On May 31, 1803, Presbyterians appointed Reverend Gideon Blackburn as their first missionary to the American Indians. A flamboyant preacher, he once held the attention of a crowd of fifteen hundred listeners for two hours in a rainstorm. As a missionary and pastor, he planted churches and schools from Illinois to Alabama over a period of forty years, working along the western frontier as it moved further across North America. However, it is believed that he smuggled whiskey and dealt in land speculation, tarnishing his reputation.
