Uncover The Legacy Of Increase N. Tarbox: Educator, Theologian, And Writer
Explore the life of Increase N. Tarbox, a noted 19th-century theologian and educator known for his influential writings and leadership in American religious education.
Jul 28, 202527.1K Shares362.1K Views
Biography
Increase Niles Tarbox was born on February 11, 1815, in the part of East Windsor that is now South Windsor, Connecticut, to Thomas and Lucy Porter Tarbox. He faced hardship early in life after becoming an orphan at nine years old and had to work hard to get his education.
He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1839. After completing his studies, he spent two years leading an academy in East Hartford. He then returned to New Haven to attend Yale’s Divinity School. While studying there, he also served as a tutor at the college during his second and third years.
In the summer of 1844, he began preaching in Framingham, Massachusetts, and was ordained pastor of the Hollis Evangelical Church on November 22 of that year. While continuing his pastoral work, he became one of three editors who produced the first issue of what would become the long-running religious newspaper The Congregationalist in May 1849.
In July 1851, he left his pastor role and stepped away from editorial duties to become Secretary of the American Education Society in Boston. He filled that position with distinction until he resigned in August 1884 due to age. He lived and worked in Boston, moving residence to West Newton in 1860.
Throughout his life, Tarbox was a frequent writer, contributing both prose and poetry to various periodicals. In 1876, he published Life of Israel Putnam, a detailed biography of the Revolutionary War hero. He also edited and added notes to Diary of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Robbins, printed privately in two large volumes.
Yale University awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1869, recognizing his contributions to theology and education.
He spent his final months recovering in North Carolina due to health problems. Though he briefly returned home in April 1888, he died on May 3, 1888, from exhaustion soon after his return to Boston. He was married on June 4, 1845, to Delia A. Waters, with whom he had four children—two daughters survived him at his death.
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