rare Circular & Autograph Letter by Founder of the American Tract Society.

William Allen Hallock [1794-1880] may just be the most influential early 19th century Christian you never heard of.  Born in Plainfield, Massachusetts, his father, Moses Hallock, was a minister and an educator. Sensing a call to the Christian ministry early on, he attended Williams College, then a hot-bed of revivalist and missionary fervor. From there, he went to Andover Theological Seminary and then received a doctorate at Rutgers College.  Why was he influential? He founded perhaps the most influential evangelism and discipleship organization of the first half of the 19th century, the American Tract Society [1825]. Historians have described its emergence as having ushered in a "new era in the history of the American churches." He was its founder, acted as corresponding secretary for many years and personally approved, often edited, and proofed every manuscript the energetic Tract Society released. In his spare time, he also edited The American Messenger and The Child’s Paper. He al