Chariton, Osceola & a Spiritualist missionary

I'm always intrigued by the waves of enthusiasm that have swept through Lucas County as the years passed --- including a flirtation with Spiritualism that developed during the 1870s and continued into the early 1880s.

Spiritualism was (and still is in some places and cases) a faith that insists the dead remain among us, ready to communicate through mediums and assist the living. But it also advertised itself back then as scientific --- a medium could be put to the test, could he or she not?

Emanuel Swedenborg sometimes is identified as the father of modern Spiritualism; others trace its popularity in the United States to sister mediums Kate and Margaret Fox of Hydesville, New York, who in 1848 became national sensations.

For various reasons, Spiritualism appealed to thoughtful and relatively affluent people put off by religious orthodoxy of the day. It was the only religious expression of its time that recognized men and women as true equals. Many abolitionists and early proponents of universal suffrage were spiritualists.

One of the leading Midwest Spiritualist missionaries of the 1870s was the Rev. Alexus (or Alexis) J. Fishback, then headquartered in Sturgis, Michigan, who scheduled four days of meetings in the courtroom of the Lucas County Courthouse in Chariton during December of 1874.

Fishback was an ordained Universalist minister. His initial goal was to convince Universalists to embrace Spiritualism. When that failed, he held onto his Universalist principles, but fully embraced Spiritualism and set out to convince others.

The Chariton Leader distributed on Friday, Dec. 11, 1874, but dated Dec. 12 advertised his visit as follows:

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Rev. A. J. Fishback, of Sturgis, Mich., proposes to deliver at the Court House, free to all, the following lectures on Spiritualism, commencing tonight at 7 p.m.

Lecture 1st. "The Spiritual Senses of Man and How to Cultivate Them so that all may become Clairvoyant."

Lecture 2nd. (Saturday evening) "Swedenborg, Moses and Jesus."

Lecture 3rd. (Sunday evening) "Spiritualism and the World of God. Is our Bible the Word of God? Are the words of our Bible God's or Man's Words?"

Lecture 4th. (Monday evening) "Love, Marriage, Divorce and Free-Love."

Mr. Fishback is a chaste speaker, a fine orator and a deep thinker, and all those who wish to hear him on the above important themes can now have an opportunity. Let all attend.

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The editors of both The Chariton Patriot and The Democrat reported that Fishback's lectures were well attended and well received, but neither made an effort to cover them --- no more than they would have covered a revival meeting at the Methodist church. So we have no idea of what actually was said.

There is a clue, however, in a book that's still around --- providing you know how to track it down. That book resulted from the fact that Fishback's appearance in Chariton followed a marathon 10-day series of public debates in Osceola during late November that had matched the Spiratualist missionary against the Rev. Francis Wesley Evans, pastor of the Osceola Methodist Church and representing the orthodox viewpoint. These meetings had been packed, according to reports.

The Patriot of Dec. 2 reported that "The debate at Osceola between Rev. F. W. Evans, Methodist, and A. J. Fishback, Spiritualism, closed last Saturday after 10 nights talking. The Methodists claim that Fishback was cleaned out, and visa versa. The Beacon says of the men:

Good judges claim that no man in the United States is better qualified than Frank Evans to conduct the orthodox side of the discussion in which he and Fishback engaged.

We heard a man of age and observation and one who is a fine scholar say that Fishback uttered some of the grandest thoughts clothed in the most eloquent language that he ever heard fall from the lips of man.

A pin factory is about the  only thing we think of that can make more points than Evans makes in his debate with Fishback.

Fishback's arguments are incisive and direct. He points a moral or scalps a bigot with equal facility.

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Following the Osceola debates, the Rev. Mr. Evans  published an account of their encounter, entitled "Spiritualism on Trial." It's still available --- for free at Google "Book" or at Amazon in Kindle or reprint format. Follow this link to the Google edition.

Although sufficient interest remained into the 1880s to justify further visits by Mr. Fishback, the south of Iowa failed to provide fertile ground for Spiritualism.

He and his wife eventually relocated from Michigan to Duquoin, Ill., where they were living in 1892 when Mr. Fishback came down with a severe case of the flu and it killed him on March 5.

Despite Mr. Fishback's best efforts, interest in Spiritualism faded. Although there's no reason to doubt his sincerity, sincerity was not enough. Too many fake mediums and other charlatans poisoned the well and there was no science to sweeten it. Fishback himself seems to have been almost entirely forgotten.