David Buel Knickerbacker

Biography

KNICKERBACKER David Buel third Protestant Episcopal bishop of the diocese of Indiana and 130th in succession in the American episcopate was born at Schaghticoke Rensselaer county N.Y. Feb 24 1833. His father Herman Knickerbocker was a lawyer who inherited a large property from his father Johannes Knickerbocker and on account of the liberal hospitality he dispensed at his colonial home he became known as the "Prince of Schaghticoke." He was for many years judge of Rensselaer County and a member of congress during President Madison's administration. David Buel who adopted the change in spelling the family name by substituting "a" for "o" in the third syllable was educated at Trinity college Hartford and the General theological seminary New York city Soon after his graduation from the latter institution m 1856 he went as a missionary to Minneapolis Minn then a village of three hundred inhabitants and remained there twenty seven years during which he did much to direct its growth. He built three churches in Minneapolis and five in its outlying districts and helped to found the St. Barnabas hospital the Sheltering arms orphanage and the Minneapolis athemtum. In 1877 he was elected missionary bishop of New Mexico and Arizona but declined. He accepted his present position as bishop of Indiana in 1833 has founded a boarding school for boys at Turner and another for girls at Indianapolis and has secured $25,000 toward an endowment for the Episcopate of Indiana. He also founded the Church Worker a monthly publication of which he is editor. The degree of D. D. was conferred upon him by Trinity in 1871.