Book Burning in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1904?

We have all heard of book burning throughout history as a way to eliminate ideas people don’t agree with.

Photo: book burning
Photo: book burning. Credit: LearningLark; Wikimedia Commons.

I was surprised to learn that book burning was encouraged by one of my ancestors, William Kemp.

I have already written about how involved my 2nd-great-grandfather was with the Methodist Church in Stamford, Connecticut.

The Maple Avenue Methodist Church, that William was instrumental in building, was built across the street from his home.

Photo: Maple Avenue Methodist Church, Stamford, Connecticut
Photo: Maple Avenue Methodist Church, Stamford, Connecticut. Source: Thomas Jay Kemp.

It was front page news in the Daily Advocate (Stamford, Connecticut) when religious book sellers stopped by William Kemp’s home in 1904, selling copies of the multivolume book Millennial Dawn by Charles T. Russell. According to the newspaper:

“Mr. Camp [correction: Kemp] read only a few pages when he decided to burn it.”

An article about William Kemp, Daily Advocate newspaper article 6 June 1904
Source: GenealogyBank, Daily Advocate (Stamford, Connecticut), 6 June 1904, page 1

The local Methodist minister came to the same conclusion:

“Rev. W. J. Cady, the pastor of the Maple Avenue Methodist Protestant Church, has burned four volumes which came into his hands, and denounced it in his pulpit yesterday morning and evening.”

An article about W. J. Cady, Daily Advocate newspaper article 6 June 1904
Source: GenealogyBank, Daily Advocate (Stamford, Connecticut), 6 June 1904, page 1

Clearly religion was taken very seriously in Stamford, Connecticut, in 1904!

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