Rev Haddock Thesis

On a dark rainy summer night in 1886, Reverend George C. Haddock returned his rented buggy after a trip to Greenville, Iowa. Haddock noticed a crowd gathered outside of the stables in Sioux City, Iowa. He inquired with the man working if someone had asked for him. The man replied affirmatively and warned the preacher to be careful. Haddock responded “I can take care of myself, and them too.” The Reverend grabbed his cane and a makeshift weapon of rope with an iron wheel on the end, and marched across the street to confront the crowd. Two men separated from the crowd and met Haddock in the street. A shot rang out and Haddock fell to the ground. Rev. Haddock, also known as the Fighting Priest, lost his fight to rid the world of alcohol. The 1880s American west was known for lawlessness, and the corruption of men with drinking, gambling, and prostitution. Reformers of the time worked tirelessly to chip away at the morally dubious behaviors of the west, but faced resistance. Haddock became a martyr for reformers who relentlessly worked against a corrupt system to try to improve society. A well-known blacksmith and a famous preacher’s daughter welcomed the youngest Haddock to the family on January 23, 1832, in New York. Haddock’s mother had a very independent strong will as well as a strong

Haddock did not fight in the Civil War. As the baby of the family his mother disapproved of sending him away. Instead, Haddock assisted the effort in different ways. He married Cornelia B. Herrick in 1852 while working at a printing press. Around the age of 25 he had a conversion and became a preacher finally fulfilling his mother’s lifelong wish. After his conversion, he preached in a small church in Ohio. The church removed Haddock from this duty after a few months because of his unwillingness to censor his views on prohibition and his unwavering focus on the actions of the person rather than the standard theology of the